Lisburn's Intertoto Cup run ends

Lisburn Distillery 0 Zalgiris Vilnius 1 (Aggregate 0-2).

Lithuanian outfit Zalgiris Vilnius ended Lisburn Distillery’s Intertoto Cup adventure with a 1-0 win at Ballyskeagh.

A penalty from midfielder Andrei Shyla after 47 minutes left the home side floundering and meant they needed to score at least three goals to qualify for the next round.

The man at the centre of the penalty award was Virmantas Lemezis who had given his side a 1-0 home win last Sunday. He received the ball with his back to goal, turned quickly and enticed Wayne Buchanan into a rash challenge.

The contact sent the Lithuanian sprawling in the box. Referee Lassin Isaksen, from the Faroe Islands, immediately pointed to the spot and Shyla did the rest.

His carefully-struck penalty gave Distillery keeper Michael Dougherty no chance. His disappointment was understandable because he produced an otherwise flawless performance.

Five minutes after the penalty was scored teenager Andy Barron produced Distillery’s best effort of the afternoon.

Picking up a loose ball some 25 yards from goal he unloaded a powerful shot that seemed destined for the top corner.

But visiting keeper Mindavgus Malinauskas produced an acrobatic save, flinging himself to his left and even though the ball appeared to move in the air he somehow pushed it away for a corner.

Soon after that Distillery’s slim hopes of turning the tie around vanished completely. Striker John Martin kicked out at Zalgiris defender Todas Graziunas as the pair rolled on the ground following a heavy tackle by the Lithuanian defender.

His straight red card not only terminated his involvement in the match, it also left Distillery playing out the game as a damage limitation exercise.

The Lithuanians, a streetwise European outfit, knew the tie was won and even substituted their most dangerous attacking player Alexandre Osipovich who had posed a constant threat to Distillery.

Apart from Barron’s effort, an Andy Kilmartin free kick that flashed just past the post after 21 minutes and a Sean Armstrong header early on the home side did not trouble the superior visitors.

But afterwards manager Paul Kirk praised his players for sticking to what became an impossible task.

“They have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of,” said the Whites boss. “The Lithuanians are full-time professionals and we all but matched them.

“The fact that my players are disappointed to have gone out augurs well for the coming season. With that sort of attitude we can qualify for Europe again next year. I would just like to wish Zalgiris Vilnius well in the next round.”