Shamrock Rovers 0 FC Copenhagen 2 (agg 0-3): For a while in Tallaght, it looked like Shamrock Rovers could have a major upset in them as they set about FC Copenhagen with a measured and assured purpose before eventually succumbing to a ruthless visiting strikeforce.

Having lost by just one in the first leg in Denmark, belief that Rovers could yet emerge from their Champions League third round qualifier was not in short supply among the Hoops faithful prior to kick-off, and their team suggested it was not misplaced in the early stages of the game.

However, after Enda Stevens had caused a considerable amount of havoc with some superb balls into the box, one of which resulted in Chris Turner thundering a header off the underside of the crossbar, Dame N'Doye slotted home a 42nd minute opener and Christian Bolanos ended all hope when following up the Senegalese striker’s parried header 17 minutes from time.

N’Doye’s neat finish came after Copenhagen began to show some fluency after 30 minutes. Prior to that, Rovers looked comfortable and anything but nervous, but lacked that cutting edge in the final third with Gary Twigg playing the lone striker role.

One of Stevens’s crosses was aimed at the Rovers hitman but Mathias Jorgenson timed his clearing header perfectly. A flick from Twigg to Ronan Finn had earlier led to calls for a penalty but they were waved away, as were Billy Dennehy’s pleas after he was eased off the ball when bursting into the box.

Copenhagen grew into the game but the Rovers defending, from Dan Murray and Craig Sives, in particular, meant chances from play were at a premium. As in Denmark, however, a setpiece did the damage.

After one scrambled corner clearance, Claudemir de Souza dipped a volley over the bar but they weren’t so lucky with the next when Bolanos’s cross found N’Doye at the back post and he calmly fired a low finish from a tight angle.

Rovers still showed belief after the break but when Twigg’s header from Gary McCabe’s free-kick flew narrowly wide of the top corner there was a familiar pattern emerging.

At the other end, those chances hit the target and when N’Doye’s towering header forced a great save from Ryan Thompson, Bolanos dived in to head past the Jamaican goalkeeper and end all hope for Rovers.

The Europa League fourth round qualifiers await.