Conference League: Sparta Prague 4 (Sadilek 33, Suchomel 44, Sorensen 50, Haraslin 90) Shamrock Rovers 1 (Mandroiu 82)
Despite substitute Daniel Mandroiu bagging an 82nd-minute goal, Shamrock Rovers’ latest journey in the league phase of the Uefa Conference League began with a comprehensive defeat to Sparta Prague at Stadion Letna last night.
Although his side got the better of arch rivals Bohemians at Tallaght Stadium in the League of Ireland Premier Division six days earlier, Rovers boss Stephen Bradley made three changes to his starting line-up for their trip to the Czech capital. Aaron McEneff, Darragh Nugent and John McGovern were drafted into the first 11, with Mandroiu, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke all dropping to the bench.
Having progressed through the league phase of last season’s competition with an impressive return of 11 points from six games, the Hoops are hopeful of once again reaching the knockout rounds of the Conference League in the current term. Yet this was always going to be a difficult start to the campaign for Rovers with Sparta currently occupying top spot in the Czech First League.
The Hoops also had first-hand experience of what their opponents are capable of on the European stage, having suffered a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Sparta in the Champions League qualifiers in July of last year.
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The hosts were on top of possession from very early on in the contest and Sivert Mannsverk was presented with plenty of space before ultimately curling a shot over the crossbar on six minutes.
That said, clear-cut opportunities were otherwise few and far between for Sparta in the opening quarter with a tight and compact Rovers defence making life extremely difficult for their Czech counterparts.
However, Sparta persisted with their challenge as the action developed and pounced on some defensive hesitancy from the Hoops to take the lead on 33 minutes.
After Rovers defender Roberto Lopes couldn’t deal with a ball into the area, Albion Rrahmani played the ball across the goal for Lukas Sadilek to turn home from close-range – despite the best efforts of the retreating Matt Healy to clear from danger.
This came as a setback for the visitors and their chances of success became even more precarious when Sparta added a second goal just a minute before the interval. While Hoops netminder Ed McGinty got his hand to an Adam Sevinsky header from a Sadilek corner on the right-flank, Martin Suchomel was ideally placed to poke home the rebound.
Already facing an uphill battle on the resumption as they stared into a two-goal deficit, Rovers suffered a further blow just shy of the 50-minute mark. Following a short corner routine on the right-hand side, Sadilek delivered an enticing cross into the area that was headed home by Sparta skipper Asger Sorensen.
Even though the final outcome appeared to be well beyond doubt by this stage, Bradley looked to inject some much-needed life into his side’s play by making a quadruple substitution on the stroke of 60 minutes.
In addition to introducing the aforementioned triumvirate of Burke, Watts and Mandroiu, the Hoops supremo also added 17-year-old striker Michael Noonan to the mix.
Rovers hadn’t registered a shot in the game before these alterations were made, but Peter Vindahl was finally forced into the action on 82 minutes when a speculative Burke shot had taken a wicked deflection. From the ensuing corner, Mandroiu turned sharply in advance of unleashing a firm strike into the back of the Sparta net.
This looked set to offer the Hoops some solace on their home return home from Prague, but Sparta had the final say when Slovakian international Lukas Haraslin finished off a swift attacking move at the very end of normal time.
SPARTA PRAGUE: Vindahl; Sevinsky, Sorensen (Uchenna, 59 mins), Zeleny; Kaderabek (Vydra, 75 mins), Sadilek, Mannsverk (Eneme, 75 mins), Suchomel; Birmancevic (Haraslin, 67 mins), Kuchta, Rrahmani (Kuol, 59 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Cleary, Lopes, O’Sullivan; Grant, Healy (Malley, 77 mins), McEneff (Burke, 60 mins), Nugent (Watts, 60 mins), Honohan; McGovern (Mandroiu, 60 mins), Gaffney (Noonan, 60 mins).
Referee: A Karaoglan (Turkey).
