Too little too late for Sligo

KS Vllaznia 1 Sligo Rovers 1

(Vllaznia win 3-2 on aggregate)

Sligo bowed out of the Europa League tonight as they were left to rue a woeful first leg display.

Knowing they had to score twice, Sligo started positively in Shkoder with Romu Boco and Raffaele Cretaro looking a real threat as they took the game to their hosts.

Cretaro turned Elvin Beqiri brilliantly only to shoot wide on 31 minutes. Minutes later the livewire striker sent a diving header from Shaun Holmes’ cross wide of keeper Olti Bishani’s left-hand post.

But disaster struck for Sligo on 42 minutes when Ndricim Shtubina was allowed a clean run on goal and his low drive from 20 yards beat Richard Brush. Vllaznia almost snatched a second on 45 minutes, but Brush was quickly off his line to save at the feet of Bekim Balaj.

In a poor second half, the Albanians’ captain Vioresin Sinani was sent off for a push on Richie Ryan on 78 which signalled a late Sligo rally.

Steve Feeney shot wide from a good position before right-back Alan Keane finished off Owen Morrison’s cross to equalise on the night with a fine header on 83 minutes.

But, despite five minutes of added time, Sligo couldn’t find a second goal to force extra-time and had skipper Conor O’Grady sent off for tripping Shtubina during stoppage time as the Vllaznia went through to meet Rapid Vienna in the next round.