SOCCER: Shamrock Rovers 0 Rubin Kazan 3THEIR HOME looked well for the club's debut at this level of European competition. However, having installed quite a few seats in order to be allowed stage games against opponents of this calibre at Tallaght Stadium, Shamrock Rovers will have to add a good deal of steel to their performances if they are going to start getting the odd result out of these occasions.
With most of their better results coming on the road, their record at home wasn’t that intimidating prior to Rubin’s visit, with just one win, by a single goal over Flora Tallinn, and a couple of draws to show for their four European starts since taking up residence a couple of years back. But this time out they were handed a tough lesson by a team that displayed real quality over the 90 minutes although Rovers’ cause wasn’t helped by conceding even before the last of their supporters had taken their seats.
Ultimately, they suffered what was their heaviest home defeat in a European tie since 1962 although it was much more a case of things being comfortable for the visitors rather than calamitous for the hosts. The Russians might have had another couple but then so might Michael O’Neill’s side and Rovers did enough to leave the pitch with pride and an ovation from the crowd.
It is difficult to know how the game might have panned out had the teams been level for longer but having held their own for stretches after conceding and finished strongly, how Rovers must have wished they had given themselves the opportunity to find out.
They handed Rubin the lead just over two minutes in after sleepy defending. Gokdeniz Karadeniz was allowed to work his way to the line down the left and cut the ball low into the area. There appeared to be enough bodies to deal with it but none reacted with urgency and Obafemi Martins did well to turn and get the touch to turn it home from under the noses of Conor McCormack, Dan Murray and Enda Stevens.
With the pressure off, Kurban Berdyev’s side didn’t look inclined to over-exert themselves and a good deal of what followed during the first half was fairly even. Still Rubin might have doubled their lead by the break with Craig Sives conceding a spot kick for a challenge on Martins. Ryan Thompson spared his blushes by saving well.
Rovers to their credit, pushed the ball around well for spells even if they looked lost at times as to how best to move it out of defence. In a densely-populated midfield they fought for and then retained possession to reasonably good effect at times, but they never came close to getting on top in any area of the pitch and lone striker Gary Twigg struggled to seriously trouble the Rubin defence.
Stephen O’Donnell came closest to grabbing a goal early on but at least until the closing stages it was always Rubin, with their speed and strength, who seemed more likely to score again. They did so five minutes after the break when Petr Bystrov’s cross from the right was cleared by Conor McCormack only as far as Ecuadorian international Christian Noboa who buried his first-time shot in the top corner.
The visitors’ third had a hint of something similar about it but after picking up possession courtesy of another attempted clearance, Karadeniz chose to feed Bebras Natcho rather than shooting himself and the Israeli international finished well.
The Dubliners did enjoy their best spell during the tail end of the contest. Ronan Finn had forced a decent save from Sergei Ryzhikov before the third had gone in and Billy Dennehy and Ciarán Kilduff made positive impacts going forward. They should have had some reward when Twigg was taken down by Cesar Navas and the Hungarian referee pointed to the spot for a second time, but this time O’Donnell’s penalty was stopped by the goalkeeper’s trailing leg.
The miss made it one goal from 13 penalties at that end of the ground since the stadium opened.
It seemed less surprising after that that the locals could not get the consolation goal their efforts might have yielded against lesser opposition. Welcome, as they say, to the big leagues.
SHAMROCK ROVERS:Thompson; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Stevens; McCormack (Dennehy, 56 mins); Finn (Kilduff, 56 mins), Rice, O'Donnell, Ricketts (Turner, 63 mins); Twigg.
RUBIN KAZAN: Ryzhikov; Kaleshin (Ansaldi, 75 mins), Sharonov, Navas, Bocchetti; Natcho, Noboa; Martins (Bystrov, half-time), Ryazantsev, Karadeniz; Valdez (Dyadyun, 63 mins).
Referee: Zsolt Szabo (Hungary).
