Larne through in Conference League on penalties

Yahoo

3 days ago

UEFA Conference League
Prishtina (1) 1 - 1 (1) Larne AET (4 - 5)
Larne reached the third round of qualifying for the Uefa Conference League with a 5-4 win on penalties over Prishtina.
After a goalless draw in the first leg, Gjelbrim Taipi gave the hosts the perfect start with the 10th-minute opener in Kosovo.
However, Dan Bent's equaliser took the game to extra time, and Larne held on for penalties despite Paul O'Neill's late red card.
Chris Gallagher and Dorde Saletic both missed early kicks in the shootout, but Ramiz Bytyqi saw his penalty saved by Rohan Ferguson in sudden death to send Larne through.
After shootout success for the second round in a row, Nathan Rooney's side will face Portuguese side Santa Clara in the third round of qualifying as they look to replicate last year's run to the League stage.
Larne fell behind in this tie in bizarre circumstances. Having been given a goal kick, Ryan Nolan rolled the ball with his studs to Ferguson who picked it up and, despite the Larne protests that the ball was not yet live, an indirect free-kick was given to the hosts.
On the six-yard line, the ball was tapped to Taipi who smashed into the top corner despite a red wall on the goalline.
Rooney's side were struggling to create clear-cut opportunities. Conor McKendry fired wide from the edge of the box, before the visitors survived a penalty scare when Ardian Muja went down under a challenge from Sean Graham.
Arsim Thaqi's side should have gone two up just before the break when Nolan was pickpocketed by Valmir Veliu who squared to an unmarked Leotrim Kryeziu.
However, Ferguson atoned for his earlier mishap by smothering the effort before he was almost beaten directly from the corner when Muja's delivery came back off the inside of the post and into his grateful grasp.
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After being on the back foot for much of the first half, the Inver Reds kicked it up a gear after the break and were level 10 minutes in through Bent's first goal for the club.
The Gibraltar international was the grateful recipient of Ardit Nika's weak punch and he fired into the empty net with the goalkeeper still on the ground.
The rest of the second period was a game of attrition as both sides pushed for an equaliser but Ferguson came to the fore again when substitute Rin Ahmeti produced a wonderful bit of skill to leave the goal at his mercy.
Larne were dealt a late blow in extra time when O'Neill was given a straight red card for a swinging arm on Diar Halili with three minutes remaining.
They held on to take the game to penalties, but Gallagher's opening effort was saved.
Aaron Donnelly netted to pile the pressure on the hosts in sudden death and Bytyqi's kick was saved by Ferguson.
It was a second shootout win in a row for Larne, who defeated FK Auda on penalties in the opening round.
They also beat Ballkani on penalties in the third round last season on their way to becoming the first Irish Premiership club to reach the league or group stage of European competition.