Soccer

Defensive frailties prove costly as Shamrock Rovers go down fighting in Prague

Sparta effectively killed off the tie with the opening goal on the night but Stephen Bradley’s Irish champions produced a gutsy display in defeat

Shamrock Rovers players look dejected after conceding the opening goal of the game to Sparta Prague in the Champions League second round qualifier at the epet ARENA, Prague. Photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho
Shamrock Rovers players look dejected after conceding the opening goal of the game to Sparta Prague in the Champions League second round qualifier at the epet ARENA, Prague. Photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Tue Jul 30 2024 - 21:17
Champions League second qualifying round, second leg: Sparta Prague 4 Shamrock Rovers 2 (Sparta win 6-2 on agg)

As in the first leg at Tallaght Stadium, defensive frailties, and missed opportunities of their own, proved Shamrock Rovers’ undoing as they bowed out of this season’s Champions League before a sell-out 17,000 attendance in a rollercoaster game at Prague’s Stadion Letna.

Rovers now drop down into the Europa League third qualifying round, where they will meet Slovenians NK Celje with the first leg next week away from home.

With perhaps a nod to their confidence that the hard yards were done in Dublin, Sparta made six changes from last week’s 2-0 first leg victory.

Rovers’ manager Stephen Bradley made just two switches to his starting line-up with Lee Grace returning on the left side of defence while Aaron Greene came back in to lead the attack.

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And though Rovers started encouragingly, forcing two early corners, Sparta soon settled, all but killing off the tie when taking the lead on the night in the 29th minute.

Leon Pohls’ initial punched clearance fell to Sparta wingback Imanol whose whipped ball back into the area was headed home by Victor Olatunji who got between Rovers skipper Roberto Lopes and Grace.

Far from unbowed, Rovers hit back within three minutes.

Pohls’ quick pass out to Dylan Watts saw the midfielder launch a fine ball for the run in behind of Greene who showed admirable composure to go around goalkeeper Peter Vindahl and slide it to the net from an acute angle.

Catching Sparta a trifle sluggish at the back once more, Rovers might have been ahead three minutes later. Darragh Nugent fed Neil Farrugia who burst between two defenders, drew Vindahl off his line only to watch as his shot dribbled agonisingly wide.

Neglectful defending back in the other area cost Rovers again, though, as Sparta regained the lead on the night on 41 minutes. Danish defender Mathias Ross outjumped Greene to meet a perfectly weighted corner from Albanian international Qazim Laci and head past Pohls.

A positive start to the second half saw Rovers rewarded almost immediately with Greene getting on the end of a terrific Josh Honohan cross to head in his second goal of the game after the wingback got free on the right from Farrugia’s pass.

In end to end action, Sparta regained the lead when punishing further poor defending from a corner within two minutes; Krystof Danek’s delivery swept to the far post where Markus Sorensen spun Grace to score with a diving header.

Scarcely on the pitch as a 69th minute substitute Indrit Tuci added Sparta’s fourth goal, collecting Ermal Krazniqi’s pass to drill crisply to the net from the edge of the box.

To their credit, Rovers kept playing, Grace heading a Jack Byrne free kick against the crossbar, though Pohls subsequently had to make a couple of saves from Jan Kuchta at the opposite end.

SPARTA PRAGUE: Vindahl; Ross, Pavelka, Sorensen (Zeleny, 62); Weisner (Suchomel, 84), L. Sadilek, Laci (Solbakken, 62), Imanol; Danek (Tuci, 69), Olatunji, E. Krasniqi (Kuchta, 69).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Hoare (Cleary, 24), Lopes, Grace; Honohan, O’Neill, Nugent, Watts (Byrne, 63), Clarke (Burns, 63); Farrugia (Poom, 63); Greene (Burke, 74).

Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy).

Attendance: 17,000.