Absorbing drama as Rijeka score 90th-minute winner to dump Shelbourne out of Europa League

The 42

11 hours ago

Europa League third qualifying round, second leg
Shelbourne 1
Rijeka 3
Rijeka win 4-3- on aggregate
FIRST CAME THE thuds, then came the silence.
And in a flurry of dizzying, headache-inducing drama during the final 10 minutes there was the kind of noise that Tolka Park has not witnessed for years, but Shelbourne were ultimately left with a cruel heartache from an absorbing defeat.
Their European dream has not been broken by this Rijeka loss as they now have one last shot at a Uefa Conference League play-off against either Linfield or Vikingur.
But when Mipo Odubeko stood up and saw his 86th minute penalty squirm under the body of Niko Jankovic it looked like this tie was heading for 30 minutes of extra-time.
Instead, a final twist – quite literally – saw the man who conceded the spot kick, Ante Orec, wriggle free in the box and turn to deliver a 90th-minute reverse shot that ensured a 3-1 win on the night sent them through.
There had been lengthy VAR drama after the full back pulled back substitute John Martin in the box and it took the guts of four minutes for referee Marian Barbu to consult with his officials before checking the screen.
Rijeka showed their nerve to get over that bitter disappointment and the sight of their head coach, Radomir Dalvoic, ignoring the customary post-match handshake with Joey O'Brien and instead sprinting onto the pitch, hopping like a desperate, giddy bunny rabbit into the grateful embrace of his players showed just how this final few moments shredded the nerves.
All of this at a point when it looked like Tolka Park had been stunned into a stupor by two moments of lethal Rijeka class from a pair of long-range goals from Toni Fruk and Tiago Dantas either side of half time.
Fruk was the one to produce the moment of first-half class on 33 minutes that left Tolka Park stunned.
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His opportunistic snap shot volley inside the D at the edge of the box was clinical and classy. Striker Ante Matej Juric laid the ball out to Tiago Dantas and his tee up for Fruk was half a yard above the ground.
In an instant he had a decision to make. Take a touch and get closed down or rely on his technical gifts to come up with something wonderful.
He opted for the latter, and delivered.
He was on the right side of the D and connected with such sweet conviction that Wessel Speel's dive to his right side was forlorn.
No sooner and that sound of the connection reverberated around Drumcondra than the ball hit.
All was quiet then. The Rijek bench celebrated wildly with some coming on the pitch but with their away supporters banned from travelling for poor behaviour the most piercing sound was of silence.
Until that point, Shels might have been relatively happy with how they were keeping the Croatian champions at arm's length.
There was one fine diving block from Paddy Barrett when Juric controlled a clipped ball into the area and was able to turn and get a shot away.
Other than a penalty appeal after three minutes when Ali Coote collided with goalkeeper Martin Zlomisilic – VAR didn't deem it worthy of a review – it was the away side who had all the ball and probed with an intensity that didn't give Shels a second.
Niko Jankovic, the talented midfield who may soon be departing to Fenerbahce, showed why he is sought after with a couple of set pieces that, on another night, might have delivered another couple of goals.
The Shels boss rejigged things at the break, introducing last week's goal hero Martin for Coote and ensuring the isolated Mipo Odubeko had more support up top.
It almost paid off on 53 minutes when McInroy's clipped ball into the left channel and the substitute was onto it in a flash with Odubeko able to peel off into the box.
A neat ball was slipped across to the front of the six yard box and while Odubeko was able to make the first connection with his left foot, covering defender Mladen Devetak did enough to ensure he couldn't hit the target.
It's easier said than done to be more assertive and confident in possession when the opposition can up the intensity levels but Rijeka definitely didn't seem prepared to put Shels under as much pressure as the first half.
And then Dantas received what seemed like a harmless square pass 30 yards out before opening his body at the precise angle that allowed him cut across the ball with a swiftness that saw it fly into the top left corner.
Silence again, right until 10 minutes later when the mayhem really began.
Harry Wood floated a cross to the back post on 81 minutes and Martin got ahead of Orec. It looked like a desperate attempt to win a penalty until the VAR spotted a pull of the jersey.
The wait took the spot kick up until 86 minutes and Odubeko just about converted. He seemed almost too relieved to celebrated, and probably with good reason.
Tolka Park was still energised by what some might have felt was a sense of destiny. The Riverside unfurled a banner before kick off calling on the Spirit of 2004 – when they knocked out Hadjuk Split – and when it looked like this might turn into an even more historic night Orec popped up in the other box with a moment – and goal – that was far more decisive.
Shels go on in Europe but now it is last chance saloon.
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Milan Mbeng, Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, James Norris (Evan Caffrey 78); Harry Wood, JJ Lunney (Ellis Chapman 78), Kerr McInroy (Dan Kelly 90+1), Ali Coote (John Martin HT); Mipo Odubeko.
Rijeka: Martin Zlomisilic; Ante Orec, Ante Majstorovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Mladen Devetak; Dejan Petrovic, Toni Fruk, Tiago Dantas; Merveil Ndockyt, Ante Matej Juric (Justas Lasickas 75), Niko Jankovic.
Referee: Marian Barbu (Rou)