Shamrock Rovers 0 Tottenham 4:Nobody left Tallaght Stadium happy this evening, after Michael O'Neill's final game in charge of Shamrock Rovers ended in a 4-0 defeat to Spurs, whose efforts were rendered obsolete by the 1-1 draw between PAOK Salonika and Rubin Kazan.
For Rovers, it means ending an historic campaign and O’Neill’s tenure with no points from their six group games, but the manager and players were applauded off having at least scored in four of those games and not rolled over in any.
They were unlucky not to score tonight, as well, as they chased a three-goal deficit in the second half. They’ll feel there should have been a sending off and a penalty in separate incidents, but the result was never in doubt.
Spurs scored three in 16 first half minutes to lay the foundation through Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend and Jermain Defoe, while Harry Kane added a fourth in injury time.
"Disappointed with the game. I never like getting beat and we were beaten well tonight," O'Neill told e3afterwards, adding he'll remember his time in Tallaght "fondly".
O'Neill insisted his differences with the club were not because he was demanding “vast sums of money to invest in the team”, but suggested improving on this landmark season will be difficult if the money isn’t there.
“At this level of football it’s about the quality of individuals on the pitch and that’s shone through, not just today but throughout the campaign.
“The reality of the situation is that if we had players who can compete with these players on a consistent level they wouldn’t be here.”
A Tottenham team containing nine changes started the half rustily, and Rovers looked comfortable early on. Ken Oman fired wide before a mix-up between Younes Kaboul and Carlo Cudicini almost allowed the Irish champions in.
Richard Brush was barely tested until Danny Rose’s miscued shot flew goalwards and the Rovers goalkeeper back-tracked to tip on to the crossbar with 25
minutes gone. The move seemed to spark Tottenham in to life and they started to play with more confidence.
Pienaar helped them take the lead just before the half hour when he was given space in the box and fired into the far corner with a deflected effort from 18 yards.
Their tails up, the away side looked for a quick second and they almost got it when Giovani Dos Santos broke with pace and crossed to Defoe, but the England man arrived at the back post a millisecond too late. Brush showed good reflexes to tip Pienaar’s ambitious lob wide before Townsend, given acres of space in the box, took a touch and curled a sweet shot into the Shamrock goal to make it 2-0.
Brush came under further attack towards the end of the first half, saving well from Defoe, before the former West Ham hitman made it 3-0. Townsend raced down the left and laid the ball off for Defoe, who spun on his heels and calmly slotted home in the final minute of the half.
O’Neill brought on Stephen O’Donnell for Stephen Rice at half-time and his team started the second half with much more purpose. Pat Sullivan broke in to the box but saw his powerful half-volley blocked before Karl Sheppard raced through on to a ball over the top and was hauled down by Jake Livermore just outside the box.
The home side appealed for a free and possible a dismissal but referee Stephan Studer waved play on. O’Donnell then blasted a fierce half-volley just wide soon after as Rovers kept up the pressure.
Spurs were struggling to revive the flowing attacking play they had displayed at the end of the first half and their hopes of qualification were dealt a huge blow when Rubin equalised in Thessaloniki, meaning a Tottenham victory by any margin here would still see them go out.
A brilliant clip over the top from Benoit Assou-Ekotto played Sandro in, but the Brazilian’s lob bounced back off the post and off Brush for a corner.
Sheppard raced on to a through ball and was hauled down by Cudicini, but the Italian’s blushes were saved when the linesman controversially judged the striker offside.
With 20 minutes left, an irate Redknapp appeared to flick a defiant gesture towards the away fans who had chanted critical songs about him almost constantly throughout the match.
Shamrock looked the more likely team to score as the match drew to a close, but Kane, who had come on for Defoe moments earlier, got on the end of Townsend’s assist to tap home in the last minute.
