Champions League second qualifying round, first leg: Ararat-Armenia 2 [Lima 51, Banjaqui 80] Shamrock Rovers 0
The Republican Stadium in Yerevan continues to be a miserable hunting ground for Irish teams as goals from Sandro Lima and Zidane Banjaqui might prove enough to send Shamrock Rovers into the Europa League.
The Republic of Ireland, under both Stephen Kenny and Heimir Hallgrímsson, have suffered similar defeats in the Armenian capital in the 2020s.
Rovers must hit top form on their return to Tallaght next Tuesday if Stephen Bradley’s side are to avoid being rerouted to the Europa League third qualifying round to face the losers of the Champions League tie between KG Egnatia of Albania and NK Celje of Slovenia, who Rovers lost 2-0 at home against during last season’s Conference League.
Rovers’ aim is to earn €3 million in Uefa prize money from reaching the Conference League for a third consecutive season.
RM Block
The curse of Yerevan seemed like it would pass over Rovers as the European specialists were coasting to a 0-0 result until an error by Lee Grace six minutes into the second half.
Lima’s gamble paid off as the Brazilian striker intercepted Grace’s back pass before turning Pico Lopes, riding a hand trip by Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty and rolling the ball into an empty net.
It was a rare lapse in concentration from a Rovers back three that avoided any mishaps during Lopes’s six weeks at the World Cup with Cape Verde.
“We were controlling the game until a sloppy start of the second half,” said Bradley. “We did something that you can never do in any game, especially in Europe, and we got punished.
“The [Lima] goal is something you never see our centre backs do. It does not happen. It’s really frustrating to give up such a soft goal.”
Bradley gave his European veterans 15 minutes to retrieve the situation before making three substitutions.
Aaron Greene was a half-yard shy of scoring the equaliser after the 36-year-old was beaten to a dangerous low cross from Adam Brennan by Ararat defender Junior Bueno. From the resulting corner Grace should have made amends for his mistake only to head Jack Byrne’s ball straight at Ararat goalkeeper João Bravim.
That all too brief period of Rovers dominance prompted Bradley to send in Luke O’Regan, Jake Mulraney and former Bohemians centre forward Jon Afolabi as Greene, Brennan and Grace made way.
“We were fine in the conditions,” said Bradley despite temperatures peaking at 29 degrees. “It was warm, obviously. It takes an effect, but we have played in Athens and Cyprus so it is no excuse. It took its toll on certain players as the game went on but we were fine.”
Afolabi offered Byrne with a target to pepper Ararat’s box with looping crosses. The 26-year-old striker had one chance but it came to nothing as the multicultural Armenian outfit broke free in the final 10 minutes.
The second goal came from nothing as Lima took Lopes down the right before squaring for Banjaqui. With the Rovers defenders in reverse, the Guinea-Bissau international steadied himself before letting fly from the edge of the box. Zidane himself would have enjoyed the strike.
“We will get chances next week,” Bradley added. “It is half-time, they come to Dublin [on Tuesday], but we are really frustrated with the [first] goal we gave away, the timing of it, you cannot do that in any game.
“There are things that happened in the game that will give us confidence. What they are is what we felt they would be. We know that we can beat anyone in Tallaght and that will be the aim next week.”
ARARAT: Bravim; Hovhannisyan (Felipe, 75), Wilson, Bueno, Pereira (Carlier, 60); Tera (Banjaqui, 65), Muradyan, Oliveira; Serobyan (Ayongo, 75), Lima, Shaghoyan (Franca, 65).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Grace (O’Regan, 67), Lopes, O’Sullivan; Sobowale, Byrne (Razi, 90), Healy, Watts, Brennan (Mulraney, 67); Burke; Greene (Afolabi, 67).
Referee: David Dickinson (Sco).
