Shamrock Rovers humbled in Hungary to leave Euro hopes in tatters

Just the same as last season Shamrock Rovers suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Ferencvaros in the first leg of a European tie in Budapest. It was another horrible defeat for the Hoops away from home with Rovers without a win in their last six competitive games and having lost their last four European games.

Ferencvaros had suffered a shock 3-0 Champions League qualifier defeat at home last week to Faroe Islands champions KI Klaksvik to drop into the Europa Conference League but lightening didn't strike twice in Europe in successive weeks. The five-in-a-row Hungarian champions showed their quality and look like a team that will manage to make their way through these qualifiers and into group stage football for the fifth year in a row.

Alan Mannus came in for his first European start of the season in place of Leon Pohls but it was Mannus’ horrendous mistake that meant the Hoops trailed after 16 minutes.

Rovers had a couple of early corners having started the game well in the opening 10 minutes, taking the game to the Green Eagles when they could, and dropping into a five at the back formation without the ball.

A Liam Burt run on six minutes, where he danced through a couple of challenges on the edge of the area before shooting, was his team’s best chance of the half.

Ferencvaros got two corners in quick succession and it was from the second one that they scored from.

Mannus punched the initial corner clear from Cristian Ramírez but when Dávid Sigér’s deflected looping effort off Pico Lopes came back in he inexplicably let it get by him just under the crossbar as the Hoops half-heartedly looked for a free out.

Rovers really retreated after that goal with 11 men mostly behind the ball with Ferencvaros dominating