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 knew victory was paramount but they could hardly have scripted a more dramatic, heart-in-the-mouth way of achieving it.
They had seen their team relinquish their firm hold, and close out the final 16 minutes without Jack Byrne who was sent off. 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. 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.
From an early stage he sensed that centre-backs Peter Ekroth and Gunnar Vatnhamar were Vikingur’s weak links and he tormented them. 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.
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