In a Uefa Conference League fixture, Shamrock Rovers claimed a commanding 4-1 victory over Larne. Graham Burke was the star player of the night, reminding audiences of his international calibre, showcased when he played for the Republic of Ireland back in 2018. Burke’s deft maneuvering across the spacious pitch, his playmaking prowess which created three goals, and his sharp shooting, which netted the fourth goal, were significant highlights of the match.
Stephen Bradley, Shamrock Rovers’ manager, praised Burke’s performance, noting his strong showing across 60 minutes of high-level play. According to Bradley, the domination began immediately, thereby removing both the fight and occasion from the game.
Despite the odds, Shamrock Rovers efficiently handled Larne through early goals by Joshua Honohan, Johnny Kenny, and an own goal by Tomas Cosgrove. This allowed Bradley to give his bench players some game time, with an eye on the upcoming three-pointer against Dundalk, a must-win for their ambition to secure a fifth consecutive League of Ireland title.
Moreover, the victory over Larne has financial advantages for Shamrock Rovers, with €400,000 in prize money awarded by Uefa. This is €100,000 more than the solidarity payment received by other Irish clubs. Consequently, Shamrock Rovers are well-positioned to enter the knock-out stages of the competition. This performance contrasts starkly with their struggles to compete in the group stages just two years ago, proving that Rovers are genuinely making strides in European football.
Two games into the Conference League, they are in seventh place, holding a spot in the top eight which assures automatic qualification into the final 16. A triumphant game against Welsh champions, The New Saints, on the 7th of November should ensure their safe progression to the playoffs. These are reserved for teams ranking between 9th and 24th out of the 36 teams and come with a substantial monetary reward nearing €5 million.
Chelsea are already at the top, having triumphed 4-1 over Panathinaikos in Athens. Rovers, meanwhile, are set to visit Stamford Bridge on the 19th of December.
The first ever European group game in Northern Ireland apparently caught Larne by surprise. When the game started, it was the fervour of the 1,600 Rovers supporters that filled the air. Within three minutes, Honohan’s goal had them cheering themselves hoarse.
The sentiment resonated with Bradley, who conceded, “It felt as though we were playing on our home turf. It’s an exceptional night, a European night at Windsor that we’ll reminisce about in decades to come, even when I’m coaching my local team.”
As for the consecutive NIFL Premiership victors, they were solely responsible for letting Burke prance 40 metres into their box unnoticed. His strike was then deflected to the unoccupied wing back, who took control and scored.
The expected trouncing seemed imminent after Johnny Kenny brushed off Cosgrove, only for his effort to hit the side netting. Larne came close to an equaliser when Benji Magee outpaced Lee Grace to the end line. However, his low cross intended for Andy Ryan was intercepted by Pico Lopes, who cleared the ball.
This marked the pinnacle of Larne’s assault before they faced further challenges from Markus Poom’s two corners, which thoroughly tested their capacity to compete at this level.
Kenny scored the second after a Poom corner was cleared directly to Burke, who immediately redirected it across the six-yard box. Burke was initially credited for the third goal, despite his header at the front post being clumsily nudged into the goal by Cosgrove. The Greek referee, Vasileios Fotias, initially signalled a free out, but VAR forced him to reconsider.
Chris Gallagher’s strike early in the second half was the long awaited turning point at Windsor Park, scored after a chaotic corner sequence, beating goalkeeper Leon Pohls’s outstretched reach.
Inver Park, Larne’s home ground, does not meet the requirements of Uefa, but this didn’t prevent the home supporters from cheering after a 24-mile journey to south Belfast. Their loud, joyous celebrations and drum rolls stretched for six minutes.
Gallagher’s decisive strike drew everyone’s attention. Besides marking the first goal from a group stage Northern Irish club in European football, it set the stage for Burke to elegantly navigate the pitch, exploiting the ample open space before he accurately aimed at the lower corner of Rohan Ferguson’s goal.
The scoreline read 4-1, a clear victory with Rovers at an ease they haven’t experienced throughout the season.
“Being under pressure in the latter part of the season makes the team thrive, they puff up with pride. But that’s behind us now, our attention is on Dundalk.”
LARNE consisted of players: Ferguson; Cosgrove (Substituted by Want, 90), Todd, Bolger, Ives; Gallagher, Thomsom (Substituted by McEneff, 60); Magee (Substituted by Lusty, 73), Sloan (Substituted by Randall, 73), Graham; Ryan.
SHAMROCK ROVERS players were: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Burns (Substituted by Clarke, 73), Poom (Substituted by Watts, 73), McEneff (Substituted by Byrne, 73), Honohan; Mandroiu (Substituted by Nugent, 60), Burke (Substituted by Noonan, 66); Kenny.
Referee: Vasileios Fotias from Greece.