Hibernians (Malta) 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
(Rovers win 3-0 on aggregate)
Shamrock Rovers will face Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets in next week’s Champions League qualifier after surviving the scything blades of these unchecked Maltese. €1.4 million in prize money, coupled with another €500,000 on offer for further progress, should help soothe all the wounds inflicted upon Stephen Bradley’s squad.
But the glamour of a European night seemed far, far away as Rovers went about their business at the Centenary Stadium on an artificial surface surrounded by GAA nets and a construction site. At least the Tallaght faithful, who wisely turned this first round qualifier into a holiday, could be heard over the sound of barracking coaches.
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Lowkey and efficient, any hope of avoiding serious injury was in the lap of the gods with Gary O’Neill understandably disgusted at the lack of protection from Lithuania referee Manfredas Lukjančukas after twice feeling studs from behind in the opening 23 minutes.
Rovers knew they were on their own when Dunstan Vella put another nasty foul on O’Neill and the referee offered a supportive pat on the back as the midfielder lay on the ground.
The most interesting moment of the first half was Graham Burke’s yellow card. Burke and Jack Byrne were on the bench but the Irish internationals, so important to this European journey, had been providing running commentary behind the Hibernians goal.
Mr Lukjančukas silenced the leashed pair with a booking just before everyone paused for water. Still 27 degrees in Ta’Qali, the dead heat was visible on the faces of every Irish player and made it essential to hold possession.
Later, Burke brought some happiness to the Rovers bench when slipping off his seat in the dugout while trying to retrieve the ball. It was that sort of evening.
“It’s been sloppy,” said Pat Fenlon on co-commentary. “Rovers will be happy for the game to be like this. They don’t need to go and chase it.”
That was Hibs’ challenge under new Italian coach Andrea Pisanu but they lacked the quality required to stress Rovers’ compact shape. The Bulgarian champions will offer a truer examination of where Bradley’s fluid group currently stand in the continental pecking order.
Terence Groothusen’s arrival at half-time in the first leg created a wave of fear but the massive Aruba striker was blowing hard after lumbering in between Pico Lopes and Sean Hoare in an increasingly desperate efforts to put a header on target.
A golden chance eventually fell for Jurgen Degabriele just before half-time but the Hibs skipper skied a cross by Gabri at the back post.
Dylan Watts gifted Aaron Greene a clear sight of goal seconds after the interval but the centre forward’s heavy touch allowed Ibrahim Kone to dive on the ball.
It took the referee 49 minutes to finally caution a Hibernians player despite a rash of dirty fouls. In any other reality Rodolfo Soares would have been sent off for hacking into Greene’s knee. Lukjančukas appeared to hesitate before blowing his whistle.
Degabriele saw yellow for going through the back of Hoare as it became a challenge for Rovers to climb aboard their chartered flight in one piece. Gonzalo Llerna took the next booking for a hand trip on Chris McCann.
The yellow cards totalled eight, a maddening five-three split, yet the Maltese failed to test Alan Mannus until injury time while Richie Towell came in for Greene and had the ball in the net on 66 minutes, only to be clearly offside.
Not that it mattered. Rovers coasted through choppy waters to secure a daunting trip to Razgrad in northeastern Bulgaria where Byrne and Burke will be needed from the off.
Hibernians: Kone; Z Grech (Mensah 77), Llerna (Laursen 84), Rodolfo Soares (Fonseca 84), Gabri (Zerafa 68); Attard (Thaylor 68), J Grech, Diakite, D Vella; Degabriele, Groothusen.
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Hoare, Lopes, Grace; Finn (Gannon 77), Watts (Byrne 77), McCann (Kavanagh 77), O’Neill, Lyons; Gaffney (Emakhu 80), Greene (Towell 57).
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (Lithuania).
