Soccer

Shamrock Rovers’ European adventure ends in Czech Republic

Early goal from Mladá Boleslav’s Jan Chramosta effectively ends Hoops’ hopes

Shamrock Rovers’ Brandon Miele tussles with Lukas Pauschek of Mlada Boleslav at the Mestsky Stadium. Photograph: Radek Petrasek/Inpho

Paul Buttner
Thu Jul 20 2017 - 20:12

FK Mladá Boleslav 2 Shamrock Rovers 0

(FKMB won 5-2 on aggregate)

Already facing a mammoth task following the first leg, Shamrock Rovers duly bowed out of the Europa League second qualifying round in the Czech Republic last night.

While an electrical storm subsided just prior the game starting, the home side blitzed Rovers to end the tie early on; Jan Chramosta putting them ahead on nine minutes before Golgol Mebrahtu added a second just after the half hour.

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Mebrahtu, who tormented Rovers in Tallaght with a brace, should have done better then glance a header wide from a Lukáš Pauschek cross six minutes in as the home side signalled their intent from the start.

Tomer Chencinski then had to tip over from Tomáš Prikryl before FKMB’s early pressure yielded their opening goal.

Rovers’ captain Ronan Finn didn’t cut out Lukáš Pauschek’s cross and Chramosta, scorer of their third goal in Dublin, was on hand to sweep the ball home.

That all but killed the tie there and then in the perfect start for the Czechs as Rovers faced into a long evening.

Luke Byrne got forward on the left to drill a cross that Shaw couldn't just connect with as Rovers tried to work the way into the game.

Superb composure

But they couldn’t keep the ball well enough as FKMB continued to control the game, doubling their lead a little too easily on 31 minutes.

Pauschek and Pavel Cmovš carved Rovers open from the right to set up Mebrahtu and the big striker displayed superb composure to cut past a defender and stroke the ball to the bottom corner.

A bright start to the second half by Rovers almost brought a goal as Roberto Lopes saw an effort hit a post before from Brandon Miele's cross before the ball was cleared for a corner.

David McAllister then bounced a header wide from a Miele corner as Rovers enjoyed their best spell in the match.

The tie was long since irretrievable when substitute Sean Boyd had a goal disallowed for a foul in stoppage time before he and Madden worked goalkeeper Jakub Diviš for the first time in the match moments later.

FK Mladá Boleslav: Diviš; Pauschek, Douglas, Cmovš, Fleišman; Prikryl, Matejovský (Magera, 83), Rada, Mareš (Jánoš, 77); Mebrahtu, Chramosta (Fabián, 64).

Shamrock Rovers: Chencinski; Madden, Lopes, Webster, Byrne (Bone, 67); Clarke, Finn, McAllister (Connolly, 75), Miele (Boyd, 72); Burke; Shaw.

Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (Georgia).

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