Shamrock Rovers could not hold on to their 1-0 advantage from victory in Norway
Shamrock Rovers' European run came to an end at Tallaght Stadium as Molde prevailed 5-4 on penalties in the play-off round of the Uefa Conference League.
Aaron Greene, hitting Rovers' third penalty, was the only player to miss from the spot in the shootout after Molde had survived the entirety of extra time with 10-men following Isak Amundsen's red card.
Magnus Wolff Eikrem scored the only goal of the game for the visitors to Dublin with the tie finishing 1-1 on aggregate.
Rovers had carried a single-goal advantage into the second leg after 16-year-old Michael Noonan hit the winner in Norway last week.
Their lead was cancelled out in the 10th minute after a horrible mix up in the hosts' defence.
A hopeful delivery over the top was allowed to bounce and, after hesitation between Lee Grace and keeper Ed McGinty, the breaking ball fell for Wolff Eikrem who slotted into the empty net from the edge of the box.
Noonan looked to take advantage of similar confusion in the Molde ranks soon after but, although he beat Jacob Karlstrom to the loose ball, there was no Rovers team-mate on hand to turn his cross into the unoccupied goal.
Wolff Eikrem, the former Cardiff City attacker who spent his youth career at Manchester United, was the first-half's most influential player and his superb through ball set Fredrik Gulbrandsen through on goal but this time McGinty was alert and rushed out to make the save.
Molde were on top but were nearly undone on the counter when Graham Burke slid the ball through to Aaron McEneff, who beat the keeper but saw his effort cleared off the line by Martin Linnes.
Rovers wanted a penalty after Karlstrom followed through on McEneff but the VAR check did not go in their favour.
With the hosts settling into the game and Burke becoming more prominent, the former Republic of Ireland international got his side in behind again but his centred ball was inches beyond Noonan.
Shamrock Rovers claimed for a first-half penalty when Jordan McEneff was upended in the box
Playing with the strong wind at their backs in the second half, the Dubliners were slow out of the traps after the restart.
There was a quarter of an hour gone before they created their first real chance of the half when McEneff's floated ball found Burke at the back post but his dipping effort was deflected behind for a corner.
From the hour mark onwards, however, Rovers were on top without forcing Karlstrom into many meaningful saves. Burke did see the Norwegian keeper palm one effort away, but extra time long felt the most likely outcome.
Molde would play the additional 30 minutes with 10 men after Amundsen was shown a second yellow in injury time for a cynical foul on McEneff.
Extra time would follow the same pattern as the latter stages of the second half with the hosts enjoying plenty of possession without creating clear openings.
Indeed, it was Molde substitute Daniel Daga who on a rare break forward for the 10 men came closest to finding a winner before penalties.
In the shootout, Karlstrom got down to his left to save Greene's tame effort and Ed McGinty could not get close to an exemplary set of Molde spot-kicks.
The last-16 draw, which takes place on Friday, will decide whether the Norwegian side face Legia Warsaw or Cercle Brugge next month.
