{"id":25325,"date":"2023-07-25T22:49:08","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T22:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/europa-conference-league-larne-face-uphill-task-after-3-0-first-leg-defeat-by-ballkani-in-kosovo\/"},"modified":"2023-07-25T22:49:09","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T22:49:09","slug":"europa-conference-league-larne-face-uphill-task-after-3-0-first-leg-defeat-by-ballkani-in-kosovo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/europa-conference-league-larne-face-uphill-task-after-3-0-first-leg-defeat-by-ballkani-in-kosovo\/","title":{"rendered":"Europa Conference League: Larne face uphill task after 3-0 first leg defeat by Ballkani in Kosovo"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Larne’s Andy Ryan in action during the first half of his side’s defeat by Ballkani in Pristina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Larne face a difficult task to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg of their Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie against Ballkani.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The second leg will be played at Solitude on Thursday 3 August.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A 25th-minute penalty from Albion Rrahmani had Kosovo’s champions ahead in Pristina and Almir Kryeziu fired home his side’s second on 33 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The impressive Nazmi Gripshi completed a convincing win by finding the top corner midway through the second half.<\/span><\/p>\n

Larne went into the tie on the back of last week’s disappointing <\/span>3-2 aggregate defeat<\/span><\/a> after extra time at the hands of Finnish side HJK Helsinki in the first qualifying round of the Champions League.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ballkani lost 4-2 over two legs to Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets in the same competition despite winning their home fixture 2-0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday’s game at the Fadil Vokkri Stadium was played in temperatures close to 30C and Larne found themselves under pressure for the entire first half.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hosts dominated possession, playing fast free-flowing football, and visiting goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson was forced into a fifth-minute save when he pushed away an effort from Nazmi Gripshi, with a penalty appeal for a subsequent challenge in the area being turned down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Larne then failed to deal adequately with a low cross from the right, which was only half-cleared, Ferguson again being called upon to palm away a blistering shot from the in-rushing Gripshi.<\/span><\/p>\n

The home side were awarded a penalty in the 25th minute when the lively Gripshi was brought down by a sliding challenge from Craig Farquhar, who started the game in place of the injured Cian Bolger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rrahmani made no mistake from the spot, firing confidently into the bottom left-hand corner of the net despite the despairing dive of Ferguson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ballkani earned further reward for their superiority when Gripshi provided the killer through ball into the path of Kryeziu, the winger taking a good first touch and dispatching a drive past the advancing Ferguson.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Goalmouth action from the first leg of the Europa Conference League tie in Pristina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second half began in much the same fashion as the first and Gripshi had a ‘goal’ chalked off for offside in the early stages in what looked to be a marginal call by the referee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after Ferguson again distinguished himself as he superbly turned Meriton Korenica’s curling effort around the post.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midway through the second period, Ballkani netted their third through the seemingly ever-present Gripshi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rrahmani burst clear of the Larne defence before unselfishly squaring into the path of the scorer, who rifled his drive into the top corner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gibraltarian side Lincoln Red Imps await the winners of the tie in the third qualifying round.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Line-ups<\/h2>\n
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Ballkani<\/h3>\n