Europa League 3rd qualifying round, 2nd leg: Shelbourne 1 (Mipo 86) Rijeka 3 (Fruk 33, Dantas 73, Orec 90) (Rijeka win 4-3 on aggregate)
A 90th-minute winner ended Shelbourne’s Europa League quest as the League of Ireland champions’ endless endeavour wasn’t enough on a stirring night at Tolka Park.
Trailing to two utterly sublime goals from Toni Fruk and Tiago Dantas which put the Croatian champions ahead in the tie, the real drama arrived inside the last 10 minutes.
First a three-minute VAR check finally awarded Shelbourne an 86th-minute penalty after substitute John Martin’s shirt had been tugged by Ante Orec as he went for Harry Wood’s cross.
Far from perfect, Mipo Odubeko’s spot kick had sufficient purchase to go under the body of Martin Zlomislic to level a roller-coaster tie at 3-3.
RM Block
But villain at one end, Orec would prove the visitors’ hero at the other in the final minute of regulation time.
Niko Jankovic, a €5 million target for José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, touched a cross from Merveil Ndockyt down for right-back Orec who tuned deftly to fire into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to break Reds’ hearts.
While now out of two Uefa competitions, Shelbourne’s European journey will continue into the play-off round of the Conference League next week.
Their opponents there won’t be known until Thursday, but could well tee up a second meeting this summer with Linfield should the Irish League champions overcome Vikingur of the Faroe Islands whom they trail 2-1 ahead of their second leg.
It’s 21 years since arguably the greatest European night Tolka Park had seen when Shelbourne overturned a 3-2 first leg deficit to beat another Croatian side in Hajduk Split 2-0.
That memory was celebrated by the Reds’ staunch support in the riverside in draping a strip banner over the front of the stand emblazoned with the words “Spirit of ’04”.
Chasing the tie, Rijeka got on the ball from the off to enjoy good early possession. But it was Shelbourne who raised the game’s first talking point three minutes in.
Wood’s long ball dropped for the run of Ali Coote who got in behind Ante Majstorovic before falling over goalkeeper Zlomislic.
Loads roars for a penalty were ignored by the Romanian referee while VAR were happy there was no infringement.
Shelbourne were further miffed at the other end minutes later when Fruk went down a little too easily from Paddy Barrett’s slight touch.
The wall did its job from Fruk’s driven free-kick with Tiago Dantas drilling the rebound wide.
Rijeka maintained their dominance of the ball as Shelbourne defended en bloc, Kerr McInroy epitomising their tenacity with a brave block on a shot from Fruk.
It was 20 minutes before Wessel Speel between the Shelbourne posts had much to do as he got down to comfortably hold a speculative shot from distance by Ante Juric.
There was a scare from a Jankovic corner on 27 minutes, Shelbourne happy to see Majstorovic’s near post effort fly wide.
Just as Shelbourne began to see more of the ball, Rijeka struck in stunning fashion on 33 minutes.
Juric and Dantas in turn teed up Orec’s cross for their talisman Fruk who arced a brilliant first-time volley from 25 yards to the far corner past Speel’s despairing dive for a sensational goal.
That opened the tie right up with Shelbourne missing a glorious chance to level on the night two minutes later.
Milan Mbeng got down the right for the first time to cross to the back post. A straining James Norris did well to nod the ball down for McInroy whose left-foot volley was straight at Martin Zlomislic. Coote miscued the rebound wide as the chance was lost.
Rijeka soon got back on the ball, Petrovic heading narrowly wide from another Jankovic corner while Speel got down to hold a shot from Dantas, as Shelbourne held on for the half-time whistle.
Last week’s match-winner Martin replaced Coote for the second half as Shelbourne went with two up top.
And it brought another real home chance seven minutes in.
McInroy’s long ball found the run of Martin whose cross into the near post saw Odubeko shoot just wide, albeit under pressure from Mladen Devetak.
While the direct approach was bringing Shelbourne more of the ball in the final third, Rijeka countered dangerously, Jankovic working Speel while Fruk curled a shot wide before Dantas then made it 2-0 on 72 minutes with another sublime goal.
With Shelbourne guilty of giving him too much time and space some 35 yards out, the Portuguese midfielder collected Devetak’s pass, took a touch and unleashed a cracking right foot shot that arrowed to Speel’s top left corner before the real drama arrived late on.
Shelbourne: Speel; Mbeng, Bone, Barrett, Ledwidge, Norris (Caffrey, 79); McInroy (Kelly, 90+1), Lunney (Chapman, 79); Wood, Coote (Martin, h-t); Odubeko.
HNK Rijeka: Zlomislic; Orec, Majstorovic Radeljic, Devetak; Petrovic, Dantas (Kreilach, 90+1); Ndockyt (Menalo, 90+4), Fruk, Jankovic; Juric (Lasickas, 75).
Referee: Marian Bardu (Romania).
