Shamrock Rovers advance in Champions League as Vikingur miss late penalty
Nikolaj Hansen botched his big moment in front of the animated North Stand and sent Rovers through to face Sparta Prague here next week
Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Vikingur (Agg: 2-1)
Shamrock Rovers knew victory was paramount but they could hardly have scripted a more dramatic, heart-in-the-mouth way of achieving it.
Nikolaj Hansen came on at half-time to plant a diving header into Leon Pohls’ net to force a tense finish as the Icelandic champions dialled up the heat.
And in the 98th minute, the captain stepped up to take a penalty that would have forced extra time, only to smack the post in the final act of a pulsating encounter.
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The English officials had signalled five minutes of extra time, but the game kept rolling and agonisingly so for the Rovers fans.
They had seen their team relinquish their firm hold, and close out the final 16 minutes without Jack Byrne who was sent off.
Sure enough, Tallaght fell deathly silent when Pico Lopes conceded a 96th minute penalty. What had been plain sailing in the first half, was pure torture by now.
But with deafening shrills ringing out, Hansen botched his big moment in front of the animated North Stand and sent Rovers through to face Sparta Prague here next week.
They say good things come to those who wait and match winner Johnny Kenny made sure to leave nothing behind this time.
He was cursing his luck after squandering a late chance in last week’s first-leg in Iceland, but delivered here in Tallaght when it mattered.
His brilliant first-half brace has secured the Hoops’ prolonged stay in Europe - and a bumper payday, badly needed after last year’s early exit.
Rovers knew that negotiating this all-important first Champions League hurdle would open all sorts of doors and they are already guaranteed at least €1.7 million.
Defeat to Sparta will see Rovers drop into the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Lose there and they are still guaranteed a Conference League playoff.
Had Lopes not made a sublime second minute block to deny Helgi Gudjonsson at close range, Rovers may well have been facing a different type of game.
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But they need not have worried as they were soon in control after Kenny’s brilliant double inside the opening 20 minutes.
Far from being haunted by last week’s squandered chance, he was determined to make amends and there was venom in his play.
From an early stage he sensed that centre-backs Peter Ekroth and Gunnar Vatnhamar were Vikingur’s weak links and he tormented them.
Dylan Watts played a key role in both of Kenny’s goals and set the first up with a clipped ball up the line for the striker to beat offside.
It was anything but a ‘trap’ that Vikingur had set, as Vatnhamar got it all wrong and the Icelandic champions were immediately in danger with Kenny revelling in their mess.
Scampering into the box, Ekroth was next up but Kenny chopped back inside him and drilled a low, powerful shot through the legs of goalkeeper Ingvar Jonsson.
It was the confidence booster the Hoops needed and they kicked on with Gary O’Neill momentarily looking like he would double the scoreline eight minutes later.
However, having been teed up by Byrne, the midfielder couldn’t get his shot away from the edge of the box with Jonsson quickly off his line and defenders retreating.
Watts was a dynamo in midfield. He was brave on the ball and with his confidence soaring, he tormented the visitors in that opening half.
And particularly so for Kenny’s second goal. Deep in his own half, Watts had three players around him and had no right to carry the ball any further.
But he left the trio in a heap, powering free and burning them all for pace. Byrne, centrally, and Kenny on the left, were his only two options.
He flicked the ball left to Kenny, who once again rinsed Ekroth before drilling a shot home at the near post, having fooled Jonsson by shaping to curl to the far stick.
Tallaght Stadium was bouncing but Rovers still had work to do, with Vikingur chipping in with increasing reminders that one goal would force the issue.
And Hansen got it on the hour, scoring with a diving header to set up a remarkable finish as the visitors forced the issue.
Rovers had lost their composure and Byrne walked on a second yellow late on. Vikingur were on the march but bottled their big chance at the death.
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