Larne Still Searching for First Points in UEFA Conference League

Belfast: Larne faced Olimpija in Slovenia, hoping to earn their first points in the UEFA Conference League. Unfortunately, they ended the match with a 1-0 loss and finished with only ten players on the field. This defeat marked their fourth loss in four games, leaving them at the bottom of their group.

The match started with Olimpija controlling the ball and creating chances. Larne’s goalkeeper, Rohan Ferguson, made two impressive saves early on to keep the score level. However, Olimpija finally broke through in the 67th minute when Ivan Durdov scored from a corner taken by Raul Florucz.

Larne had a couple of chances to equalize in the second half. Dylan Sloan missed a good opportunity by shooting wide, and Matthew Lusty, who found space, shot directly at the Olimpija goalkeeper, Matevz Vidovsek.

Things got worse for Larne when Sean Graham received a second yellow card, leaving his team with ten men for the last eight minutes of the match. Despite their efforts, they could not find a way to score.

Olimpija, who started the game ranked much higher than Larne, dominated possession but struggled to break through Larne’s strong defense. Ahmet Muhamedbegovic came close with a header that went over the net, while Larne’s Paul O’Neill also missed a header in the first half.

The first real chance of the match came late in the first half when Marcel Rutnik’s weak header was saved. Just before halftime, Florucz had a chance to score, but Ferguson rushed out to block his shot.

As the game continued, David Sualeha had a chance to assist Florucz, but the forward shot over the goal. Larne’s inability to convert their chances ultimately cost them the match, and they left Slovenia still searching for their first points in the tournament.

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