LARNE bowed out of the UEFA Champions League at the Rajko Mitić Stadium with a 5-0 defeat to Serbian Champions Red Star Belgrade.
The Invermen put up a brave effort in front of just over 26,000 fans but the quality of the home side shone through in the end, as they scored at the beginning and end of the first half, before adding three more unanswered goals in the second half.
It meant Dejan Stankovic’s men ran out 9-0 winners overall on aggregate to progress to the third round, while Larne’s European adventure continues in the Europa League.
The Invermen endured the worst possible start as they fell behind with less than two minutes on the clock, however.
A partially cleared ball as returned to the Larne penalty box and with Aaron Donnelly not getting out as quickly as his fellow defenders it allowed home skipper Aleksandar Katai a clear run through on goal and he slotted past the stranded Rohan Ferguson.
Despite claims from Larne and a VAR check the goal stood as the Serbian side quickly got into their stride and picked up where they left off from a week ago at Inver Park.
They came close to doubling their lead 10 minutes later when Youngwoo Seol crossed to the back post, but former West Ham man Arnautovic couldn’t keep his header under the crossbar.
Red Star continued to press for more goals and they came close to doubling their tally twice in the space of two minutes.
With half an hour on the clock Cypriot winger Loizos Loizou had the ball in the net after a superb curling effort from inside the box, but the flag was up immediately after the frontman had picked the ball up in an offside position.
Larne then had Scottish goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson to thank for keeping them in it when he saved from Marko Arnautovic’s header, before showing superb reflexes to keep out Loizou’s follow-up from a tight angle.
Just when it looked like Larne had got to the break just a goal behind, they conceded with the last kick of the half. Once again there was a tight offside call, but Arnautovic got on the end of a long ball forward and rifled it into the roof of the net.
The third followed four minutes into the second half as Red Star capitalised on a defensive error.
Rohan Ferguson tried to find a teammate with a pass inside the box, but it was intercepted by the lively Loizou, who ruthlessly punished the mistake by slotting home from 10 yards.
There was little respite as three became 4-0 on the hour mark. Sean Graham was tempted out of this left back slot which allowed South Korean international Youngwoo Seol to run uncontested into the box and lay it on a plate for Arnautovic to tap home.
The fifth and final goal of the night arrived 12 minutes from time as another ball over the top caught Larne out. This time the home side found substitute Osman Bukari on the right flank and he managed to twist and turn his way into space before finding the roof of the net.
Larne: Ferguson: Ridley, Donnelly, Gallagher, S Graham (’79 Gibson), Doherty (’60 Simpson), McEneff (’60 Wallace), Cosgrove, Sloan (’70 McKendry), Bent, O’Hara (HT O’Neill)
Subs: D Graham, Ukek, Magee, Lusty
Crvena Zvezda: Magalhaes, Seol (’70 Stankovic), Tebo Uchenna, Veljkovic, Strika (’63 Tiknizyan), Loizou (’63 Bukari), Abu Fani (’77 Ivanic), Krunic (’63 Elsnik), Katai, Cham, Arnautovic
Subs: Gutesa, Balov, Enem, Duarte, Erakovic, Gudelj, Saric
Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaijan)
