Linfield & Derry City suffer agonising European defeats

Irish Premiership broadside Linfield and League of Ireland Premier Division nine Derry City person some collapsed retired of nan Europa Conference League astatine nan first qualifying information stage.

Derry defeated part-time Gibraltar outfit Magpies 2-1 aft extra-time successful their 2nd limb astatine nan Brandywell but went down 3-2 connected aggregate.

Mark Connolly's header put nan Candystripes successful beforehand but nan location broadside had Adam O'Reilly red-carded for a 2nd bookable offence connected nan changeable of half-time.

Pat Hoban's onslaught made it 2-0 connected nan evening and 2-2 connected aggregate but Evan De Haro's extremity successful nan 2nd play of extra-time saw Magpies beforehand to a two-legged gathering pinch FC Copenhagen.

Linfield suffered precocious heartache arsenic an 88th-minute extremity by Hilmar Haldrorsson proved capable to springiness Stjarnan a 4-3 aggregate triumph complete nan Irish Premiership broadside astatine Windsor Park.

Gudmundur Kristjansson's seventh-minute ain extremity put nan Blues ahead, earlier Emil Atlason nodded location nan leveller connected 57.

Substitute Matthew Orr restored nan hosts' lead and Matthew Fitzpatrick's extremity extended Linfield's lead to 3-1 connected nan nighttime but Haldorsson's precocious extremity proved decisive arsenic nan Icelandic broadside progressed to look Estonian outfit Paide Linnameeskond successful nan 2nd qualifying round.

Linfield had Chris Shields sent-off successful nan dying moments.

Linfield made a dream commencement erstwhile Joel Cooper swung successful a left-footed transverse from nan correct and Stjarnan skipper Kristjansson misjudged his clearing header pinch nan shot skimming of nan apical of his caput and flashing into his ain net.

Linfield should person doubled their advantage connected 23 minutes erstwhile Chris Shields’ agelong done shot sent Chris McKee clear connected goal. The striker took his changeable early and attempted to curl his effort astir nan keeper but put it wide of nan acold post.

At nan different end, Sam Roscoe produced a captious goal-saving artifact to contradict a Robert Thorkelsson changeable wrong nan punishment area.

The visitors drew level connected nan nighttime erstwhile Atlason stooped excessively motion location Thorkelsson’s area from adjacent range.

Chris Johns produced a captious point-blank prevention to contradict Thorkelsson earlier Linfield regained nan lead connected 70 minutes erstwhile Kirk Millar’s left-footed transverse was met pinch a glancing header by debutant defender Orr.

Six minutes later nan necktie was level connected aggregate arsenic Fitzpatrick swivelled to occurrence location an angled changeable wrong nan punishment area.

But disaster struck for nan Irish League broadside pinch 2 minutes near erstwhile Hakur Brink’s debased transverse was converted by nan in-rushing Halldorsson, pinch Johns incapable to support nan effort out.

Linfield had Shields shown a consecutive reddish paper for halting a Stjarnan counter-attack successful wounded time, chopping down Hakur Brink and it’s nan Icelandic broadside who spell connected to look Estonian opponents, who hit Welsh broadside Bala Town aft extra-time.

After a disappointing first limb successful Gibraltar past week, Derry began brightly and apical scorer Hoban met nan returning Michael Duffy’s transverse from nan near but couldn’t support his header down.

The hosts stayed connected apical without doing capable to trial erstwhile Glentoran keeper Dayle Coleing successful nan Magpies' extremity and connected 25 minutes they were astir caught retired against nan tally of play. Kevagn Ronco dug retired a transverse from nan correct that was glanced connected by Javi Forjan and struck nan extracurricular of Brian Maher’s adjacent post.

Hoban had nan shot successful nan nett connected nan half hr people pinch a trademark header which he collapsed successful disconnected nan wrong of nan station but Andorran charismatic Antoine Chiaramonti ruled it retired for an evident foul by Galway-born striker connected Ruben Diaz.

The Candystripes kept plugging distant and yet sewage nan extremity connected 38 minutes erstwhile Connolly roseate to meet Duffy’s area and buried it into nan bottommost corner.

However, correct connected half-time City were reduced to 10 erstwhile O’Reilly, picked up a 2nd yellowish for a dive aft going down successful nan container nether a situation from Jean-Carlos Garcia.

O’Reilly was adamant he was clipped but nan referee disagreed and his dismissal meant Ruaidhri Higgins’ broadside would person to play nan 2nd half a man down.

Derry did not travel retired successful nan 2nd half for illustration a squad down a man arsenic they instantly went connected nan attack. McMullan had an effort from a constrictive perspective saved aft little than a infinitesimal while Hoban couldn’t use nan decorativeness to his cutback.

The unit paid disconnected conscionable earlier nan hr people from different area erstwhile Hoban met Ben Doherty’s delivery. His first header was blocked connected nan statement by his team-mate Will Patching but nan Derry number 9 reacted fastest to hide nan rebound.

Derry kept pushing but almost were caught retired erstwhile Olatunde Bayode rounded Maher and his transverse recovered Eduardo Salles but nan Brazilian blazed complete from six yards. McMullan besides missed a precocious chance to seal nan comeback truthful extra-time was needed to abstracted nan sides.

Out of obscurity successful nan 111th minute, Juanje’s 30-yard effort came crashing disconnected nan barroom and De Haro was quicker than nan location defence to respond and buried nan rebound past Brian Maher.

Will Patching had an overhead footwear headed disconnected nan statement but Derry were incapable to find a leveller which would person taken nan crippled to punishment kicks.