Shelbourne Secure First Point as Shamrock Rovers Fall to Heavy Defeat in Conference League Openers

Shelbourne began their Conference League campaign with a valuable point, holding Swedish side Hacken to a goalless draw at Tallaght Stadium.

Joey O’Brien’s side defended resolutely throughout as the visitors pressed for victory. Shelbourne thought they had taken the lead when Mipo Odubeko found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. In the end, both teams were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in their opening group fixture.

It was a far tougher night for Shamrock Rovers, who suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Sparta Prague. The Czech champions asserted their dominance early on, scoring twice in the closing stages of the first half before adding a third shortly after the interval.

Rovers substitute Danny Mandroiu pulled one back to provide a brief glimmer of hope, but as the visitors pushed forward in search of a second, Sparta struck again on the counter in the final minute to seal a comprehensive victory.