Shamrock Rovers beat Egnatia 3:1 in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League on Tuesday evening. The Irish side took the lead through Graham Burke's penalty in the twenty-ninth minute before Egnatia's Álvaro Greene levelled with an own goal shortly after half-time. Roberto Carlos Lopes and Greene then struck in quick succession to secure the victory.
And here's the thing — the match turned on the penalty in the forty-first minute. G. Jaime missed his spot-kick for Egnatia, and within moments Greene had turned a goal chance into an own goal. To be fair, the hosts paid for a sloppy opening when they lost possession in a dangerous area, but they refused to go away after that setback.
By then the momentum had shifted. Lopes found a way through in the fifty-fifth minute, and Greene completed his brace in the fifty-seventh. The Albanese yellow card in the forty-seventh minute did little to calm proceedings, and the visitors looked increasingly disorganised as the half wore on.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Rovers dominated possession at 59 per cent and registered eight shots on target compared to two, but their accuracy of 44 per cent meant they converted efficiently. Egnatia managed only 18 per cent accuracy — there is a difference between having chances and taking them.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half. Diabate and Brennan for Rovers at the break, then Burke and Aliyev together in the sixty-ninth minute. Byrne and Yago were also brought on as the hosts sought to manage the game after establishing their lead.
The result moves Rovers into the next round, following their win over Ararat-Armenia 2:1 on 28 July and their 4:1 victory against Cork City earlier in the month. Egnatia's recent form — three draws in their last five — offered little warning of how fragile they looked under pressure.