Crucial days ahead for Shamrock Rovers in Europe and FAI Cup
Daire Walsh
It is set to be a crucial few days for Shamrock Rovers as the reigning SSE Airtricity League Premier Division champions look to keep their interest alive in two separate competitions.
First up at the Tallaght Stadium this evening (kick-off 7.45pm) is the second leg of the Hoops’ UEFA Europa Conference League play-off with Estonian outfit Flora, who hold a 4-2 advantage from last Thursday’s initial meeting of the two sides. This will be followed on Sunday by a 4pm derby encounter against Bohemians at Dalymount Park in the second round of the FAI Cup.
While progression to the group stages of the Conference League offers a greater financial incentive to Rovers, the importance of their weekend clash with the Gypsies can’t be underestimated.
The fact their arch rivals Bohemians stand in the way of a safe passage to the last-eight makes Sunday’s game extremely enticing, but Stephen Bradley’s squad will of course be fully focused on the visit of Flora to the Irish capital.
The Hoops had their moments in Tallinn last week, with Graham Burke and Liam Scales finding the net in either half. Burke’s 43rd-minute goal was his sixth in European competitions and forced the visitors back into the reckoning following earlier Flora strikes from Sergei Zenjov and Martin Miller.
Although Rauno Sappinen restored the home team’s two-goal advantage, Rovers looked set to end the contest on a high when Scales headed home a Burke cross in the closing minutes. That was until Miller pounced for his second of the proceedings to give Flora considerable breathing space ahead of their trip to Tallaght.
Whereas last week’s result would have left Rovers needing just a 2-0 home win to advance in previous seasons, the decision by UEFA to scrap the away goals rule means such a result at the end of 90 minutes this evening will force the game into extra-time.
Having wiped out a two-goal deficit against Slovan Bratislava in the second leg of a recent UEFA Champions League qualifier before narrowly bowing out of the competition, there is no reason why the Hoops can’t throw a spanner into the works later on.
The likes of Burke, Rory Gaffney, Aaron Greene, Richie Towell and Danny Mandroiu will possess attacking threats as either starters or substitutes, but Rovers can ill-afford a repeat of the defensive lapses that hampered them during the first leg.
Meanwhile, Taekwondo star Jack Woolley from Tallaght will be a special guest at tonight’s UEFA Europa League Conference play-off match in Tallaght Stadium, where he and his family will be backing Shamrock Rovers.