Bnei Yehuda 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Rovers win 2-1 on aggregate): SHAMROCK ROVERS reached their very own promised land in Tel Aviv last night as Tommy Stewart's winner booked a Europa League date with Italian giants Juventus at the Tallaght Stadium next Thursday evening.
Michael O’Neill’s men rode their luck at times but after goalkeeper Alan Mannus had kept them in the game with a string of saves, Stewart fired home from a Stephen Rice long throw to the delight of the delirious travelling support.
O’Neill was thrilled, saying, “It’s huge. Huge for the club and huge for the players to come out here and give a display like that. We started excellently and probably should have been ahead. We controlled the opening 20, 25 minutes, but I think Yehuda took control after that. The conditions are extreme, to say the least, but we knew we’d get a chance.
“We asked Tommy Stewart to play on the left and he worked unbelievably hard for us, we pushed him up front and he got us the reward with the goal. We never stopped believing. I told the players the longer it’s at 1-0, the greater your belief is going to get.”
Robert Bayly’s goalscoring heroics in the first leg earned him a start this time around. He lined up as part of a three-man midfield, with Gary Twigg the lone striker and James Chambers and Stewart on the wings.
And the Hoops could have scored the highly prized away goal within the opening four minutes. Twigg had a cross just evade Stewart, while Craig Sives beat wayward Nigerian goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba for a high ball, only for Kfir Ediri to hook the ball behind. From James Chambers’ corner Dan Murray’s downward header came off the ground but with the African stopper beaten, cannoned off the bar and away.
But the early dominance ended as Bnei Yehuda took over they tested Rovers on three occasions, with Mannus coming to his side’s rescue with a superb double save.
Creative midfielder Liroy Zhariri split the Hoops defence with a through ball, but the Northern Irish international saved brilliantly from Oz Ezra Raly, before recovering to deny Omri Afek Hafike’s follow up.
Mannus could only watch as Linig Sinisa Hrvatska’s low shot struck striker Eliya Yavruyan and spun just past the post. He had to be at his best after the break, denying Zhairi at close range and piledriver from Sinisa Hrvatska.
Rovers looked like they were clinging on, but a rare foray into the Yehuda half led to Rice’s throw-in. Aidan Price got a flick, Ivan Garrido failed to clear and Stewart pounced. The Hoops and their fans were delirious, but they stayed focused for the last 20 minutes to close out the win.
BNEI YEHUDA: Aiyenugba; Azuz (Baldut 79), Garrido, Viktor Hadad, Ederi; Abu Zaid (Levi 90), Zhairi, Sinisa Hrvatsko (Menashe 74), Ezra Raly; Hafike, Yavruyan.
SHAMROCK ROVERs: Mannus; Sives, Murray, Price, Stevens; Chambers (Dennehy 64), Rice, Turner (Bradley 84), Bayly (Kavanagh 58), Stewart; Twigg.
Referee: A Gautier (Fra)
