WASTEFUL ROVERS LEFT WITH MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB
SHAMROCK R 0
ROVANIEMI 2
By DAIRE WALSH
SHAMROCK ROVERS will have it all to do in the second leg of their Europa League First Qualifying Round encounter with RoPS Rovaniemi, after goals from Jarkko Lahdenmaki and Janne Saksela helped the Finnish outfit to claim a two-goal advantage at Tallaght Stadium.
The Hoops made one change to their starting line-up from last Friday’s Premier League stalemate with Cork City.
Killian Brennan (who was suspended for the visit of the Leesiders) indirectly replaced Dean Clarke, and joined his brother Gavin in an attacking trio, with Brandon Miele, behind front man Gary Shaw.
Rovers made a bright start to the proceedings, and thanks to some strong work in midfield from Stephen McPhail (who has past European experience with Leeds United), they were gaining a foothold on possession.
However, they were finding it difficult to create opportunities against their Scandinavian counterparts, and with 26 minutes gone, they received a major set-back. After a corner from Janne Saksela was half-cleared, Robert Taylor’s drilled effort from a right-hand angle deflected off Rovaniemi full-back Lahdenmaki – and past helpless Hoops custodian Craig Hyland.
It almost went from bad to worse for Rovers when Juha Pirinen was just off-target with a firm 43rd-minute drive.
A big half now lay ahead for Rovers, and it was hoped that the 56th-minute introduction of Clarke would provide them with the spark that they required. Indeed, with his first touch, the pacy winger forced a fine stop from Rovaniemi netminder Antonio Reguero.
Clarke was causing problems on the right-flank, and with Michal Mravec and Jean Fridolin Nganbe booked by referee Georgios Kominis, Rovers were placing the opposition under pressure.
Rovaniemi continued to offer a threat in attack, however, and following excellent approach work by Aleksandr Kokko, Saksela coolly found the bottom corner of the Rovers net 16 minutes from time.
Rovers were agonisingly close to securing a subsequent consolation, as Miele smashed the crossbar in the 76th-minute, but they will need to score at least twice to progress in Keskuskenttä next Thursday.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland; Madden, Cornwall, Heaney, O’Connor; McPhail (Boyd 86), Cregg; G Brennan (D Clarke 56), K Brennan (McCabe 75), Miele; Shaw.
ROPS ROVANIEMI: Reguero; Lahdenmaki, Jammeh, Hamaleinen, Pirinen; Saksela, Mravec, Saine (Makitalo 82), Nganbe (Muionen 70); Taylor; John (Kokko 68).
Booked: Saine 40, Mravec 62, Nganbe 63.
Scorers: Lahdenmaki 26, Saksela 74.
Referee: G Kominis (Greece).