Santa Clara squander early lead to hand Shamrock Rovers 2-1 advantage in Conference League | OneFootball

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CD Santa Clara will be kicking themselves after missing out on a glorious opportunity to take a lead back to Ireland for the second leg of their European Conference League playoff tie. The Azores club will have to regroup after a disappointing defeat against a well-organized and physical Shamrock Rovers FC side at the Estádio de São Miguel. Santa Clara started as the stronger of the two teams, but failed to convert their early chances, allowing the Hoops to work their way back into this encounter. In the end, a second-half strike from Daniel Mândroiu turned out to be the difference between the two sides, with Shamrock Rovers walking away with a well-deserved 2-1 victory.

Santa Clara are yet to record a point in the Portuguese Primera Liga (they currently sit bottom of the table), but spirits were high going into Sunday’s match against Irish club Shamrock Rovers. It was a glorious day in Ponta Delgada, 24 degrees and sunny skies, as the two teams stepped out for this vital European clash. After overcoming Northern Irish club Larna FC in the previous round, Vasco Matos opted for a changed lineup, with the Portuguese manager leaving striker Wendel Silva and defender Matheus Pereira out of the starting 11. The move, however, backfired as his Santa Clara side were left frustrated and struggled to keep up with the Irish team's intensity and aggression in the second half.

Vinicius and Grant score in entertaining first half

It was a promising start from Vasco Matos' team. Santa Clara's front three kept the pressure on Rovers' keeper Edward McGinty early on. Gabriel Silva had the first big opportunity in the 6th minute, missing an early chance from inside the penalty box. The 23-year-old Brazilian striker may have been offside, but it was a signal of intent from the home side. Silva saw another long-range effort sail wide in the 10th minute, and it looked like Santa Clara were the more likely to break through.

The Portuguese club were finally able to put the ball in the net in the 20th minute. The move started with a beautiful long ball from right back Sidney Lima, who was able to find Paulo Victor. The winger controlled the ball and cut it back to Silva, whose shot was well saved by McGinty. Vinicius was on hand to pounce on the rebound, heading home from close distance to give the home side the advantage.

Rory Gaffney, Shamrock's danger man, had been kept relatively quiet in the first half, and Santa Clara looked to be in control. Things seemed to be on the up for the Azoreans, and it may have been different story if they could've gone into the half with a lead.

Instead, their defense was unable to sustain the continuous pressure from the visitors. Shamrock Rovers battled their way back into this tie, showing composure and free-flowing football in the Santa Clara half. They were rewarded for their bravery in the 43rd minute when some brilliant work down the right wing saw the ball fall to Daniel Grant. The midfielder still had a long way to go, but glided through three defenders and was able to rocket a low shot into the right side of the goal that beat Gabriel Batista. The goal came as a bit of a shock for the Azores club, who failed to recover from the devastating blow just before half-time.

Mândroiu's second-half strike gives Rovers the edge

Santa Clara returned in the second-half with an unchanged side, and while they huffed and puffed to regain the lead, the fluidity and chemistry that saw them finish fifth in the league last seeason just wasn't there. They failed to put together any threatening chances early on, and the Irish club were able to hold back their opponents.

Matos could see that his team was lacking something and decided to bring on Wendel and Miguel Pires in the 62nd minute in the hopes of bringing some life back into this side. Unfortunately, the changes failed to yield the desired result, with Shamrock stealing a second goal to take the lead for the first time in this tie. This time, it was Daniel Mândroiu who found himself in the right place at the right time. A free kick from the visitors led to a dangerous header into the box, which was latched onto by Mândroiu who calmly placed the ball in the right corner.

Santa Clara push for late equaliser

A game that started so promisingly for the home side had suddenly turned into a war of attrition, with the home side looking to hang on and keep themselves in the tie. With only 20 minutes remaining, Santa Clara went in search of an equalising goal, with two shots that went wide in the 70th and 72nd minutes. They earned a free kick in a dangerous position in the 75th minute, but failed to test the keeper.  In the end, The Rovers' defence held firm, securing a vital 2-1 victory to take back to South Dublin.

Matos has done an extraordinary job of elevating Santa Clara to heights they could previously only dream of. The 44-year-old now faces arguably the biggest challenge of his career. Santa Clara's dream run is not yet over, but the Portuguese side have 90 minutes to turn things around, and will need to be at their best as they aim to overcome a 2-1 deficit in Ireland on August 28.

Santa Clara: Gabriel Batista, Diogo Calila, Luis Rocha, Sidney Lima, Matheus Nunes Fagundes de Araújo, Adriano Firmino, Paulo Victor, Serginho, Vinicius Lopes, Gabriel Silva, João Costa