Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
’GORETS, WE HAVE A FEW
Crues dumped out of one-sided tie by slick outfit
BALKAN guile trumped Belfast grit as Crusaders exited the UEFA Champions League at Seaview last night.
Ludogorets were simply too slick for the Shore Road men as they eased to a comfortable 2-0 win on the night and a commanding 9-0 aggregate victory overall.
Boss Stephen Baxter had feared the worst before a ball was kicked in last week’s 7-0 mauling in Razgrad and last night’s second leg followed a similar plotline of Bulgarian dominance.
A Rodney Brown own goal had the visitors ahead early doors and striker Jakub Swierczok – hat-trick hero from last week’s one-sided showdown – banged in a second on 65 minutes.
The Irish League champions, who dug deep and refused to let the floodgates open, went closest to scoring when
Jordan
Forsythe’s
56th minute header from a Ross
Clarke corner crashed off the bar. David Cushley, a first half replacement for the injured Jordan Owens, also forced a parried save from Jorge Broun 18 minutes from time.
Ludogorets, who drew 2-2 at home to Liverpool in the group stages of the Champions League just four years ago, were ahead on 11 minutes.
It was a moment to forget for left-back Brown who was guilty of his second own goal of the tie following a similar mishap in last week’s first leg. There was little danger when Sasha’s pass dissected the Crues backline but Brown – fearful of the liquid quick Lukoki – panicked to direct the ball over Sean O’neill’s head.
It was almost 2-0 two minutes later when Lukoki raced clear but his low shot cannoned off the base of the post.
Crues keeper O’neill came to the rescue on the half-hour mark when he dived full length to palm Terziev’s threatening header from a Lukoki corner wide of target.
Marcelinho and Lukoki both had close range efforts blocked as Ludogorets chased a second and it finally arrived midway through the second period.
Swierczok fashioned a yard of space 25 yards out and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner past the stationary O’neill.
Summer signing Kyle Owens – brother of striker Jordan – saw a 79th minute header from a Clarke corner scrambled clear at the back post as the Crues chased a riposte.
But it was The Eagles who almost added to their tally at the death, Joao Paulo’s shot batted away by O’neill.
A UEFA restructuring of European competition means the Crues now enter the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
They will face the losers of today’s Champions League tie between Qarabag (Azerbaijan) or Olimpia Ljubljana (Slovenia) with the former leading 1-0.