So near yet so far as Shamrock Rovers drop into Europa League despite classy display

Shamrock Rovers’ Champions League exit means they will take on Egnatia of Albania next week in the Europa League.

It wasn’t enough. A staggeringly brilliant first-half performance, two goals to bring the tie level and then the sucker punch late on.

Shamrock Rovers will have to wait at least another round to book league phase football, after their 2-1 win over Ararat-Armenia last night saw them fail by a whisker to overturn their first leg deficit.

Matt Healy scored the opener and Aaron Greene drew Rovers level on aggregate, and they had chances to get the crucial third goal.

But Sandro Lima’s 74th minute tap-in sent the Armenians into the Champions League third qualifying round – with a guarantee of league phase football in the Conference League.

Rovers will now drop into the Europa League, where they will have another chance to bank a place in the league phase of either that competition or the Conference League.

They will host Albanian side Egnatia in Tallaght Stadium in next week’s first leg.

Healy was sensational as he popped up everywhere – to the extent that often when he got on the ball you had to do a double-take, as he was in a completely different part of the pitch moments earlier.

It was as complete a midfield performance as you will see and it’s little wonder that he was in the right place at the right time to provide the 12th minute finish.

Right place, right time pretty much summed up his display.

Some of Rovers’ play in a first half of utter domination was outrageous; a real treat.

We can sometimes take for granted the fact that we get to see Graham Burke and Jack Byrne on a weekly basis.

But nights like this should serve as a reminder of just how fortunate we are to be able to witness this pair work their magic together.

Burke’s back-heel for the opener was top-class. The goal came at the end of a passing move that involved Byrne, Burke, Healy, Pico Lopes, Greene and Jake Mulraney; a passage that had the visitors chasing shadows.

Burke, facing the end-line, flicked the ball between two Ararat players towards Greene, whose control, turn and lay-off was sublime.

Healy, racing onto the ball, let fly from the edge of the area with the inside of his left foot, directing the ball high inside the left-hand post.

There was an agonising five minute wait while a Premier League team of VAR officials – the worst kind of VAR – mulled over the goal, before giving referee Sam Barrott the green light.

Both Burke and Byrne are so good in tight spaces that it looked at times like Rovers had the freedom of the Ararat final third, despite the fact that the Armenians had all outfield players behind the ball.

Soon after Healy’s 12th minute strike, the Hoops embarked on another flowing move that saw the ball move from left to right, with almost every outfield player getting a touch.

That one ended with a Burke pass inside to Dylan Watts, who was on the wrong side of the D to attempt a curler, as his right-footed effort was always drifting wide.

Greene was constantly hanging on the shoulder of the last defender and there were a couple of efforts to release him, but the best of those came from an opposition player.

With 37 minutes on the clock, defender Alexandros Malis attempted a back pass that was lacking in both pace and accuracy.

Greene was quick to react, while goalkeeper Joao Bravim was also alert, and he raced from his line and slid feet first towards the loose ball.

The Rovers striker cleverly pulled back, knowing that any contact with the keeper would have resulted in a free out.

But the pressure was enough and Bravim, likely distracted by the inrushing Hoops veteran, could only direct the ball towards Byrne, who went wide of the netminder and squared to Greene, who tapped home from five yards.

Disaster struck in the 74th minute when substitute Franca, with his first touch, raced to the endline and crossed low for Lima to sidefoot home from close range.

Rovers had chances to bag a crucial third, with Bravim saving from Lopes, Byrne and sub Micael Noonan late on, while Danny Mandroiu came off the bench with nine minutes remaining to make his first appearance since his ACL tear in the FAI Cup final.