Champions League 1st qualifying round, 2nd leg: Shamrock Rovers 5 (Grace 7, Watts 29, McGovern 48, Burke 61, Byrne 74) Floriana (Malta) 1 (Gudelj 13)A hero’s return for Pico Lopes and near certainty that Shamrock Rovers will reach the Uefa Conference League group stage for a third straight season.That is the sort of consistency their manager Stephen Bradley predicted at the start of the 2020s.Rovers were exceptional from start to finish, overturning a 2-0 deficit against the Maltese champions with John McGovern’s goal early in the second half opening the floodgates.The reward is a trip to Yerevan later this month to face Armenian champions Ararat.Lopes’ last game of football was the unforgettable World Cup round of 32 defeat to Argentina and Lionel Messi. On his return from America, he slotted back into the heart of the Rovers defence to put manners on lesser-known Argentinians in the Floriana ranks.Gastón Manuel Romano and Federico Varela barely got a kick as Bradley’s European veterans hit the Maltese for five goals.Everyone showed up, but Jack Byrne and Graham Burke were a cut above the standard of this Champions League first-round qualifier. Victory guarantees them a Conference League playoff in August.Rovers got straight down to business with a delicate touch by Adam Brennan indicating that Floriana’s right flank was an area to exploit.In fact, the Hoops attacked from all angles in a frenetic contest. Guilherme Cioletti denied McGovern early on before Lee Grace soared to head Jack Byrne’s resulting corner into the net.The perfect start, however, was erased inside 13 minutes when Tomislav Gudelj equalised.Rovers kept piling forward with early balls testing Floriana’s refusal to sit deep and defend their two-goal lead.Shamrock Rovers' Roberto Lopes signs a Cape Verde jersey. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho An overly prolonged VAR check, as Swedish referee Joakim Ostling eventually reversed a Rovers free-kick, prompted the crowd of 5,466 locals to chant: “You don’t know what you’re doing.”Nobody was paying attention to Spain knocking France out of the World Cup. And any concern that Uefa technology would overshadow this gorgeous summer’s evening in Tallaght was dismissed by Burke and Byrne both going close with spectacular efforts.The Republic of Ireland internationals would eventually come good, but it was Rovers’ aerial dominance that made the difference as Watts scored from Brennan’s cross in the 29th minute to make it 2-1.Byrne had another chance before the break that seemed destined for the top corner until Cioletti tipped the ball for another corner.By half-time, with Rovers trailing 3-2 on aggregate, it was confirmed that the loser’s opposition in the Conference League qualifier would be Drita from Kosovo.Bradley’s men were still gunning for a place in the next round of the Champions League against Ararat. And three minutes into the second half, McGovern levelled the tie after clever play by Burke and Dylan Watts.It would have been a rout by the hour mark only for Floriana’s Brazilian goalkeeper. Cioletti seemed unbeatable as he parried shots from McGovern and Byrne in rapid succession.Burke proved the point of difference. The number 10 never seems to be sprinting or jogging. He levitates above the grass. After poking the fourth goal to make it 4-3 on aggregate his gliding stride slowed to high five the ball girl.Not to be upstaged, Byrne readjusted his sights to whip a stunner into the Floriana nets with 16 minutes remaining.That allowed Bradley to run his bench as Michael Noonan and Naj Razi arrived to remind everyone about the coming generation.Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Grace, Lopes, O’Sullivan; Mulraney (Sobowale 65), Watts (Razi 77), O’Reilly-O’Sullivan, Byrne, Brennan; McGovern (Noonan 77), Burke (Afolabi 77). Floriana: Cioletti; Lonardelli, Spiteri, Kauan, Beerman; Muric (Dervisagic 52), Romano (Vella 64), Kurtalic, Varela; Jan, Gudelj (N’dri 71). Referee: Joakim Ostling (Sweden).