Shamrock Rovers 0 Rubin Kazan 3:The results had to stop sometime for Shamrock Rovers in Europe and it was no surprise the run came to a halt against Rubin Kazan tonight, in the first of their six Europa League group games.
The home side were far from disgraced but the gulf in class was always apparent and a three-goal cushion was an accurate reflection of that when the first 90 minutes of big-time European football played at Tallaght Stadium came to an end.
Michael O’Neill's side got off to an awful start when Obafemi Martin’s swept home Gokdeniz Karadenis’s cross in the third minute but that’s how it stayed until the break as Rovers gathered themselves and played some good football for the rest of the half.
Conor McCormack was prominent, while Rohan Ricketts and Enda Stevens combined down the left well and the former created the best chance of the half when he crossed for Stephen O’Donnell to head over the bar.
Goalkeeper Ryan Thompson came to the rescue after half an hour when Craig Sives hauled down Martins for a penalty. Ecuadorian striker Christian Valdez lined up the spot-kick but couldn't beat the Jamaican and Dan Murray booted clear.
Rovers saw out the half comfortably enough but began the second in much the same way they started the first.
Substitute Petr Bystrov, on for Martins at the break, saw his cross headed away by McCormack, but only as far as Christian Noboa who finished with aplomb, leaving Thompson with no chance.
Rovers responded well and Ronan Finn’s header needed a good save from Sergei Rhyzikov immediately after the restart.
O’Neill then introduced Billy Dennehy and Ciaran Kilduff for McCormack and Finn, as Ricketts moved to the right.
Rubin, however, put the game to bed in the 63rd minute when Karadeniz curled into the top corner after being found in space in the box by Bebras Natcho.
As a contest it was over, but Rovers were determined to get something from the game and should have when Gary Twigg was clipped by Cesar Navas in the box, but O’Donnell's shot down the middle was turned away by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.
Kilduff and Stevens twice combined to create openings but the first instance saw the substitute beaten to the left-back’s ball over the top by Rhyzikov and the second saw Aston Villa’s new signing miscue with his right after marauding into the box.
Dennehy’s well struck low free-kick around the wall forced another excellent save from Rhyzikov and that was the last question asked of the goalkeeper as the home side had to settle for drawing a blank despite their valiant efforts.
Shamrock Rovers:Thompson, Sullivan, Stevens, Sives, Murray, Rice, O'Donnell, Finn (Kilduff 57), McCormack (Dennehy 57), Ricketts (Turner 64), Twigg. Subs not used: Brush, McCabe, Sheppard, Paterson. Booked: Sullivan.
Rubin Kazan:Ryzhikov, Bocchetti, Cesar Navas, Sharonov, Noboa, Kaleshin (Ansaldi 76), Ryazantsev, Karadeniz, Natkho, Haedo Valdez (Dyadyun 65), Martins (Bystrov 46). Subs not used: Arlauskis, Kasaev, Alexei Eremenko, Kverkvelia. Booked: Ryazantsev, Cesar Navas, Dyadyun, Bocchetti.
Attendance:8,000
Referee:Zsolt Szabo (Hungary).
