Shamrock Rovers have secured group stage football in the Europa Conference League - but are Hungary for more than that.
Whatever happens in Budapest next week, when the Hoops face Ferencvaros in the playoff of the Europa League proper, they know their Euro adventure is only starting.
Rory Gaffney and Aidomo Emakhu saw to that with the group stages of both competitions underway in early September and running to early November.
READ MORE: Shamrock Rovers are through to the group stages - here's how their players rated in Skopje tonight
The two strikers scored the vital goals in a €3.3 million shootout that Rovers bossed in North Macedonia against KF Shkupi, with super sub Graham Burke assisting both.
And it means an Irish club will compete in the group stages of a European competition for only the fourth time after Rovers back in 2011 and then Dundalk in 2016 and 2020.
August 26 will now be in the back of the mind of all Shamrock Rovers supporters, players, staff and officials.
That’s when the draw is made for the Europa Conference League group stages, but right now it’s only their safety net as the hirewire European walk continues.
After ticking all the boxes domestically in the last three seasons, group stage football was the one glaring omission from Stephen Bradley’s CV.
But achieving that objective looked more and more likely with each passing game in Europe this summer.
Yes, the Ludogorets clash in Bulgaria was a chastening experience but the League of Ireland champions have learned from that lesson - and quickly.
Talk is cheap in that regard but since that night, Rovers walked the walk by playing with a sense of purpose and have got their just rewards.
At the start of this European run, the Europa Conference League group stage was a more than acceptable end result.
But Rovers go to Budapest next week refusing to rule out a crack at a bigger prize.
Ferencvaros will be formidable opponents, and certainly riled one after getting stuffed 3-1 at home by Qarabag in the Champions League tonight.
But Bradley will savour the homework considering Ferencvaros beat and lost to familiar foes Slovan Bratislava in their previous round a fortnight ago.
Last summer, Rovers lost 3-2 on aggregate to Slovan in the Champions League. With the confidence gained in recent weeks, they certainly won’t be fazed by the free hit.
Rovers knew that one goal would kill off Shkupi, but equally so at the other end where a goal for the hosts would hand them a lifeline. So the Hoops had to box clever.
But so desperate were Shkupi to gain a foothold, they left the front door wide open time and again as they committed players forward.
Rovers could have been home and hosed inside six minutes after two golden opportunities fell their way in a brilliant start.
First, Gaffney’s shot was turned onto the post by Kristijan Naumovski after a flowing move involving Ronan Finn, Dylan Watts, Richie Towell and Andy Lyons.
Then Towell, played into a great position by Finn, should have buried the ball in the net but chose precision over power.
Naumovski was fully committed at close range and managed to turn the angled shot over the bar with his foot.
But it was a hugely encouraging spell for Rovers who were making the most of the space afforded to them with Gaffney, Towell and Aaron Greene just relentless.
And the Hoops were as assured at the back when they needed to be.
Alan Mannus had a busier night in the first-leg than Bradley would have liked, but he was certainly more subdued in this opening half.
Yet, when called upon, he was alert and comfortably mopped up Queven’s shot from distance, having seen the Brazilian score with one in Tallaght.
Finn’s booking was costly. This was his 53rd career appearance in Europe, just one shy of Gary Rogers’ all-time record.
Having been booked against Ludogorets and Hibernians, Finn will miss next week’s clash in Hungary which means he cannot beat the record until the group stages.
Rovers’ best chance of the half fell to Towell, eight minutes before the break but Faustin Senghor hacked it off the line while Naumovski saved Gaffney’s follow-up.
Shkupi went for it and introduced three substitutes at half-time and, as they did in Tallaght, they improved for a time.
Gagi Margvelashvili and Pepi Gjorgiev had Mannus scrambling with threatening shots.
And Kristijan Trapanovski, one of those subs, should have broken the deadlock moments later, but blazed a wild shot over the bar when through.
Their renewed sense of urgency still lacked quality, and ultimately it was all for nothing because Gaffney landed the killer blow in the 65th minute.
From Burke’s ball, his shot from just outside the box clipped Abdula Dzelil’s ankle and sailed over helpless goalkeeper Naumovski.
And that was it, job done. Rovers bagged group stage football there and then and had the luxury of replacing Gaffney and Finn.
Sean Gannon and Sean Kavanagh added a sense of calm on their arrival and Burke - on earlier for injured Towell - was once again right at home at this higher level.
The Hoops comfortably saw out the game against dejected opponents who rarely looked capable of scoring one goal in the remaining 20 minutes, never mind three.
Rovers even had time for a second with Emakhu tucking home Burke’s assist after easily getting the best of a half-hearted battle on Naumovski’s part.
Mannus was fuming deep in injury-time when Sunday Adentunji scored a consolation goal, but not that it mattered in the greater scheme of things. Rovers march on.
FK Shkupi: Naumovski; Timovski (Demiri 79), Faustin, Margvelashvili, Sheji (Brdarovski 45); Ali (Trapanovski 45), Alvarez, Queven; Georgiev (Kalanoski 79), Adetunjl, Diene (Dzelil 45).
Shamrock Rovers: Magnus; Hoare, Cleary, Grace; Finn (Gannon 69), Towell (Burke 62)l, O’Neill, Watts, Lyons (Farrugia 81); Greene (Emakhu 81), Gaffney (Kavanagh 69).
Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (Belarus)
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