Flora Tallinn 0:0 Rovers   [ Rovers win 1-0 on aggregate ]                 
 

UEFA Champions League 2nd Qual. Round - A.Le Coq Arena - Tuesday 19th July 2011

Hoops Line out
1 Alan Mannus
2 Pat Sullivan
3 Enda Stevens
4 Craig Sives
17 Ken Oman
14 Dean Kelly
21 Ronan Finn
22 Conor McCormack
20 Billy Dennehy
18 Chris Turner   
19 Gary Twigg (c)

Substitutes

8 Stephen O'Donnell
for Turner 82'

7 Gary McCabe
19 Gary O'Neill
6 Stephen Rice
11 Ciaran Kilduff
5 Dan Murray
16 Ryan Thompson

Rovers deservedly advanced to the 3rd round of the Champions League qualifiers after this scoreless draw in front of hundreds of estactic Hoops fans in the impressive A.Le Coq arena in Tallinn.

An early flurry of activity saw three shots on goal in the opening 5 minutes with McCormack and Dennehy finding their range and Luts for the home side shooting high and wide.

After 7 minutes Pat Sullivan knocked a long ball down the right and Dean Kelly pounced on a mistake in the home defence but his shot was blocked. Chris Turner then flashed his header wide of the goal from the resultant corner.

Flora had a real chance on 15 minutes when Sergei Mošnikov evaded challenge from McCormack and shot narrowly wide of Alan Mannus right-hand post.

Anier then saw his effort go well wide when well placed in the box as the home side got into the game. However Rovers hit back on 21 minutes when a Stevens cross was headed down by Gary Twigg for Ronan Finn to just miss the target.

Finn and Stevens then combined to set Kelly on a run into the Flora box but his shot went over 'keeper Pedok's goal. A long throw in from Sullivan was then clerared and Stevens saw his follow-up shot miss the target.

Pat Sullivan made a fine defensive tackle to snuff out a Flora attack on 30 minutes and Ken Oman was also called into the action three minutes later to break up an attack.

A quick free-kick on 36 minutes saw Finn race into the box and his shot was deflected over the bar. Pedok then made a fine catch from Kelly's corner under pressure from Chris Turner.

With three minutes of the half remaining Alan Mannus was called on to make a fine punch to clear Minkenen's free-kick into the area. Ken Oman then blocked an effort on goal before Twigg dragged his shot across goal after a Rovers counter-attack.

Rovers dominated proceedings in the second half with Enda Stevens firing in a couple of decent crosses that Pedok had difficulty defending. Gary Twigg setup Finn to shoot across goal on 53 minutes and a minute later Kelly cut in from the left but shot just over.

Rovers continued to attack the Flora goal and on 58 minutes Pedok did just enough to cut out a Stevens cross before a Dennehy corner found Oman at the back psot but the home 'keeper got down well to save.

The home side were offering little in attack but Mannus had to be alert to claim Minkenen's free-kick on 67 minutes before Kelly had another shot on goal, this time jsut missing the target from 25 yards.

A good run by Turner almost setup Twigg in the box on 72 minutes and two minutes later the home side had their best chance of the game when Nikolai Mašitšev beat Sullivan for pace but couldn't find the target with his shot from the left-hand side of the box.

Turner then curled a shot just over the bar before Kelly forced another corner when Finn crossed low from Dennehy's pass. Stephen O'Donnell was introduced in the 83rd minute and he found Stevens to cross into the box for Kelly to send his header on goal but Pedok showed good reactions to make a fine save.

Dennehy then shot just over the bar as Rovers pressed for a deserved goal and when the Kerryman fired in a corner from the Rovers right it caused a scramble in the Flora goalmouth before the ball was cleared.

A late free-kick for the home side just outside the box on the right-hand side caused some anxious moments but Kams effort didn't trouble Mannus.

Rovers celebrated at the final whistle and Alan Mannus bade farwell to the Hoops fans before his impending departure to St Johnstone.