Second legs go down to wire on night of drama
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Article summary
Late drama was the theme of the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round second legs as Aberdeen FC's Adam Rooney scored the first hat-trick of the European season.
Article top media content
Article body
JK Sillamäe Kalev pulled off the shock of the night as late drama abounded in Thursday's UEFA Europa League first qualifying round second legs.
• Kabaev scores 120th-minute winner for Sillamäe
• Rooney hits first Europa League hat-trick of season
• Litex v Veris postponed due to heavy rain
• 39 second qualifying round ties confirmed
• All tonight's scores and scorers
In only their second European campaign, Sillamäe booked their passage in remarkable circumstances away to FC Honka Espoo. Leading 2-1 after last week's first leg, the Estonian side were heading through until the final minute of regulation time when Kevin Mombilo struck to make it 2-1 on the night and force the extra half-hour. Ilari Äijälä put Honka ahead in the tie (105), only for Evgeni Kabaev to snatch an away-goals triumph in the last minute of extra time.
There was more last-gasp drama at FK Atlantas, where the Lithuanian hosts denied FC Differdange 03 what would have been a famous triumph. Down to ten men for the last 71 minutes, the visitors from Luxembourg had one foot in the second stage when Jean-Philippe Caillet, 37, struck late on – only for Maksim Maksimov's diving header to raise Atlantas from the depths. Víkingur pulled off a similar recovery against FC Daugava Daugavpils, substitute Andreas Olsen scoring the decisive goal on 88 minutes.
NK Rudar Velenje revived their hopes with a 93rd-minute equaliser against KF Laçi, but were no match for the Albanian hosts in the penalty shoot-out, failing from their first three attempts. FC Tiraspol's Bogdan Hauşi also pulled off a notable spot-kick save against Bachana Tskhadadze, having put on the gloves following the dismissal of the keeper 14 minutes from time with all substitutions already made. There was still time for him to concede three as İnter Bakı PİK eased through.
First hat-trick
Elsewhere, Adam Rooney hit the first UEFA Europa League hat-trick of the season for Aberdeen FC, and a couple of hours later Rory Patterson struck the second as Derry City FC won 5-0. FC Spartak Trnava matched that, while Sligo Rovers FC managed four as they notched up their biggest victory in UEFA competition. There was history, too, for Crusaders FC as they beat FK Ekranas to become the first Northern Irish side to progress in UEFA competition.
That all means that 39 of the 40 second qualifying ties are now known but we will have to wait until Friday to complete the lineup after PFC Litex Lovech's home meeting with FC Veris was postponed due to heavy rain.