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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Paul O'Hehir

Stephen Bradley insists Shamrock Rovers have every chance of making group stages

Stephen Bradley insists Shamrock Rovers still have every chance of making the group stages.

But he was livid with his team’s shambolic defensive display in Estonia that handed Flora Tallinn a 4-2 first-leg advantage.

Bradley was particularly irate about the concession of the fourth goal which came two minutes after Liam Scales reduced the gap to 3-2 with an 86th minute header.

It significantly alters the landscape heading into next week’s decisive second-leg at Tallaght Stadium.

Hoops boss Bradley said: “We're definitely well capable of winning the tie, there's no doubt about that.

“We had this in Bratislava. It's half-time and we're two down but we know what we need to do to win the tie. We've been here before.

“But it was individual mistakes tonight and it's very, very rare for this team to give up goals like that and we gave up four. That's not good enough.

“We scored to make it 3-2 and you’re telling the players to be nice and calm and be relaxed. Take it back to Tallaght 3-2 and you’re really happy.

“But it’s another individual mistake that we give away. We’ve a good press on, we have them where we want them and Seán Hoare jumps out and allows the boy to turn him.

Flora's Martin Miller with Rory Gaffney of Rovers (©INPHO/Sander Ilvest)


“It’s very rare, but it happened and we got punished. It’s really, really frustrating because there were three or four minutes left and it’s 3-2.

“We made really bad mistakes, mistakes that I haven't seen this team make before. And they have to capitalise on those errors and they did to be fair.”

Bradley had warned in the build-up that Flora Tallinn would be the Hoops toughest test in Europe so far this season.

But while he acknowledged how ruthless they were putting away chances, he also couldn’t believe the leg up his own team gave them.

Bradley continued: “We gave away four terrible goals from our point of view and if you do that at any level, especially this level, you don't deserve to win the game

“We're not a team that concedes goals and especially not goals like that. It’s just not good enough from us.

“If you get outplayed or cut open by a team, sometimes you have to accept it and take it on the chin but tonight we gave away four really poor goals.”

Bradley denied that Lee Grace’s absence - for an unspecified knock - was a reason why the defence misfired as he hailed Hoare’s performance despite his late blunder.


“I think Sean Hoare's was one of the best performances from an Irish player in Europe. I thought he was outstanding,” continued Bradley.

“He made a mistake for the last goal but other than that I thought he was very, very good.

“There were other mistakes that we made leading up to the goal and it wasn't down that side, they were other individual mistakes.

“You talk about being open, but if you beat the first press you look open. The transition, we had to be good because that’s where they’re strong.

“That's where they wait for us. But the goals were individual errors.

“If it’s really good play from them, you have to accept it but I haven’t seen us defend like that in a long, long time.”

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