Monday 5 September 2011

Hoops In Europe

Well, a lot has been said and written about Shamrock Rovers' European campaign this year.  Here's how events panned out from my own perspective.

Having been crowned Airticity League Champions in 2010, Rovers benefitted from UEFA's new rules regarding the Qualification phase in so much as there was now a 'Champions Route' and a 'Non-Champions Route'.  Rovers were seeded in the Qualifying Round 1 ensuring we would avoid all the top seeds and would play a team more on our own level.  When the draw was made, we were paired with Flora Tallinn, the Estonian Champions.

With the first leg in Tallaght, there was massive interest in the game and 5,026 punters made their way through the turnstiles to witness Chris Turner strike to give the home side a 1-0 advantage to take to Estonia a week later.  In all honesty, the winning margin should have been greater.  A week later, 600 hardy Hoops fans made the trip for the second leg and saw their heroes grind out a 0-0 draw to advance to the second round.

The second round draw threw up an altogether more difficult prospect in the shape of Champions League Group Stage regulars FC Copenhagen of Denmark.  This time, Rovers were to travel to Denmark for the first leg and despite putting up a fantastic showing that belied the vast difference in status of the two clubs, they were to go down by a goal to nil.  Again, they were left to rue missed chances.  The second leg in Dublin a week later saw the Danes come through with a 2-0 victory to win the tie by 3-0 and progress in the Champions League Qualifiers.

This defeat, however, was not the end for the Hoops in Europe as they now 'parachuted' into the Play-Off Round of the Europa League competition.  When the seedings were released, Rovers were seeded last of the 76 teams in the draw.  The draw paired the Hoops with crack Serbian outfit, FK Partizan.  Interestingly, the Serbs were bottom of the seeded clubs list and so there was the tiniest of glimmers of hope.

The first game took place in Tallaght Stadium and to say the place was rocking was an understatement, despite the attendance being less than that of the previous two European games at the venue.  The visitors had the better of the early exchanges and when Tomic opened the scoring on 14 minutes, the signs were ominous for Rovers.  Half-time came and went and as the game wore on, Rovers grew in confidence and when manager Michael O'Neill switched his formation to a more adventurous 4-3-3 it was the home side who looked the more dangerous.  The introductions of Chris Turner, Gary O'Neill and Ciarán Kilduff also added to the impetus.

There was a growing sense of confidence among the home team and supporters now and in the 81st minute, everybody's prayers were answered.  Gary McCabe picked up the ball in midfield and drove at the retreating Serbian defence.  When he got to the edge of the 18-yard box, McCabe played a one-two with Gary Twigg before 'nutmegging' the next defender and slipping the ball under the advancing goalkeeper for one of the best, and certainly most important, goals witnessed at Tallaght Stadium to date.  Cue raptures!  Rovers continued to press but couldn't find a winner.  So the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

A week later and it was off to Belgrade for the return leg. With the temperatures in the mid to high 30's celsius, it was going to take a performance of monumental proportions to see Rovers score that vital away goal and overturn the tie.  A group of 43 fans made the trip for the game.  Were they to witness history in the making?

Again, as in the first leg, it was the Serbian champions who were on the front foot early on and created several chances.  On 29 minutes Rovers goalkeeper Ryan Thompson, produced a save right out of the top drawer from a Volkov shot and you began to wonder if the storm had been weathered.  However, that question was answered 5 minutes later when that man Volkov scored a header from a corner on the right and it was advantage Partizan.  The game continued to half-time with no more goals.

What Michael O'Neill and Jim Magilton said to the players at half-time is anybody's guess but when the teams re-appeared for the second half, it wasn't the same Shamrock Rovers that had played the previous 45 minutes.  This was a re-energised group of players who were now set on taking the game to their opponents.  Rovers continued to press and probe and when Chris Turner flashed a header against the Partizan post the thoughts of everyone connected with the club were that this is possible, we can do this!

And then it happened.  The moment of magic that will stay with all Rovers fans to their graves.  What we witnessed in the 57th minute of this match was history being made before our eyes.  Gary Twigg won a corner on the right which was taken by his namesake Gary McCabe but was met by the head of a defender but nobody bet on right-back Patrick Sullivan swinging his boot at the falling ball all of 35 yards out to score one of the most exquisite goals you are ever likely to see.  Make no mistake, this goal was worthy of gracing any game at any level.  It truly was a wonder goal.

Now FK Partizan's away goal scored in Dublin a week earlier had been nullified and it was advantage Rovers.  The visitors now oozed confidence and played with a guile and craft that would befit any League in the world.  The winner never came and in these energy-sapping conditions we were to go to extra-time.  Another 30 minutes in these temperatures.  Surely the chance had gone.  Both teams went for the jugular from the start and when Tomic hit the post from a free-kick on 93 minutes Rovers hearts jumped.

Both sides created chances and it was very evenly balanced with worrying moments for both defences throughout as the teams started to show their fatigue and heavy legs.  Then it happened!  With 6 minutes left on the clock and penalties looming, Ciarán Kilduff was released down the left.  His shot was parried by the home goalkeeper into the path of the in-rushing Karl Sheppard.  When Sheppard attempted to control the ball he was fouled by the goalkeeper and in a moment that seemed to take an age, the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the spot.  PENALTY!

This was it.  Score this and Partizan need to score twice due to the away goals rule.  Score this and history will have been made.  Up stepped substitute Stephen O'Donnell.  A nation held its collective breath.  Nigel Bidmead, commentating for Setanta Sports, uttered what are now famous words: "It's Stephen O'Donnell.  For Rovers.  For Ireland."  O'Donnell ran up to the ball and struck left-footed straight down the middle.  The keeper dived to hs right and the ball rattled the net.  GOAL!

We had done it.  We had upset all the odds to become the first Irish Club in history to make the Group Stages of a major European competition.  Madness ensued among Rovers fans within the stadium and around the world.  Real fans of other League of Ireland clubs recognised the achievement and lauded the Hoops.  We all knew the breakthrough would come for an Irish club some time but who was to know it would be the club that nearly went out of existence 6 years prior to this?

The emotions were now off the scale.  Pride.  Elation.  Tears, both of joy and of remembering all the passed fans who would not see this moment.  This result has catapulted Shamrock Rovers Football Club into a different stratosphere and we now boldly go where no Irish club has gone before.

When the draw for the Europa League Group stage was made, the excitement and tension was palpable.  Typical of UEFA, the draw seemed to go on forever amid plenty of pomp and splendour (and quite a large dollop of nonsense).  They spent ten minutes just trying to explain the rules of the draw and how clubs cannot be paired with certain other clubs. 

That said, when the draw finally came round it was worth waiting for.  We were pulled out of the bowl and we then knew which of the Groups we could be drawn in and when they pulled the ball that said Group 'A' on it, the realisation was that we had been given the dream draw.  We were grouped alongside Russia's Rubin Kazan, PAOK Salonika of Greece and tournament favourites Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League.

This European campaign has quite simply been the stuff of dreams.  As I tweeted after the victory in Belgrade, "I love this club".

Good Luck!