Invermen drop into Conference League after RFS defeat

Jul 18, 2024 | All News

Larne bowed out of the Champions League qualifiers after a 4-0 defeat against RFS at Inver Park.

Coupled with the result in Riga a week ago, it means the Invermen suffered a 7-0 defeat on aggregate and will now move into the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, to be played next month.

Larne made a bright start to the second leg at Inver Park, with Andy Ryan firing just over on five minutes. However RFS took control late in the half with Emerson finishing superbly on 38 minutes.

Darko Lemajic then picked up a loose pass in the Larne penalty area a minute before half-time to slot past a stranded Rohan Ferguson.

Then, in first half stoppage time, Janis Ikaunieks added a third goal when he picked the ball up 30 yards before driving into space before unleashing an fierce into the roof of the net from 25 yards.

The goalscoring was rounded off on 56 minutes as Ismael Diomande won the race for a loose ball ahead fo Cian Bolger and Rohan Ferguson to roll the ball home from 12 yards out.

Larne will now be in Monday’s 3rd qualifying round draw for the Conference League, with the first leg due to take place on Thursday 8th August.

Larne: Ferguson, Cosgrove, S Graham (’77 Altintop), Bolger, Donnelly, Ives, Gallagher (’73 O’Neill), Randall (’60 Randall), McKendry (’73 Thomson), Lusty (’60 Bonis), Ryan

Subs: D Graham, Brown, Glynn, Devlin

RFS: Ondoa, Balodis, Diomande, Ikaunieks (60’ Kouadio), Emerson (’60 Odisharia), Lemajic (’60 Kigurs), Prenga, Mares (’73 Ndjiki), Panic, Marhiev (’46 Njie), Lipuscek

Subs: Steinbors, Vilbovs, Savalnieks , Zelenkovs, Cucurs, Savic, Zaleiko

Referee: Gustavo Correia (Portugal)

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