Strollers’ penalty pain

Cliftonville Strollers 2-1 Daugavpils [2-2 on aggregate; 2-4 on penalties]

Cliftonville Strollers suffered European heartbreak after seeing victory snatched from their grasp by Daugavpils in the second leg of the sides’ UEFA Youth League tie at Solitude.

After scoring what had looked like being a last minute winner in front of a superb Solitude crowd, the Wee Reds conceded an aggregate equaliser with literally the last touch of the ball before slumping to defeat on penalties.

Having dominated the game from the off, it was no less than Marc Smyth’s side deserved when Oilibhear McCart’s deflected free-kick gave them the lead on the night with 25 minutes on the clock.

After a couple of near misses, including an effort that clipped the crossbar, the Reds and their Latvian visitors – who had held a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Riga last month – were unable to make any further impression on the scoreboard throughout an entertaining first-half.

The second period was largely more of the same one-way traffic, with Cliftonville going close through a couple of Ryan Markey headers before both Alfie Mitchell and Owen Mahoney drew last-ditch reaction saves from the visiting goalkeeper.

Continuing to lay siege to Daugavpils’ goal, the Strollers finally broke their visitors’ resistance bang on 90 minutes when Markey’s header fell perfectly for substitute Shay Reid to nod home from virtually underneath the crossbar.

That had looked set to send the Reds through only for disaster to strike on 98 minutes when, following two clear fouls that the referee failed to punish, the Latvians won a corner that resulted in Aleksandrs Molotkovs touching in a barely believable leveller to send the contest to penalties.

After failing to convert their first two kicks, Cliftonville found themselves up against it and, despite both McCart and Coran Madden netting from the spot, Daugavpils were successful with all four attempts to earn themselves a place in the second round.