Shamrock Rovers have left themselves with an uphill task to keep their Champions League dream alive, as they were defeated 2-0 by Sparta Prague in their second-round first-leg qualifying clash at Tallaght Stadium.
Despite an encouraging start to the game from the Hoops, Veljko Birmancevic broke the deadlock in the 38th minute as Sparta capitalised on a defensive error inside the Rovers penalty area.
And then Tomas Wiesner added a second in the 65th minute for the Czech side who put in a professional performance to ease to victory ahead of next week's return game in Prague.
Close to a full house at Tallaght Stadium for this European encounter - with 9,684 present - and there was little to separate the sides throughout the opening ten minutes, with Rovers enjoying slightly more joy in the attacking department, winning an early free outside the box, which was wasted by Dylan Watts.
The visitors were certainly looking a touch rusty in those early stages, wasting possession, while lacking the energetic approach to unsettle the home side.
Yet it was a cautious start from the Irish champions, who were content to sit deep inside their own half with Johnny Kenny the only outlet in attack.
Then the game burst into life in the 14th minute thanks to a surging run following some great skill from Neil Farrugia. The midfielder charged all the way into the box before feeding Kenny, however, his low effort was blocked en route to goal.
It took 20 minutes for Sparta to spark into life, and it came courtesy of a long-range Martin Vitik strike, which was helped over the bar by Leon Pohls, who perhaps should have held onto the arrowed effort.
Midway through and Sparta started to step up a gear or two as Vitik starting to influence on right, while Albania international Qazim Laci was also starting to show for the ball centrally.
Pohls was then called into action twice within a minute as he had to handle a low effort from Imanol Garcia De Albeniz, before Indrit Tuci tested him with a placed effort in the corner a moment later.
Rovers were almost gifted an opening goal in the 30th minute following a mix-up in defence after a throw-in out on their left flank, and with the keeper out of position, it looked like Farrugia would slot the ball home, however, a remarkable sliding clearance from Mathias Ross kept things scoreless.
Rovers’ counterattacking tactics were reaping rewards as Farrugia set off on another forward run in the 37th minute. Trevor Clarke offered an option outside, however, Farrugia opted to shoot and smashed wide.
In the 38th minute, Sparta took the lead.
Gifted to the opponents, as Rovers tried in vain to pass out of defence. Failing to work it out from the left, the ball moved centrally before Watts flicked to Dan Cleary without looking, and it was intercepted inside the box by the advanced Garcia De Albeniz.
The defender’s shot was well stopped by Pohls before Lopes then cleared a rebound off the line, but Rovers just could not clear the danger and it allowed Serbia international Birmancevic to hammer home.
Rovers looked to hit back before the break and again Farrugia found himself in sight of goal, but again he could not keep his shot down, as the home side headed down the tunnel a goal in arrears with it all to do in the second half.
Two changes at the break, and Sparta went back on the attack three minutes into the second half, as substitute Lukas Haraslin raced in off the left and fed Jan Kuchta, whose near-post effort was deflected wide thanks to a strong Sean Hoare covering tackle.
Hoare was again on hand to clear from Kuchta’s squared ball in the 52nd minute as Rovers could not get out of their own half
Then another moment of Farrugia magic in the 55th minute, as he turned two before flying forward and working the ball to Kenny on the edge of the box. A touch of desperation, however, with the subsequent effort as the striker tried to hit it on the turn from outside the box, never troubling the keeper.
In fact, everything positive from Rovers was coming through Farrugia, who was really exploiting the space in the middle at every opportunity, but the home side were just unable to capitalise on his exciting play.
But then another option, as Cleary raced up the right in the 59th minute, clipping a clever cross towards the penalty spot, however, Clarke was just kept out as he burst in from the left.
At last, a bit of momentum to the Rovers play and with 30 minutes remaining, the crowd behind the goal in the South Stand found their voice, sensing something might happen.
But not as they had hoped as Sparta doubled their advantage five minutes later, as they flew forward from deep inside their own half.
The ball was moved at pace up the left, which allowed striker Kuchta to send it to the far post for Wiesner to smash home through the hands of Pohls, who was unable to keep the powerful effort out.
It took a fine Pohls save in the 70th minute to prevent a third, as Haraslin danced into the box and drilled a decent effort on target.
Rovers made some changes in their attacking department as they looked to take something into the second leg, however, it was the ever-improving Sparta side who looked more likely to score with Asger Sorensen and Haraslin again threatening the goal.
In the 88th minute, Pohls kept out a fine curling effort from substitute Olatunji as Rovers managed to keep the deficit to two.
Four minutes added as the game looked to be winding down, but then Rovers burst into life with two late chances within a minute as Josh Honahan’s header was well saved, and it was the same man at the back post a moment later as he bundled the ball just the wrong side of the post as the two-goal Czech cushion remained in place ahead of next week’s return game.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Roberto Lopes, Daniel Cleary, Sean Hoare; Trevor Clarke (Lee Grace 84), Joshua Honohan, Gary O’Neill, Darragh Nugent, Neil Farrugia (Darragh Burns 65), Dylan Watts; Johnny Kenny (Aaron Greene 65)
Sparta Prague: Peter Vindahl; Mathias Ross, Martin Vitik (Asger Sorensen HT), Jaroslav Zeleny; Tomas Wiesner, Imanol Garcia De Albeniz, Marcus Solbakken, Qazim Laci (David Pavelka 62),Indrit Tuci (Ermal Krasniqi 62), Veljko Birmancevic (Lukas Haraslin HT), Jan Kuchta (Victor Olatunji 75)
Referee: Joey Koolj (NED)
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