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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Bradley insists Rovers can turn tie around at Tallaght next week
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley was fiercely critical of his team's first-half showing in Kosovo, but insists his side have what it takes to turn around the tie after last Thursday's 1-0 loss to Ballkani. Rovers are on the brink of elimination from the Conference league after tonight's single goal defeat, a defeat which could have been much worse as the Hoops turned in a performance that Bradley deemed miles off the level that is required. "Look, I think first-half we were poor, to be fair. We were poor first-half in every aspect," said a disappointed Bradley after the game. "Second-half we were slightly better, but overall it was levels below what we have been domestically and in Europe for quite some time. "The positive is that we're still in the game. It's one nil, and we know we'll be a lot better next week in Tallaght." From the get-go, the Hoops didn't look anywhere near their best on Thursday evening. Over the course of the 90 minutes, they mustered just two efforts on target, both Josh Honahan headers from corners, and failed to create a chance from open play. "We have to have a look at it as a group, staff, players, we have to have a look and we will. Very unlike us in every aspect. Sometimes it happens," Bradley said when asked whether he could put his finger on the reason for the flat performance, "We'll need to assess everything and try understand why. "The main thing for us next week will be to perform to our levels whatever happens, if the result happens, you can't guarantee that. "But what we can be is better than what we were tonight, and I'm sure we will be. Like I said - I can't remember the last European game that we were off it like that in the first-half. And we were off it." Still, Bradley is convinced his team have what it takes to turn the tie around and keep Conference League groups stage qualification hopes alive. "We just got to make sure next week that we perform and we get back to our levels and I've no doubt we have enough within the group to go and win the game and win the tie."
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rovers' European dream hangs in the balance after slender defeat in Kosovo
Shamrock Rovers face an uphill task to keep their European dreams alive after Thursday's 1-0 loss to Balkani in Conference league qualifying action. No longer on the champions path after Shelbourne's Premier Division win last year, Rovers - in the words of manager Stephen Bradley - need to be 'perfect' as they hunt European football for the third time in four seasons. The League of Ireland leaders came into this one with a quintet of players absent through injury, with all of Aaron McEneff, Matt Healy, Graham Burke, Jack Byrne and Trevor Clark missing this evening's clash. Ballkani themselves are in a similar position to Rovers having missed out on the Kosovan top-flight last year after a long spell of dominance. They crashed out of Europe on penalties to Larne last year, a side who they could yet face in the final play-off round to get into the Conference League group stage. The hosts started the brighter at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, a venue some 50 miles removed from Ballkani's home ground which isn't up to UEFA specification. Most of their fans must have stayed away as the stadium was so sparsely populated you could hear practically every roar from the visitors' bench. Not that they had too much to shout about in the early stages of the contest. Ballkani kept the ball well, but struggled to break down a stubborn Shamrock Rovers side that from the off looked content to sit back and try to hit the Kosovan side on the break. There were warning signs for the Premier Division leaders from the early stages. Aimir Kryeziu showed a clean pair of heels to evade a Rovers defender and slip-in Giovanni, whose square ball just evaded the lively Sunday Adetunji for what would have been a certain goal. That seemed to give the home side more confidence, with Adetunji in particular proving a real handful for Roberto Lopes and Dan Cleary. A tumble in the box from the Nigerian was waved away by the referee, with the sub-standard playing surface getting the blame for his spill. Rovers finally came to life midway through the first-half and showed glimpses of promise on the break. Danny Mandroiu and Darragh Nugent linked up in a nice move down the right, but Nugent's fizzed cross just evaded Rory Gaffney in the six-yard box. The Hoops threatened again moments later this time from the left-hand side when Josh Honahan's brave header set Nugent away. Again, the final ball was lacking as neither Gaffney nor Mandroiu could get onto the pull-back. Having finally gotten a proper foothold in the game, Rovers poured on the pressure in the latter stages of the first-half, with Dylan Watts' set-piece deliveries causing havoc. They almost hit the front five minutes before half-time when a Watts corner was met by Honahan, who saw his header saved well by Adnan Golubovic. The half-time whistle completely stymied Rovers' momentum and when Ballkani opened the scoring in the 55th minute, it was no less than they deserved. Adetunji found space in the box after a defensive mishap from Rovers. He turned beautifully to evade Cleary and finished well past McGinty. It should have been 2-0 just moments later when Kryeziu blazed over from six yards out with the goal at his mercy after McGinty palmed an effort straight back into the box. Rovers pushed for an equalizer and were living dangerously at this stage, with Adetunji fluffing his lines after a cracking cross from Tolaj. He wreaked havoc moments later to set up Giovanni, who should have hit the target from the edge of the box but dragged his effort wide. Playing just their third competitive game of the season, Ballkani wilted late on. However, Rovers were unable to put the hosts under serious pressure until stoppage time when a late flurry from the Hoops saw a Josh Honahan header tipped brilliantly wide, but in the end, Bradley and co will no doubt be pleased that the deficit is just a single goal ahead of next week's return leg at Tallaght.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US-owned Irish soccer club Drogheda barred from Conference League by UEFA ownership rules
FILE - The trophy of Conference league is pictured during the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Feb. 21, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File) LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Irish Cup winner Drogheda lost its appeal on Monday against being removed from the Conference League next season for breaking UEFA rules on club ownership. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its judges gave an urgent decision dismissing Drogheda's appeal that was heard on Monday. On Tuesday, UEFA will start making the draws for qualifying rounds in the third-tier European competition. Advertisement Drogheda and Silkeborg of Denmark qualified for the Conference League second preliminary round but are owned by the Trivela Group from the United States. UEFA rules to protect sporting integrity do not allow teams from a multi-club network to enter the same competition if one owner has 'decisive influence' over management of both. CAS said the three judges agreed UEFA committed key information to Drogheda and that by a 2-1 majority 'rejected (the club's) submissions on alleged unequal treatment by UEFA.' Other cases involving Manchester City, Manchester United, AC Milan, Brighton and Aston Villa in the past two years were resolved by one of the ownership stakes being placed into a blind trust for the season. A UEFA expert panel also imposed transfer bans and limited cooperation between clubs in question. Advertisement The UEFA panel is also assessing if Crystal Palace and Lyon can both enter the next Europa League. Lyon's American owner John Textor has a 43% stake in Palace though with limited decision-making power. In the latest case, Silkeborg took priority with UEFA to get the Conference League place because it finished higher in the Danish league this season than Drogheda did in the Irish league last year. Drogheda loses prize money of 350,000 euros ($406,000) that UEFA pays for playing in the Conference League second qualifying round. ___ AP soccer:
