Shamrock Rovers' shot-to-nothing before autumn adventure

Shamrock Rovers' tilt at the Europa League will almost certainly end tonight but the second leg against PAOK should at least provide a worthwhile tune-up against high-calibre opposition before they embark on another Conference League journey.

The Hoops' hopes of emulating Michael O'Neill's class of 2011 and reaching the group phase of European football's second tier competition were effectively ended by last week's 4-0 defeat in Thessaloniki.

A dramatic extra-time victory over Slovenian champions Celje in the third qualifying round had already seen the primary objective achieved though, pencilling them in for a long and lucrative autumn of European group stage football.

The Conference League group phase was always understood to be the likeliest destination, the stage which Stephen Bradley's side also reached during the competition's inaugural run in 2022.

Before that, however, they had a crack at a grander stage, with the reigning Greek Super League champions - full name Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans - barring the route to the Europa League group phase, in which much bigger fish would be circling.

It was known to be a tall order.

Immediately after the euphoric celebrations in Tallaght Stadium following the Celje victory - when Bradley and his jubilant players jumped the advertising hoardings and joined in the party among the South Stand hardcore - the Shamrock Rovers manager insisted their target was the Europa League group phase.

On arriving in Greece, Bradley said the plan was to keep the tie alive for the return leg in Dublin.

All was going reasonably well entering first-half injury-time, with the game still scoreless. However, a Daniel Cleary own goal in the dying seconds of the half and an