Heartbreak for Shelbourne as 90th minute goal ends Europa League dream

Extra.ie​

2 days ago

Shelbourne's Europa League journey ended in heartbreak as a 90th minute goal for Rijeka gave them a 3-1 win on the night and a 4-3 win on aggregate.
It was an amazing atmosphere in Drumcondra as the likes of Bertie Ahern, Heimir Hallgrimsson and Stephen Cluxton were in attendance on a sunny August night as Tolka Park once again played host to another historic night in European football for Irish football.
After doing the hard work in their 2-1 win on the Adriatic coast last week, Joey O'Brien's side knew the onus wasn't on them to score and in the opening quarter they played the tie masterfully. Mipo Odubeko, Ali Coote and Kerr McInroy ran tirelessly to put pressure on the Rijeka centre-backs and the Croatian league and cup double winners resorted to hitting many hopeless long balls in the opening stages. Milan Mbeng of Shelbourne reacts after his side's first goal. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Shels had a decent shout for a penalty in the opening exchanges as Ali Coote went through on goal after Rijeka failed to deal with a long ball. The Scot was trying to control it when he went down in the area by Rijeka 'keeper and captain Martin Zlomislić but Romanian referee Marian Barbu and the VAR team didn't deem it enough for a penalty.
As the sides went into the water break it would be fair to say that Shels had the upper hand, though they needed to get a hold of possession and that's what they did. A couple of nice crosses came in troubling the Croatian defence but as Shels grew into the game, Rijeka's star man Toni Fruk came up with a sensational goal. Toni Fruk of Rijeka celebrates after scoring his side's first goal. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Fruk, who missed last week's match with suspension produced the moment of magic at Tolka Park shortly after the half hour mark when a Rijeka attacking move ended up with him being teed up for a volley just outside the box and Fruk lashed it home past Wessel Speel to give the visitors the lead.
Shels began to look leggier, and halftime couldn't have come at a better time. The break allowed Joey O'Brien to introduce last week's hero John Martin came on at halftime for Ali Coote as he and Odubeko were at the centre of everything good for Shels going forward. Rijeka celebrate Tiago Dantas's goal. Pic: INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Despite that Rijeka still allowed to grow more and more into the game as more space became available to them. The relentless harrying and defending in the first half caught up on Shels as their bodies became tired as the sun set in Dublin.
Those tired bodies starting gave Rijeka a lot of space and that led to another moment of magic for the visitors, this time from Tiago Dantas. The Portuguese midfielder formerly of Bayern Munich picked up the ball over 35 yards from goal and he absolutely walloped the ball past Speel into the top corner to give the Croatians the 2-0 lead on the night and an aggregate lead in the tie. Mipo Odubeko scores his side's first goal of the game from a penalty. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
As the clock ticked on it was John Martin that was the brightest spark for Shels and the Kilkenny man won his side a penalty after a long VAR check as he was pulled down in the box by Rijeka fullback Ante Orec. Odubeko stepped up and hit a frankly poor penalty that crept under Zlomislic into the bottom corner to get Shels back level on aggregate.
However just moments later Orec made up for his mistake as he was inexplicably given acres of space and enough time to take the ball down, turn and drill a shot across Speel into the bottom corner to give the Croats another lead on aggregate, this time in the 90th minute. Ante Orec of Rijeka celebrates with Rijeka manager Radomir Dalović after scoring their side's third goal. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Shelbourne threw the kitchen sink at Rijeka but that was to be the decisive goal as their Europa League journey ended in heartbreak, losing 3-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.
However, they still have something to play for in Europe as they will play the winner of Linfield and Faroe Island side Vikingur in the Europa Conference League play-off round next week for a chance at reaching the league phase of that competition.