Soccer

Shamrock Rovers well beaten by PAOK on disappointing night in Greece

Josh Honohan was sent off and Dan Cleary scored own goal as Greek champions proved too strong

Shamrock Rovers' Aaron McEneff, Lee Grace and Roberto Lopes. Photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho
Shamrock Rovers' Aaron McEneff, Lee Grace and Roberto Lopes. Photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Thu Aug 22 2024 - 21:37
Europa League Play-off First Leg: PAOK 4 Shamrock Rovers 0 (Cleary 45+4 OG, Taison 47, Konstantelias 67, Rahman 90+4)

Shamrock Rovers’ interest in the Europa League is all but over after a sobering night in the sapping heat of Thessaloniki.

A Dan Cleary own goal punctured Rovers’ first half resolve before a brace by the midway point of the second had PAOK firmly in command, either side of Josh Honohan being sent off.

Leon Pohls saved a late penalty before the Greek champions got a fourth at the death to surely book their passage into the new Swiss-system league phase of UEFA’s second-tier competition.

With every respect to next week’s second leg at Tallaght Stadium, the Conference League league phase is thus not an inconsiderable consolation awaiting Rovers.

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It did not begin well for Stephen Bradley’s side at the Toumba Stadium with pivotal centre-back Roberto Lopes not making the starting XI following a knock suffered in last week’s win over Celje.

PAOK had few less worries as manager Razvan Lucescu started 10 full internationals from nine different countries boasting just shy of 200 caps between them.

Very much smarting from their Champions League exit in extra-time to Malmo last week, the Greek champions were not long in showing their quality with Pohls soon in action in making two good stops in quick succession.

First the German got down well to parry a shot by Thomas Brandon from Serb Andrija Zivkovic’s fine run and cross down the right.

Then, from Brazilian Taison’s corner, Pohls once more pushed away a close range shot from Polish midfielder Tomasz Kedziora.

Gary O’Neill registered Rovers first effort on target with a deflected shot that never troubled Dominik Kotarski.

Rovers were then really stretched in a four-v-three counter on 20 minutes, thankful to see Zivkovic curl a shot wide.

PAOK struggled from set-pieces against Malmo and their marking was negligent from Rovers’ first corner of the game, Sean Hoare’s free header from Dylan Watts’ delivery flashing over.

An injury to Trevor Clarke saw Lopes introduced as Rovers reshuffled, the skipper soon in action when bravely blocking a drive from Jonny Otto with his head.

With over 60 per cent possession, PAOK’s dominance looked to have paid off when Ghanaian Rahman Baba rifled to the roof of the net on 41 minutes only for a VAR check to disallow it.

But PAOK did get their lead before half-time from a disastrous own goal in the fifth minute of time added on.

In attempting to clear an inswinging cross from Zivkovic, Cleary contrived to find the top left-hand corner of Pohls net with a diving header.

Further sloppy play was clinically punished within two minutes of the restart when PAOK doubled their lead.

O’Neill’s pass to Neil Farrugia didn’t make it as PAOK broke through the impressive Zivkovic. He picked out Taison who blasted a rising shot past Pohls.

Taison should have added a third minutes later, but blazed over the top.

A trying night got worse for Rovers on 52 minutes when wingback Honohan, booked for time-wasting in the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on PAOK captain Stefan Schwab and sent off.

The tie then was all but over on 67 minutes following further poor defending.

A Lopes clearance struck PAOK substitute Fyodor Chalov and Cleary in turn to run for Konstantelias, who skipped into the box to curl his shot impressively into the bottom corner.

A 93rd-minute penalty save by Pohls from Chalov, who hit a post with his follow-up, should have brought a fourth.

But it was a mere reprieve as Baba did make it 4-0 two minutes later when scooping home the rebound after Pohls parried Chalov’s header.

PAOK: Kotarski; Jonny (Sastre, 80), Kedziora, Koulierakis, Baba; Ozdoev, Schwab (Camara, 80); Zivkovic (Despodov, 80, Konstantelias (Murg, 80), Taison; Brandon (Chalov, 64).

Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Hoare, Cleary, Grace; Honohan, Watts (Byrne, 73), O’Neill, Nugent (McEneff, 73), Clarke (Lopes, 27); Farrugia (Burke, 84); Greene (Mandroiu, 73).

Referee: Enea Jorgji (Albania).