AN OFFSIDE shocker, a second-half sucker punch and a lack of a clinical edge in attack saw Shamrock Rovers’ slim hopes of a top-two finish disappear last night.
Bumbling linesman Marjan Tomas somehow failed to spot that David Fofana was two yards offside for Molde’s first last night.
The same official then chalked off a second-half Aaron Greene goal with a much tighter call in the second-half.
READ MORE: Shamrock Rovers 0-2 Molde: recap and result as Rovers fall to defeat
By then, Rovers were two-down, however, and the Hoops had to take a chunk of the blame for their predicament.
Had they not been so wasteful in front of goal, they might be celebrating a famous win today - along with a €500,000 cheque that comes with each success in the group stage.
Aaron Green was guilty of a howler inside just two minutes, as the hosts conjured up a dominant display that saw them claim 65 percent possession in the first-half and 62 percent over the 90.
Their control for much of last night’s match, however, wasn’t enough to stop Rovers falling to their first home defeat in 32 games.
There was a poignant moment in the 10th minute when both sets of fans in the 5,680-strong crowd stood up to pay tribute to the 10 victims of the Creeslough tragedy with a lengthy applause.
This was a much stronger 11 than the one that started last week’s surrender in Norway, with Jack Byrne, Roberto Lopes, Dylan Watts and Richie Towell all starting.
Rory Gaffney’s heroics against Shelbourne last weekend didn’t earn him a European recall, though, and Greene started once again up-front, with Towell in support.
The pair linked up with just 100 seconds on the clock for what should have been the opening goal of the night.
Watts sent an excellent pass down the right towards Towell, who carried it 20 yards before looking across and spotting the run of Greene.
Greene couldn’t have asked for a better low delivery from the former Dundalk man, but somehow the striker fired wide of the near post from just six yards.
It was a shocking miss, but heads didn’t drop. Rovers’ high press was a remarkable contrast to seven nights earlier and the intensity of their performance seemed to catch Molde cold.
Goalkeeper Jacob Karlstrom found Ronan Finn’s 14th minute shot too hot to handle.
Luckily for the netminder, as the ball slipped through his fingers, he got just about enough on it that it cleared his crossbar.
Watts’ 23rd minute snapshot was blocked, while Finn got his head to a Byrne corner three minutes later but could only steer it towards Karlstrom.
Greene and Towell combined again on 28 minutes, with a defensive block taking Greene’s shot wide for a corner. Another shot by the striker was palmed away by the ‘keeper.
Rovers’ failure to take at least one of their chances came back to haunt them when Molde went in front in controversial circumstances on 33 minutes.
Fofana was clearly offside when Emil Breivik whipped the ball into the centre.
It wasn’t spotted by the Croatian assistant referee, however, and the striker powered his header past Alan Mannus from six yards.
With no VAR in the Conference League, the goal stood.
To credit Molde, it was clinical and swift counter-attacking play. But it was cruel on Rovers, who were by far the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
Despite that, they could have been two-down, but for the brilliance of goalkeeper Mannus. He produced an outstanding stop to deny Fofana, who sprinted behind the Hoops defence.
Neither Finn nor Sean Kavanagh could find the target with similar left-footed efforts from 20 yards as the hosts made a bright start to the second-half.
Towell’s shot on the spin brought out a smart save from Karlstrom, who went full stretch to his right to keep the ball out.
At the other end, Mannus got down to his left to save from Breivik on 55 minutes, before Magnus Grodem sent the rebound into the side-netting.
Towell and Byrne both fired wide from distance, while Mannus produced an outstanding save in the 68th minute to deny substitute Magnus Wolff Eikrem.
Rovers’ relief was short-lived, however, as substitute Kristian Eriksen stooped at the near post to nod home the resulting corner.
Greene had the ball in the net in the 72nd minute, but the same assistant that missed the Molde offside managed to spot Greene being marginally ahead of the last defender.
Rovers continued to push forward and substitute Neil Farrugia worked a yard of space for a shot with the full-time whistle looming, but his 25-yard shot sailed over.
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