It was another night of European heartbreak for David Healy’s Linfield at Windsor Park.
The Blues were dumped out of the UEFA Conference League by Icelandic side Stjarnan, beaten 4-3 on aggregate over the two legs – but the Blues certainly went down fighting.
Most of the damage was done in a disappointing first leg showing in Reykjavik last week when the Healy’s men were dismantled by a double blast from Email Atlason.
It meant Linfield had it all to do in front of home fans – it proved to be a bridge too far, just as Larne and Crusaders found out 24 hour earlier.
It was a goal two minutes from time from Stjarnan substitute Helgi Ingason that did the damage. Linfield looked like taking the game to extra-time, leading through an own goal from Gudmundur Kristjansson, and strikes from substitute Matthew Orr, who was making his debut, and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Atlason had pulled one back for the visitors after the break, but it was Ingason who really turned the knife, scoring so late on. Stjarnan will now face Estonian side Linnameeskond in the second round of the tournament on.
Linfield’s night of misery was complete just before the final whistle when skipper Chris Shields was dismissed for a four on substitute Jaukur Brink.
There have been many iconic European nights at the international venue, and this looked likely to be another. Backed by the home crowd, Healy wanting his team to produce a rousing showing – and they didn’t let him down.
Former Northern Ireland striker Healy made one change to the team that lost in Iceland, adopting a positive approach by bringing in striker Matthew Fitzpatrick for midfield Cammy Ballantyne.
The game got off to an explosive start with the Blues forging ahead after only seven minutes. The enigmatic Joel Cooper, making his 200th appearance, popped up on the right wing and drilled in a dangerous cross that ricocheted off the head of Kristjansson and into the corner of the net – the skipper held his head in his hands as the international venue erupted.
It was just the start Healy craved. But within seconds Stjarnan almost retaliated with Orvar Eggertsson picking out Oli Valur Omarsson, whose low shot was saved by Chris Johns.
Linfield, dangerous on the break, almost added a second on 10 minutes. Cooper this time mesmerised the Icelandic defence on the left before producing a low cross that Fitzpatrick was only inches away from converting with his outstretched boot.
The Blues went looking for a second with Kirk Millar’s corner kick being nervously hoofed over his own crossbar by Orvar Logi Orvarsson before another cross to the back post by the Linfield midfielder looked destined to find Fitzgerald until Daniel Laxdal ushered the ball for a corner kick.
Chris McKee really should have had the home two goals ahead on 23 minutes. The little striker gobbled up a peach of a pass from Chris Shields and, with only goalkeeper Mathias Rosenorn to beat, he screwed his shot wide of the target.
Linfield came close again just after the half-hour. McKee’s delivery from the left was taken off the head of Fitzpatrick by Kristjansson, but this time the ball flashed for a corner kick instead of nestling in the net.
The Blues roared from the blocks after the restart, but they were almost undone when Atlason sent Eggertsson darting through the middle and, although he rounded the out-rushing Johns, he failed to get a shot at the empty goal.
And, the visitors were almost on terms on 57 minutes when Kristjansson’s speculative effort looked be arrowing in at the back post only for Sam Roscoe to hoof clear.
The Blues failed to heed the warning because the visitors were level seconds later. From Robert Frosit Thorkelsson’s corner kick, the unmarked Atlason piled on the agony by stooping to head home.
Linfield attempted to repair the damage with that man Cooper showed great trickery, sending two defender the wrong way with a drop of the shoulder only to pull his shot inches past the post.
But it took a magical from Johns to prevent the Blues from falling behind on 68 minutes. Omarsson’s clever cut back found Thorkelsson, whose thunderous drive was somehow beaten away by the alert shot-stopper.
Incredibly, the Blues were ahead two minutes later. Millar was again the architect with a trademark delivery from the right and 17-year-old Orr got up above everyone else to head home.
The place erupted on 76 minutes when Fitzgerald shot the Blues further ahead. The ball ping-ponged on the edge of the penalty box and, when it fell to the former Glenavon man, his low drive zipped into the corner of the net.
Disaster struck two minutes from time. In a lightning break by Stjarnan, they pulled the Blues defence to pieces with some great one-touch stuff that resulted in Atlason crossing for substitute Helgi Ingason to power home – it was game up for the Blues.
LINFIELD: Johns, Roscoe, Whiteside, Shields, Millar, McClean (Ballantyne 89), Cooper, McKee (McBrien 64), McGee (Orr 64), Fitzpatrick, McKay (Annett 69).
Unused subs: Walsh, Archer, Mulgrew, McCullough, Chapman.
STJARNAN: Rosenorn, Aegisson, Omarsson (Brink 76), Kristjansson, Ingimarsson, Eggertsson, Laxdal, Atlason, Kjartansson (Ingason 80), Orvarsson, Thorkelsson (Halldorsson 80).
Unused subs: Olafasson, Oddgeirsson, Gunnarsson, Brigisson, Valdimarsson, Adlophsson, Nokkvason, Matthiasson, Gudlaugsson.
REFEREE: Granit Maqedonci (Sweden).
Man of the match: Kirk Millar.
Match rating 7/10.
That’s a terrible result for the Blues. They did so well to fight back from 2-0 down on aggregate to make it 3-3, only to concede a sloppy goal in the 89th minute.
The Blues fought hard to get back into this – only to blow it
That is a superb goal from Matthew Fitzpatrick. He turns and strikes the ball from the edge of the area, and rips into the bottom left corner. It’s all Linfield now
Game on