Uefa Conference League knock-out playoff round, 1st leg: Molde 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 [Noonan 57]
A dream debut by 16-year-old striker Michael Noonan earned Shamrock Rovers a famous victory at the Aker Stadium in Molde on Thursday night as he became the youngest player to score in the group or knock-out stages of a European club competition.
On a night of firsts, Noonan was making his first appearance for the Hoops, having left St Patrick’s Athletic last month to sign his first professional contract.
Not only did he score the match-winner to bring a 1-0 lead back to Tallaght for the second leg next Thursday, but three minutes before half-time his pace and skill drew a wild tackle from Molde defender Valdemar Lund that led to a straight red card.
Noonan will remember every moment of this freezing Norwegian night, with his fluorescent yellow boots and red studs to the number 31 on his back.
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The Dubliner’s earliest touch was interrupted by a thumping foul from Lund. It happened twice more before the Denmark under-21 centre half was dismissed. Each time, in response, Noonan showed no emotion.
The goal came in the 57th minute when 10-man Molde were unable to cope with the Rovers high press.
[ Molde 0 Shamrock Rovers 1: As it happened Opens in new window ]
Mats Møller Dæhli, a veteran midfielder with 23 caps for Norway, cracked first. Noonan started his run to the front post before the outstanding Dylan Watts trapped and dispossessed Dæhli. His pace beat Isak Helstad Amundsen to Watts’s ball, to punch a first-touch finish into the open net vacated by goalkeeper Jacob Karlstrøm who was dragged off the goalline by his team-mate’s awful defending.
Rovers made four notable signings over the winter – Noonan, Matthew Healy, Danny Grant and goalkeeper Ed McGinty. All four made their first appearance for the club, in the starting line-up of a tie that is worth €800,000 to the club as this never-ending season takes a toll on Stephen Bradley’s squad.
Rovers are still in the market for a centre forward before the League of Ireland starts on Sunday against Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium.
The only problem Noonan encountered was the long limbed presence of Lund but Latvian referee Andris Treimanis also flashed some potentially costly yellow cards at Roves trio Watts, Danny Mandroiu and Daniel Cleary.
Watts and Cleary are now suspended for next Thursday’s return leg.
Treimanis had no option but to show Lund a red after a neat Rovers counterattack was initiated by a Pico Lopes block and clearance finding its way to Mandroiu. The 26-year-old midfielder popped a pass for Watts to glance up and reward Noonan’s sprint in behind the Molde defence.
What makes this an unforgettable moment in time is how the teenager spotted Lund’s desperate charge and showed the composure to touch the ball beyond the centre half a nanosecond before contact.
Put it this way: Noonan is three months younger than Mason Melia when he started for St Pat’s in the Uefa Conference League qualifier against Vaduz last summer.
“He doesn’t play like a 16-year-old,” said Bradley prematch. “I think Michael is ready to play. I thought that before I got him in and worked with him.
Until the sending off Rovers were under heavy pressure with Isak Helstad Amundsen almost fashioning an acrobatic finish from a corner. The big defender took two touches before volleying over McGinty’s crossbar.
Magnus Wolff Eikrem initially played a free role behind Fredrik Gulbrandsen, which allowed the Molde skipper to dictate the tempo. Bradley expected as much and set Rovers up with two blocks, of five, and three, defenders.
Rovers did have early chances of their own as Mandroiu found the target with a snapshot before he had a legitimate penalty shout waved away by Treimanis.
But the red card changed everything. Lopes instantly came forward to shoot wide from a Cleary nod down as Gulbrandsen was sacrificed by Molde manager Per-Mathias Høgmo with the centre forward replaced by a defender in Eirik Haugan.
Noonan played just one minute of League of Ireland football last season, coming off the bench for St Pat’s against Bohemians. His second league appearance and home debut for Rovers is set to happen on Sunday at the Aviva Stadium in front of 30,000 fans. No bother to him now.
“He has been amazing,” said Lopes, “To lead the line at 16 years of age is just quality. And he was able to handle himself against big centre halves.”
MOLDE FK: Karlstrom; Stenevik, Amundsen, Valdemar, Haugen (Linnes 72); Daehli, Breivik; Eriksen, Eikrem (capt) (Enggard 72), kaasa (Hestad h-t); Gulbrandsen (Haugan 44).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Honohan, Cleary, Lopes, Grace, Grant; Watts (Burke 69), Healy (O’Neill 88), Mandroiu, McEneff; Noonan (Greene 82).
Referee: Andris Treimanis (Latvia).
