Own goal sends KuPS to Conference League again at expense of Shamrock Rovers

[p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kups-nLBbqJDS/shamrock-rovers-KIN6lmnH/?mid=Q3zDcxV6"]KuPS 1-0 Shamrock Rovers (2-1 on aggregate)[/a][/b][/p][p]A late leveller a week previously in Dublin from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parzyszek-piotr/8Kls3hfE/"]Piotr Parzyszek[/a] had swung the momentum in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kups/nLBbqJDS/"]KuPS[/a]' favour with the home leg to come, but the Finnish champions would not have it easy against the side with the highest UEFA coefficient in the Champions Path.[/p][p]That became apparent in a first half in which neither side could make a breakthrough, though the hosts did create the most shots on goal courtesy of Parzyszek and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pennanen-petteri/dGM43Ult/"]Petteri Pennanen[/a], even if they came together in a short spell just after the 30-minute mark.[/p][p]After the break, there were signs KuPS might be punished for their lack of cutting edge as the champions of Ireland began the second half the brighter, though shots on target remained at a premium, as only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greene-aaron/KxrPHQkQ/"]Aaron Greene[/a] forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kreidl-johannes/U5piqW3F/"]Johannes Kreidl[/a] into a save.[/p][embed guid="ca428fca-de33-468c-9d3a-732b1a1fd062" url="https://x.com/ShamrockRovers/status/2093019171885863303" social-type="twitter" /][p]But with 15 minutes to go, it was the home side who struck the decisive blow, even if they needed help from a Rovers head.[b] Amid a scramble inside the box in which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jyry-tommi/6BJCj58h/"]Tommi Jyry[/a] put the visitors under pressure, the ball ricocheted in off the head of Cape Verde hero Pico Lopes for an own goal.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shamrock-rovers/KIN6lmnH/"]Shamrock Rovers[/a] failed to carve out a late chance to equalise and instead it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moreno-jaime/SnTwttL9/"]Jaime Moreno[/a] who went close to a second for KuPS, but the Kuopio side had already done enough to return to the UECL League Phase and deny their opponents the same honour.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/conference-league/"]Follow all the UECL play-off matches on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]