Blues, Crues and Derry all beaten 2-0 in Europe

Linfield, Crusaders and Derry City each suffered 2-0 defeats successful nan distant first legs of their Uefa Conference League First Qualifying Round ties.

Emi Atlason put Icelandic broadside Stjarnan 1-0 up aft 22 minutes and aft Linfield's Chris Shields wasted a glorious chance to equalise arsenic his punishment deed nan crossbar, Atlason doubled nan location side's lead pinch a deflected correction connected nan hr mark.

Crusaders were beaten by European debutants, Welsh nine Caernarfon Town arsenic Morgan Owen and Zack Clarke deed first-half goals.

Derry, meanwhile, were defeated successful Gibraltar arsenic second-half goals from Ash Taylor Francisco Zuniga earned nan Magpies victory.

Following a quiet opening successful Reykjavik, location broadside Stjarnan took nan lead arsenic Atlason coiled location a beauty of a free-kick aft Linfield defender Scot Whiteside was cautioned for a foul conscionable extracurricular nan punishment area.

The Blues spurned a glorious chance to equalise connected 27 minutes erstwhile they were awarded a punishment aft Kyle McClean was brought down by Kjartansson wrong nan area.

Shields fired his spot footwear consecutive up nan mediate but it collapsed backmost disconnected nan underside of nan crossbar earlier being cleared.

The location broadside doubled their lead connected nan hr mark, again from a free kick, this clip wrong nan ‘D’ of nan punishment area.

Atlason’s first effort was blocked by nan wall but his left-footed follow-up changeable deflected disconnected a Linfield subordinate to wholly wrong-foot Chris Johns and nestle successful nan net.

Linfield came adjacent to pulling a extremity backmost when, pursuing a short corner, Kirk Millar’s in-swinging cross-shot was headed disconnected nan statement by nan alert Orvar Eggertsson.

Despite nan two-goal deficit, Linfield will consciousness they still person an opportunity to move nan necktie astir successful adjacent week’s 2nd limb astatine Windsor Park.

Caernarfon Town made a dream commencement to their first European necktie by taking nan lead aft conscionable 4 minutes against Crusaders erstwhile nan unmarked Owen’s onslaught from extracurricular nan container coiled complete an outstretched Jonny Tuffey and into nan apical of nan net.

Crusaders struggled to trial location keeper Stephen McMullan pinch Daniel Larmour’s header making nan ex-Warrenpoint custodian nutrient his only prevention of nan first half.

Caernarfon doubled their lead connected nan 37th infinitesimal erstwhile Darren Thomas’s meticulous walk fell to Clarke, who outpaced his marker and fired past nan advancing Tuffey.

The distant broadside enjoyed much of nan possession successful nan 2nd half pinch Gruff John having to make a immense clearance disconnected nan statement to extremity Philip Lowry’s header from halving nan Cymru Premier side’s advantage earlier besides clearing nan rebound

In nan 85th infinitesimal Crusaders were awarded a free-kick conscionable extracurricular nan box, but substitute Stewart Nixon couldn’t steer his resulting effort connected target.

Former leader Stephen Baxter was officially successful complaint owed to Declan Caddell not holding nan required licence but nan caller leader was successful effective complaint successful nan dugout for past season's Irish Premiership European play-off winners.

In Gibraltar, Derry started nan brighter of nan 2 sides and showed their intentions aft only 5 minutes erstwhile Adam O'Reilly unloaded a rocket from 25-yards that collapsed disconnected nan Magpies crossbar.

Magpies' first effort came connected 15 minutes, by measurement of Jack Storer. The midfielder drove from guardant earlier unloading a thunderous debased effort that had Derry keeper Brian Maher scrambling to his right. But luckily for him, nan changeable whizzed conscionable wide.

Daniel Kelly almost had an early contender for extremity of nan play aft beating 3 defenders connected his measurement to nan box, but his changeable was blocked by Magpies keeper Dayle Coleing and that's nan measurement it stayed astatine nan interval.

Just 4 minutes aft nan restart fans were treated to nan opening extremity and it went nan measurement of nan hosts. A area from Jean Garcia was met astatine nan backmost station by Taylor, who collapsed a header into nan tile of nan nett from 8 yards.

Just arsenic Derry pushed for an equaliser, they conceded a 2nd connected 82 minutes. Garcia again delivered an fantabulous transverse and Zuniga roseate unopposed astatine nan backmost station to caput into nan bottom-right manus area to dash City's hopes.

That's nan measurement it vanished and Derry person it each to do successful nan return limb astatine nan Brandywell successful 7 days time.