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Uefa Conference League play-off, first leg

THIS FELT LIKE a quiet kind of pain after a noisy week for Shamrock Rovers.

In a strange way, the subdued nature of this Uefa Conference League play-off first leg with KuPS was almost perfect after the disastrous Europa League exit in Albania and then being dumped out of the FAI Cup by St Patrick’s Athletic on Sunday.

Up until the dying stages Rovers would have been content. Then the mood became even more sombre.

There were 4,522 in attendance and 13 of them were travelling supporters from Finland. When they struck an 85th-minute equaliser through substitute Piotr Parzyszek there was barely a sound around Tallaght Stadium. A strange stillness hung in the air.

Stephen Bradley could hardly have believed it. It was the away side’s only attempt on target, and it was enough to earn a draw to take back to the return leg next week. Parzyszek was sharp to get across Pico Lopes at the front post and direct a clever finish with the outside of his right foot on target. Ed McGinty got down to it but couldn’t keep it out.

Enda Stevens’ opener on 55 minutes had been cancelled out. Rovers were suffering yet again but will still retain confidence that they are capable of coming out on top in Finland. They must find a spark and re-energise their campaign.

There was nothing edgy or frantic about how Rovers went about things from the start.

Despite a nightmare week, this was a performance of the typical calm we have come to expect from Bradley’s side.

If anything, given the lack of any major action of note throughout the opening 45 minutes, the measure of control Rovers played with simply made the mind wander to events in Albania last Thursday.

How could such a collapse happen?

What exactly went wrong for such a system failure to take place?

Was this really the same team dictating play and tempo before us having looked completely frazzled and bereft against Egnatia?

The KuPS equaliser was a reminder of frailties that have been exposed. They won their previous three home ties in Europe this season and while they remain unbeaten they have yet to keep a clean sheet. Their struggles have come on the road and now they must overcome that weakness too.

League phase football should have been confirmed before this with Europa League hopes still strong. Instead, this was a Conference League play-off with no more margin for error.

The Finnish champions offered nothing until the 85th minute to force Rovers into the kind of mistakes that were on show last week. Bradley said that even in defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic a few days later he saw enough to know his players would respond once again.

The first-half showed they had rediscovered their equilibrium with Jack Byrne, Matt Healy and Dylan Watts in the middle of the park, while Graham Burke in particular shone and was their most impressive performer trying to create something to unlock the KuPS defence.

His touch was deft and his movement graceful – as always – but there was just a killer touch lacking in the final third.

Jonathan Afolabi is a relatively recent arrival and the striker is playing catch up with his fitness. If Rovers can triumph in the second leg and advance he will have an extra six games, at least, to show his capabilities in league phase action.

Their slender advantage arrived courtesy of that 50th minute goal from Stevens. Bradley said KuPS were an impressive side on set-pieces but they didn’t look like it here.

Their weakness was glaring.

Byrne’s free kick from the right wing enticed goalkeeper Johannes Kreidi out far enough to try and claim. Centre back Kasim Nuhu also challenged with Lee Grace making himself a nuisance.

The ball bounced to Watts and his looping header struck the crossbar with Stevens, the veteran, sharpest to react and fire into the net with a few bodies in front of him on the line.

KuPS appealed for a foul on Nuhu but VAR didn’t agree and Rovers had the lead. They so nearly doubled it on 77 minutes when substitute Danny Mandroiu almost caught Kreidi out in the box with a near post shot that struck the post and squirmed away from danger.

Within seconds KuPS had their first shot of the second half but it was nearly an equaliser out of nothing as Josyln Luyeye-Lutumba raced onto a through ball but scuffed his finish wide across goal.

It was a warning sign that wasn’t heeded as Bob Nil Armah was allowed to pick a cross from the left for Parzyszek to pounce. Rovers still have life left in them but momentum is draining from this European campaign.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Grace, Lopes (captain), Stevens; Sobowale (Brennan 80), Watts, Healy, Byrne (Mandroiu 70), Fitzgerald; Burke (Noonan 69), Afolabi (Greene 69).

KuPS: Kredi; Savolainen, Magassa, Nuhu, Antwi; Gasc, Touray (Engvall 77); Jyry, Pennanen (Parzyszek 59), Armah; Moreno (Luyeye-Lutumba 59).

Referee: M Krogh (Den).

Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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