Europa Conference League play-off, second leg: Linfield 1 RFS Latvia 1 (aet, Agg 3-3, RFS won 4-2 on pens)
IT was Europa Conference League heartbreak for David Healy’s Linfiled at Windsor Park last night.
The Danske Bank Premiership champions were within seconds of booking their place in the group stages and writing their own little piece of history by becoming the first Irish League to qualify in any European tournament.
Kyle McClean shot them into the lead in extra-time and it was a lead they held until seconds from the final whistle when defender Jimmy Callacher smashed the ball into his own net, sending it to a penalty shootout.
Matty Clarke and Ethan Devin missed the opening two for the Blues and, although Eetu Vertainen and Kyle McClean netted, it was the Latvians who qualified for the groups stages – pocketing a cool £3m - with strikes from Kevin Friesenbichler, Andrej Ilic, Petr Mares and Stefan Panic.
Healy was forced into altering his line-up due to Joel Cooper’s suspension. He was replaced by skipper Jamie Mulgrew.
It was the Blues who made all the early running, looking to get an edge to ease the nerves of the big home crowd.
They almost broke the deadlock on six minutes. Striker Robbie McDaid managed to get a head to Chris Shields cross from the right, only for goalkeeper Pavels Steinbors to get down to save.
The visitors retaliated with dangerman Emerson trying his luck from distance only to see his shot blocked by defender Ben Hall.
Linfield, patient and neat in their build-up, tore the home defence to shreds with Kirk Millar sent Stephen Fallon racing into the box. The midfielder looped in a great cross, but there were no takers in the middle and RFS skipper Petr Mares cleared the danger.
But the Blues missed the best chance of the half on 15 minutes. Millar produced a brilliantly delivery from the left which picked out the unmarked Sam Roscoe, whose downward header came off the legs of Steinbors.
It was all Linfield at this stage and they threatened again on 21 minutes. Millar once again whipped in a teasing delivery which was met by McDaid, but his little flicked header fizzed up over the top.
The same two players combined again seconds later. Millar with the cross, McDaid with the header, but Steinbors got down at the base of the post to save.
Millar was again in the thick of the action just after the half hour when his cross appeared to come off the arm of Alfusainey Jatta inside the box, but Slovenian referee Matej Jug wasn’t interested.
Healy made a switch during the half-time break. Defender Callacher was brought in for his first game of the season – he had an operation over the summer – in place of the injured Ben Hall.
Callacher almost made an instant impact. He joined his forwards on 49 miutes, getting up high to meet a Millar free kick only to see his header loop just over the crossbar.
Seconds later, Kyle McClean drilled in a cross from the right, aimed for Millar, but defender Vitaljs Jagodinskis managed to smuggle the ball to safety
McDaid then missed an absolute sitter on 56 minutes. The former Glentoran man picked the pocket of Jagodinskis and, with only Steinbors to beat, he could still couldn’t find the net, shooting against the body of the goalkeeper.
But the Blues were let off the hook on 62 minutes. Andrej Ilic played a brillant defence-splitting pass through the middle which was gobbled up by Emerson and, after racing clear, he attempted to curl a low shot around Johns, who produced a fabulous save.
As the clock ticked down, the Blues had another half-hearted appeal for a spot kick when Millar’s cross came off the arm of substitute Elvis Stuglis, but again the referee wasn’t convinced.
Again, the home team were right out of luck with seven minutes remaining. Chris Shields took a quick free kick to Millar, who picked out substitute Ethan Devine and his header looked destined for the bottom corner until Steinbors catapulted across his line to save at the base of the post.
The Blues came within inches of taking the lead on 87 minutes when Millar’s cross was headed back across goal by Devine for Eetu Vertainen, whose header was somehow scrambled off the line by Steinbors and Stuglis.
Then, right on the final whistle, Callacher held his head in his hands after seeing his header crash against the base of the post following a McClean cross.
Amazingly, the theme continued in extra-time. After only two minutes Devine crossed for Vertainen with the goal at his mercy but he totally fluffed his lines.
But Johns was then called into action, producing a great save to deny Stefan Panic, who curled one in from 20 yards.
Linfield got the goal they craved on 104 minutes. Of course, it came from a Millar cross that was pawed away by Steinbors to McClean, who buried a low shot into the empty net.
But the game swung in a dramatic 40 seconds when substitute Cammy Palmer missed a glorious chance to make the game save for the Blues before RFS went to the other end and Kevin Freiesenbichler’s cross as smashed into his own net by Callacher.
And, so to penalties and the heartbreak of defeat.
LINFIELD: Johns, Finlayson, Roscoe, Hall (Callacher 46), Shields (Quinn 117), Mulgrew (Vertainen 72), Millar (Stewart 105), McClean, Fallon (Palmer 100), M Clarke, McDaid (Devine 72).
Subs not used: Walsh, Williamson, Newberry, McKee, A Clarke, Archer.
RFS: Steinbors, Sorokins (Vlalukin 66, Rakels 106)), Jagodinskis, Lipuscek, Mares, Jatta, Panic, Simkovic (Friesenbichler 60), Zjuzins (Stuglis 78), Emerson, Ilic.
Subs not used: Cerniauskas, Nerugals, Maksimenko, Kouadio, Ferreira, Zaleiko.
REFEREE: Matej Jug (Slovenia).
