Uefa Conference League play-off, second leg
Shamrock Rovers (2) v CD Santa Clara (1) – Tallaght Stadium, Thursday, 8pm
Fourteen years to the week of their breakthrough in Belgrade when becoming the first League of Ireland side to reach the group stage of a European club competition, Shamrock Rovers stand on the brink of another continental milestone for themselves and the domestic game.
Following last week’s controlled, tactically astute performance in coming from behind to win the first leg in the Azores, avoiding defeat against their Portuguese opponents on Thursday night at what should be a bouncing Tallaght Stadium will put Stephen Bradley’s side through to the league phase of Uefa’s third-tier competition for the second successive year, and a third group/league qualification in four seasons.
Each of the league’s previous five qualifications for that stage (either Europa League or Conference League) have come through the champions’ path whereby clubs have a parachute for early elimination from the Champions League qualifiers.
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Having relinquished their league crown to Shelbourne last November, Rovers had no such safety net this year, albeit benefiting from a bye into the second round of the Conference League following Drogheda United’s expulsion.
It’s now down to ensuring they are in the league phase draw at lunchtime on Friday.
Rovers showed a real footballing maturity to play their way back into last week’s first leg to earn their deserved win on the night with goals from Danny Grant and Danny Mandroiu.
And though that leaves Santa Clara having to chase the game in Dublin 24, Bradley doesn’t expect much difference in their approach.
“What they are is what they will bring,” said the Hoops’ head coach. “They don’t change, they have a clear identity in what they do, they’re very good at what they do.
“They’ve obviously got real pace in the final third. They will do what they normally do and it’s up to us to just play the game.
“We know they can get better than last week, but we know we can get better as well.
“It has the makings to be a really good game, two good teams. I don’t expect them to come out gung-ho from the first minute. I don’t think that’s going to happen.
“They’re experienced players and I think they will just play the game like they normally do.”
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With plenty of big-game awareness in his squad, Bradley wants his team’s experience to come to the fore.
“Like last week when we went a goal down, it’s important to manage those moments in the game and we did that really well,” he said.
“We settled the game down really well and you know they’re going to have those moments again. They’re a good team, they’re going to have their moments. It’s just about being calm and using all that know-how and experience at key moments in the game.
“We will do that and we’ll need that. I think you saw last week all of that coming to the fore in terms of them scoring and us being nice and relaxed. We’ll need all that experience [on Thursday night].”
With Shelbourne also hoping to qualify as they defend a 3-1 lead against Linfield at Windsor Park, the promise of a huge night for the League of Ireland beckons.
“I’d love to see it happen,” said Bradley of two clubs potentially reaching the league phase for the first time. “I said before the game last week, that’s what we should be aiming for. Nothing’s changed in my mind.
“I think the days of us as a league, of people within the league, shying away from challenges like that are long gone.
“We should be embracing them and wanting them and meeting them head on.
“We might have none. [But] why not go and give everything we’ve got to try to get two in? And for me if it happens it’s another positive step forward for the league.
“And we need to keep pushing to keep progressing. For me, that’s the next step as a league as a whole.
“If we can do what we want to do, it’s obviously another bit of history, a record broken. But as a league it’d be great to get two in. And then the aim has to be to keep pushing on.
“That has to be our mindset and it’s definitely my mindset. It has to be our mindset as a league.
“Hopefully, the league as a whole is celebrating two teams [qualifying].”
