Molde 2 Sligo Rovers 0 (aggregate 3-0): Sligo Rovers boss Ian Baraclough says he has nothing but pride in his team despite their exit from the Champions League in Norway.
After losing the first leg in Sligo last week, Rovers went into the game needing a goal, but were facing an uphill task once Molde doubled the aggregate advantage early on through Martin Linnes. A brilliant second goal by substitute Aliou Coly left Rovers down and out, despite the Bit O’ Red creating a number of decent chances.
Baraclough said: “I’m proud of what the players have done over the two legs. We didn’t wilt or give in. We tried to stick to the game plan against a very good team because we knew they would punish us if we lost our shape or discipline.
"We could have got a couple of goals on the night, even at the end with Danny North going through on a one-one-one, but it just wasn't our night. But I think we acquitted ourselves really well."
Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer admitted Rovers should have had goals.
“I told Ian they should have been two or three up at half-time. We knew we were lucky not to concede two or three to be fair. We were better in the second half, however, and we scored a great second goal to kill the tie.”
Rovers made three personnel changes and one positional change from the first leg, as they went with a more attack-minded game plan.
Iarfhlaith Davoren suffered a recurrence of the hamstring strain he picked up in the first leg at training in Norway the night before and was ruled out.
Ross Gaynor switched to left full-back to deputise, while David McMillan switched flanks, allowing Kieran Djilali to return to the starting team.
Elsewhere, Alan Keane returned a full-back in place of Jeff Henderson, while David Cawley was given the nod over Lee Lynch in midfield. Danny North and Raffaele Cretaro returned from injury to line out among the substitutes.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer also made three changes, with centre back Even Hovland coming in along with midfielder Etzaz Hussain and striker Zlatko Tripic.
The home side targeted Rovers’ right-hand side early on, and, after the first leg’s goalscorer Daniel Chima Chukwu had an early opportunity thwarted by Gavin Peers, Molde broke through for the opener inside five minutes.
Full-back Martin Linnes got the goal, stabbing the ball low past Gary Rogers after breaking into the area and latching onto Zlatko Tripic’s pass.
Rovers’ response was hugely encouraging, as they won four corners in quick succession, after Molde centre-backs Hovland and Vegard Forren put in last-ditch blocks to deny David McMillan, Djilali and David Cawley. Unfortunately the Rovers set-piece deliveries were poor, and failed to put the Molde rearguard under any additional pressure.
Anthony Elding also had a couple of snapshots from well outside the area that failed to threaten, while Evan McMillan and Alan Keane put in superb sliding challenges to prevent Molde increasing their advantage on the counter-attack as the half wore on.
Keane’s intervention was especially vital, as he somehow got between Chima Chukwu and Tripic to emerge with the ball as Molde broke two-on-one. Solksjaer made a double change at the break, bringing on team captain Daniel Hestad and Coly, and they dominated the third quarter, with Hestad only denied a goal by a brilliant Peers block.
Rovers keeper Gary Rogers made a great save to deny Emmanuel Ekpo from increasing Molde’s advantage on the second half, before Rovers boss Ian Baraclough sprung Cretaro and North off the bench to try and get back into the tie.
Cretaro was lively straight away and Djilali remained a threat on the flanks, but Molde killed the tie with a brilliant second on 77 minutes. Chima Chukwu flicked the ball into the path of Coly cutting in from the left, and the attacker gave Rogers no chance with a clinical finish from the edge of the box.
Coly had two decent opportunities prior to that, but missed the target with a close range effort after great work by full-back Linnes.
Mattias Mostrom went close to grabbing a goal for himself when he found space at the edge of the box for a shot, but pulled it across goal and wide.
Rovers battled on and finished strongly as they tried to give the travelling fans something to shout about. They had a great chance to claim a consolation goal in injury-time, when the ball rebounded invitingly for North, who was left with a one-on-one opportunity, but Orjan Haskjold made a great stop, and Djilali could not direct the rebound on target.
The last chance fell to Molde, however, as the excellent Hestad again found space inside the box, but Alan Keane managed to deflect the ball around the post from off the line.
Sligo Rovers: Rogers, Keane, Peers, E McMillan, Gaynor, Djilali, Ndo (Lynch 80), Cawley, Conneely, D McMillan (North 67), Elding (Cretaro 63).
Molde: Haskjold, Linnes, Hovland, Forren, Toivio, Tripic (Hestad ht), Ekpo, Hussain (Hoseth 78), Mostrom, Berget (Coly ht), Chima Chukwu.
Referee: D Grujic (Serbia).
