LARNE made it through to the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League with yet more penalty shoot-out heorics, this time away to Prishtina.
Just like in the last round, away to FK Auda, Larne managed to come from behind to seucre a draw after 120 minutes and prevail on penalties.
The home side took the lead after just 10 minutes when Xhelbrim Taipi fired them them in front. From their own goal kick, goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson was adjudged to have picked Ryan Nolan’s kick-off. Despite protests that Ferguson was repositioning the ball Cypriot referee Kyriakos Anthanasiou awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Larne six-yard box, having decided the ball was in play.
From the resulting free-kick, Hamdi Namani rolled the ball to Taipi and he curled it a precise effort into the top left corner, despite the efforts of virtually every Larne player on the line.
The hosts also went close twice in quick succession before the break but, just like in Latvia, Larne came out a different beast in the second half.
Mark Randall’s free-kick from the right wasn’t dealt with by goalkeeper Ardit Nika and the ball fell kindly to Dan Bent and the Gibraltar international fired a controlled effort into the top right corner.
Rohan Ferguson made a big save in stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes, denying Rin Ahmeti, after he had weaved his way into the box.
There was no further scoring in extra-time, however Paul O’Neill received a late red card for a flailing arm against Diar Halili.
Cricky Gallagher saw the opening penalty of the shoot-out saved, however Tiarnan O’Connor Dant Bent, Sean Graham, Rohan Ferguson and Aaron Donnelly all went on to score theirs.
It left Ferguson to be the hero again as he saved the decisive spot kick from Ramiz Bytyqi, to see the Invermen triumph 5-4 on penalties.
FC Prishtina: Nika, Vitja, Limani (100 Haili), Veliu (’83 Ndreca), Kryeziu (‘10 Illievski), Muja (’70 Ahmeti), Namani (’87 Salihu), Bytyqi, Boueye, Saletic, Taipi (’70 Baftiu)
Subs: Gjokaj, Kolaj, Zeqiri, Baftiu, Shillova, Ajdini
Larne: Ferguson, Donnelly, Gallagher, McKendry (’86 Magee), Randall, (’86 O’Connor) O’Neill, Graham, Nolan (‘HT Ridley), Cosgrove (‘109 Simpson), Sloan, Bent
Subs: Graham, Kee, Moore, Lusty, Devlin, Wallace
Referee: Kyriakos Anthanasiou (Cyprus)
