Larne manager Gary Haveron was left reflecting on a “heartbreaking” night as his side’s bid to reach the league phase of the Uefa Conference League for the second time in three years came unstuck against Lincoln Red Imps.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Gibraltar, the Invermen were looking good to finish the job with the second leg scoreless entering the closing stages.
However, two goals in the space of as many minutes by Kike Gomez and Manu Toledano levelled the tie with Larne’s Montel Gibson then picking up a second yellow before the end of the 90 minutes.
It appeared penalties would decide the outcome, but the concession of a penalty by Chris Gallagher in the final minute of extra-time gave Toledano the opportunity to complete the comeback and he made no mistake, leaving the Irish League champions crestfallen.
“I think that’s what ultimately the feeling is, heartbreaking. So disappointed in that because for 82 minutes I thought we were absolutely brilliant,” Haveron tole BBC Sport NI.
“The biggest criticism I had was we haven’t taken any of the chances that we had.
“I think we limited them to very little in the second half, but then the lad [Gomez] cuts in off the left-hand side and scores an absolute wonder goal and then you’re caught in that scenario where you’re a bit vulnerable for that period of time. When you’re vulnerable you can’t afford to concede and we did concede the second goal.
“I even have a bit of a problem with the first goal because it’s a clear handball from Lopez on the edge of the box and they break down and go down the other end and score. That’s the small margins at this level and they haven’t gone our way tonight.”
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