Shamrock Rovers 0 Molde 2
Despite an encouraging performance, a controversial goal and another down to negligent defending ended Shamrock Rovers’ already tenuous aspirations of qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.
Norwegians Molde soaked up the home side’s admirable energy and exuberance to strike on the counter and from a set play to deliver a first defeat for Rovers in Tallaght Stadium in 32 games, stretching back to their exit from Europe to Flora Tallinn last year.
Djurgårdens beat Gent 4-2 earlier in the evening to keep the Swedes top of Group F on 10 points and all but qualified. Rovers remain bottom on one point and the only team across all the groups yet to score a goal.
Manager Stephen Bradley made four changes from last week’s tame 3-0 defeat in Molde. Roberto Lopes returned for his first start in almost three months to anchor the defence while Jack Byrne, Dylan Watts and Richie Towell came in as Graham Burke and leading scorer Rory Gaffney were named on the bench.
On the front foot from the off, Rovers should have garnered the ideal start they would have craved with scarcely 90 seconds on the clock.
Watts’s sublime ball put Towell free on the right. The cross into the near post was on the proverbial plate for Aaron Greene, but the striker contrived to shoot wide off his favoured left foot when he really should have scored.
Maintaining their enterprising start, Rovers worried the Molde defence again on 14 minutes. Once more Watts instigated the attack with a terrific cross field ball to find skipper Ronan Finn whose drive off his weaker left foot was fumbled over the crossbar by an unsure Jacob Karlstrom.
The visiting goalkeeper was a little more assured from Rovers’ second corner of the game midway through the half when showing a safer pair of hands to clasp a downward header from Lopes.
Karlstrom was worked again on the half-hour, Towell and Finn setting up Greene whose shot was batted away unconvincingly before being cleared.
Molde didn’t threaten until the 32nd minute, defender Birk Rise diving to head a deflected free-kick from Emil Breivik wide.
A minute later they were contentiously ahead, deflating Rovers’ positive start.
Magnus Grodem countered, fed the ball to Breivik whose precise delivery found David Fofana to score with a free header. Despite the Ivory Coast international looking distinctly offside no flag was raised.
There was no doubting Fofana was onside just minutes before the break when racing clear on to Grodem’s through pass. Alan Mannus held back well in keeping the target small before getting down to his left to make a superb one-handed save.
Having enjoyed some 65 per cent possession in the first half, Rovers owned the ball from the resumption, Towell bringing a save from Karlstrom nine minutes in to register a third corner of the second half.
Molde’s threat on the counter was always present, though, Mannus having to save from Breivik, Kristoffer Haugen then firing into the side netting.
Mannus had to be there once again on 68 minutes, turning substitute Magnus Wolff Eikrem’s shot round a post.
It proved a mere reprieve. From the resultant corner, whipped into the near post by Wolff Eikrem, fellow substitute Kristian Eriksen stooped to head over Mannus to the net.
Rovers thought they might be back in it three minutes later, but Greene’s crisp finish, having been tucked in by Byrne, was ruled offside.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Cleary, Lopes, Hoare; Watts (Ferizaj, 81), O’Neill; Finn (Farrugia, 70), Byrne, Towell (Burke, 70), Kavanagh; Greene.
MOLDE FK: Karlstrom; Bjornbak (Hansen, h-t), Risa, Haugan, Haugen (Lovik, 64); Linnes (Knudtzon, 81), Breivik, Mannsverk, Grodem (Eriksen, 64); Fofana (Wolff Eikrem, 64), Brynhildsen.
Referee: Dario Bel (Croatia)
Attendance: 5,860
