Champions League second-round qualifier, second leg: Qarabag 1 (Martin OG 44) Shelbourne 0 (Qarabag win 4-0 on aggregate)
Shelbourne have been redirected to the Europa League, where they will face Rijeka of Croatia in a third-round qualifier after their defeat to Azerbaijan side Qarabag in the second round of Champions League qualifiers.
The first leg of the Europa qualifier is scheduled to be played next Thursday, followed by the second on August 14th.
Qarabag, as expected, progress in the Champions League but Shels leave Azerbaijan with their reputation intact after a professional, compact performance.
Come the stroke of half-time, Kady had seen enough. The Brazilian midfielder received a short corner and stood up Mark Coyle, electing not to collapse for a penalty when the Shelbourne captain tugged his shirt.
RM Block
Instead, he glided down the end-line before inviting Nariman Akhundzade to finish at the front post. John Martin got the last touch to beat Shelbourne’s new Dutch goalkeeper Wessel Speel.
That put Qarabag 4-0 ahead on aggregate as the dead rubber was confirmed.
Any hope of this contest being as entertaining as the first-leg at Tolka Park was ruined by Olexiy Kashchuk and Akhundzade snatching late goals in Drumcondra last week.
Understandably, Shelbourne manager Joey O’Brien benched key figures in Harry Wood, Ali Coote and Paddy Barrett as a three-goal deficit was never going to be erased in Baku’s stifling conditions.
The temperature tipped over 29 degrees at kick-off. The 5,300 kilometre trek from Dublin to the Republican Stadium is further east than the entire land mass of Iraq.
It is a 16-hour round trip if the Dublin club somehow managed to avoid stop-offs in Istanbul, and Sligo Rovers might exploit some heavy legs at the Showgrounds on Saturday night as a result.
In light of the Europa first-leg fixture, the Dublin derby between Shels and Bohemians has been refixed for August 9th, a day later than its original billing.
O’Brien’s squad is braced for a hectic August, with an FAI Cup showdown against St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park dropped in the middle of their European campaign.
The Shels manager reacted accordingly, with seven starters from the first-leg making way, Wood and Coote among them, which would blunt any League of Ireland attack, especially against far superior European opposition.
Qarabag manager Gurban Gurbanov stuck with his best side as they gear up for the Azerbaijan Premier League opener on August 15th.
Speel’s six-foot six-inch frame was needed to deny a Leandro Andrade early in the second-half but seconds later the Dutch man needed attention on his shoulder after colliding with Bahlul Mustafazade. He recovered to save Kady’s late penalty.
Shelbourne kept probing and McInroy looked to the sky after his snap shot was parried by Mateusz Kochalski. The Scottish midfielder should have equalised on the night.
James Norris impressed at left wing back. On loan from Liverpool, he set up McInroy’s chances before blazing over himself.
Italian referee Andrea Colombo was quick to award a penalty in the 67th minute when Silva’s cut back caught Kameron Ledwidge’s arm. Kady was punished for casually rolling his spot kick too close to Speel before Elvin Jafarguliyev hit the rebound high into the stand.
QARABAG: Kochalski; Silva, Mustafazade, Medina (Mmaee 72), Jafarguliyev (Bayramov 80); Pedro Bicalho, Kady (Kashchuk 80); Leandro, Addai, Zoubir (Kouakou 72); Akhundzade (Gurbanli 72).
SHELBOURNE: Speel; Temple, Bone, Ledwidge, Norris (Caffrey 71); Kelly, Coyle, McInroy (Lunney 62), Chapman (Coote 81); Martin (Wood 62), Odubeko (Boyd 62).
Referee: Andrea Colombo (Italy).
