There will be no repeat of last year’s European adventure for Shamrock Rovers as they bowed tamely out of the Champions League at the first hurdle in Lithuania last night.

Unbeaten at home in their previous five European games, and buoyed by their 0-0 draw at Tallaght in the first leg, Ekranas started much the better and should have been ahead on 21 minutes, but for a superb save from Oscar Jansson from Vytautas Luksa.

Rovers slowly worked their way into the game without seriously threatening the Ekranas goal.

And then, just went Rovers looked their most comfortable in the match, Ekranas scored with virtually the last kick of the first half.

Giedrius Tomkevicius initially won a free kick in a tussle with Billy Dennehy on the right. The ball was played into the area and back to Tomkevicius whose cross was met by Marko Andelkovic with a glancing header to the net.

Rovers had more of the ball from the resumption but failed to create much as Ekranas should have gone 2-0 up on 54 minutes on the counterattack.

Urdnov put Aurimas Vertelis away on the left to cross for Zilvinas Kymantas who shot weakly at Jansson.

But Kymantas made no mistake to put the tie to bed on 63 minutes. Allowed to run past three defenders without a tackle going in, Kymantas then drilled a shot to the corner of the net from 20 yards.

But for Jansson it could have been an embarrassment as the young Swede made further excellent saves to depriveVytautas Luksa, substitute Uchenna Umeh and Egidijus Varnas.

McCabe threw Rovers a late lifeline when scoring from a 92nd minute penalty following a handball. But it was never enough.