Shamrock see European dreams end
Shamrock Rovers 0 - 1 Molde (Finished 1-1 on aggregate)
Molde won 5-4 on penalties
Shamrock Rovers’ European adventure came to a cruel end at Tallaght Stadium as they suffered a 5-4 defeat on penalties to Molde in the play-off round of the UEFA Conference League.
The decisive moment came when Aaron Greene, taking Rovers’ third penalty, saw his effort saved – the only miss of the shootout. Molde, who had played the entirety of extra time with 10 men following Isak Amundsen’s red card, held their nerve from the spot to progress.
Earlier, Magnus Wolff Eikrem had scored the only goal of the night, cancelling out Rovers’ slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg. Sixteen-year-old Michael Noonan had been the hero in Norway, but his strike ultimately wasn’t enough to carry the Irish side through.
Rovers’ lead lasted just 10 minutes as a disastrous defensive mix-up gifted Molde an equaliser. A hopeful ball over the top was left to bounce, and hesitation between Lee Grace and goalkeeper Ed McGinty allowed Eikrem to seize the opportunity, calmly slotting into an empty net from the edge of the box.
Noonan nearly capitalised on a similar moment of indecision at the other end, beating Jacob Karlstrom to a loose ball, but there was no Rovers teammate on hand to turn his cross into the open goal.
Eikrem, the former Cardiff City midfielder who came through Manchester United’s academy, was Molde’s most dangerous player in the first half. His incisive through ball set Fredrik Gulbrandsen racing in on goal, but McGinty was quick off his line to make an important save.
Molde looked the more assured side, but Rovers almost struck on the break when Graham Burke played in Aaron McEneff. The midfielder beat the goalkeeper, only to see his shot dramatically cleared off the line by Martin Linnes.
Rovers then had a strong penalty appeal waved away after Karlstrom followed through on McEneff, with VAR siding against the hosts.
As the first half wore on, Burke began to have a greater influence, threading a ball across goal that was agonisingly beyond the reach of Noonan.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, Rovers took time to settle after the restart. It wasn’t until the hour mark that they fashioned a real opening, McEneff’s floated ball picking out Burke at the back post, only for his dipping effort to be deflected behind for a corner.
Read the first leg report from Super News Affiliate
Despite enjoying more possession, Rovers struggled to seriously test Karlstrom. The Norwegian keeper was forced into a smart stop from Burke, but extra time had long felt inevitable.
Molde were then reduced to 10 men when Amundsen picked up a second yellow in stoppage time for a cynical foul on McEneff, giving Rovers an advantage for the additional 30 minutes.
The pattern remained the same, with Rovers seeing plenty of the ball but lacking a cutting edge. Instead, it was Molde substitute Daniel Daga who came closest to grabbing a winner on a rare counterattack for the visitors.
In the shootout, Karlstrom guessed correctly to keep out Greene’s tame effort, while Molde’s penalty takers were faultless, dispatching their spot-kicks with precision. McGinty had no chance of a save, leaving Rovers to bow out in agonising fashion.
