Shamrock Rovers made history as they powered into the next round of the Champions League by ruthlessly disposing of Floriana at Tallaght Stadium.
No League of Ireland team had ever overturned a two-goal, first-leg deficit in a European tie and the Hoops had left themselves with work to do after a sloppy 2-0 defeat in Malta last week.
But with captain Pico Lopes back in the side after his World Cup adventure with Cape Verde, there was no mistaking Rovers’ determination to atone for that setback and they hounded Floriana from start to finish to book a clash with Ararat in Armenia next week, unlocking the door on the lucrative ‘champions path’ through Europe.
Not only was this the first time Shamrock Rovers scored five goals in a European game, it was the first time a League of Ireland club hit five in a Champions League encounter, including the old European Cup.
Lee Grace got Rovers up and running before Dylan Watts restored their lead on the night. John McGovern scored either side of the break while Graham Burke’s superb individual effort on the hour was the decisive go-ahead goal on aggregate before Jack Byrne curled home a fifth from distance.
Stephen Bradley spoke in the build-up about the importance of the first goal and how it would influence proceedings one way or another. To his relief, Rovers got off to a flyer.
Cory O’Sullivan’s covering tackle on Tomislav Gudelj put the brakes on a dangerous Floriana counter, before Rovers hit the visitors with one of their own from the next play. Goalkeeper Guilherme Cioletti denied McGovern with a fine save, but Grace buried the header off the corner.
Lee Grace celebrates his goal
Still, Floriana were a threat on the counter. They didn’t see a great deal of the ball but looked for big target man Mustapha Jah – who scored Floriana’s second in the first-leg – whenever they did.
And Jah was central to their equaliser just six minutes after that Grace opener. He collected Gaston Romano’s big switch and Gudelj turned home his cross at the near post to leave Bradley fuming.
But Rovers regrouped and played with determination thereafter. Adam Brennan, Burke and Byrne were dangerous. Dylan Watts was a willing accomplice and the quartet channelled their best work down the left with McGovern frustrated later on when denied a penalty after a five-minute VAR check.
But Rovers regained the lead approaching the half hour. Burke played a ball wide to Brennan who crossed for McGovern and he powered a header home off the crossbar.
Rovers were still trailing by a goal on aggregate, so there was no room to let up. Byrne nearly added a third in injury-time but Cioletti made a superb flying save, deflecting the curling shot onto the crossbar.
Pico Lopes on his World Cup return
McGovern did score the third – and his second – just three minutes into the second-half. Watts got to Burke’s ball just before Cioletti and clipped it across the face of goal for the striker to tap home from a yard out.
Now, Rovers just had to go and win it.
Cioletti was having a stormer in goal and denied McGovern and Byrne with a double save. But the Hoops were piling on the pressure and Floriana buckled again, coughing up the decisive tie-winning goal in the 61st minute.
Burke capped a fantastic display with a brilliant individual goal. He collected a ball in the box with his left foot, shifted onto his right before getting it back on his left in an instant, dispatching the ball to the net with a flick off the outside of his boot.
And Shamrock Rovers still had more in the tank. They were let off the hook when Floriana substitute Kenan Dervisagic blazed over from six yards. The significance of that miss wasn’t lost on him as he sank to his knees, holding his head in his hands.
Rovers powered on again and Byrne got the goal he deserved with 16 minutes to go, curling high into the net from the edge of the box after great work in the build-up from Watts and Tunmise Sobowale.
Seasoned campaigners at this level, Rovers were ruthless throughout.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lee Grace, Pico Lopes, Cory O’Sullivan; Jake Mulraney (Tunmise Sobowale 65), Dylan Watts (Naj Razi 77), John O’Sullivan (Connor Malley 77), Adam Brennan; Jack Byrne, Graham Burke (Jonathan Afolabi 78); John McGovern (Michael Noonan 78).
Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Alex Noonan, Enda Stevens, Maleace Asamoah, Luke O’Regan, Cian Barrett
Florian: Guilherme Cioletti; Carlo Lonardelli, Owen Spiteri; Kauan; Myles Beerman; Robert Muric (Kenan Dervisagic 52), Gaston Romano (Dunstan Vella 64), Alen Kurtalic, Federico Varela, Tomislav Gudelj (Ange N’Dri 71), Mustapha Jan.
Subs not used: Pablo Picon, Gerrard Rodgers, Amar Drina, Zachary Scerri, Emerson Piscoppo, Zyas Vella Newell,
Referee: Joakim Ostling (Sweden)
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