Linfield blow Champions League dream

Linfield 1 Gorica 3

Irish League champions Linfield saw their Champions League dreams go up in smoke on bonfire night in Belfast.

Moments after debutant Mark Dickson had scored Linfield’s second penalty of the game in the 56th minute, the Blues conceded a third goal – and any chance they had of earning a glamourous second-round tie against Steaua Bucharest in the process.

Two Enes Demirovic goals in the first-half left the team that won the grand slam in Northern Ireland last season burnt out long before their second-leg journey to the Baltics next week.

Former Hajduk Split midfielder Demirovic, who controlled the game throughout, put his side in front in the 14th minute with a hotly disputed free-kick.

There was no question over the quality of his superbly-struck shot and in the 28th minute he netted again.

Gliding across the edge of the goalmouth, he was afforded time to pick his spot and curl the ball past exposed Linfield goalkeeper Alan Mannus.

Peter Thompson was given the chance to halve the deficit after Paul McAreavey was dragged down in the box – but his 36th minute penalty was superbly saved by Mitja Pirih.

The Gorica goalkeeper then turned villain in the second-half, pulling McAreavey to the ground as he was primed to put the ball into an empty net.

Pirih got off lightly with a booking before he was beaten by Mark Dickson’s spot-kick.

For a moment, Linfield appeared to given themselves a flicker of hope but almost immediately the visitors restored their two-goal advantage.

Linfield were stretched when Rusim Dedic broke on the right wing and crossed into the path of the unmarked Marko Strum, who scored with ease in the 66th minute.

Despite the setback, David Jeffrey’s men continued to press and were the better side after the interval.

They came close to scoring again through Tim Mouncey and Thompson while Pirih did well to save McAreavey’s dangerous free-kick in the 90th minute.