3 days ago
UEFA Conference League round-up: Linfield and Hibernian into play-offs
Linfield are through to the play-off for the third time in six years and will face League of Ireland champions Shelbourne for the second time this summer after beating Vikingur 2-0 to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Kieran Offord opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and an own goal charged to Ari Olsen later in the first half proved the fatal blow to the Faroese outfit.
Rory Gaffney's brace helped book Shamrock Rovers a play-off berth with a 4-0 win at home over Ballkani and a 4-1 aggregate victory to set up a play-off with Santa Clara.
Larne played out a goalless draw at Santa Clara, who booked their play-off place with a 3-0 aggregate victory.
Gaffney scored late in first-half stoppage time then again three minutes after the restart before Joshua Honohan and Graham Burke added their names to the scoresheet.
Besiktas came back from a two-goal deficit to beat St Patrick's Athletic 3-2 in Istanbul and wrap up the tie with a 7-3 advantage on aggregate.
Chris Cadden struck in extra-time as Hibernian defeated 10-man Partizan Belgrade 4-3 on aggregate after a dramatic second leg at Easter Road to set up a Conference League play-off against Legia Warsaw.
The Hibees led 2-0 from the first leg in Serbia but their advantage was wiped out by half-time after two costly mistakes from goalkeeper Jordan Smith.
Kieron Bowie's 59th-minute wonder goal put the William Hill Premiership side back in front and they looked to be in full control when the visitors had Nikola Simic sent off shortly afterwards.
But Partizan struck deep into stoppage time to go 3-1 ahead on the night and force extra-time, where Cadden landed the decisive blow of an epic third qualifying round encounter.
Dundee United crashed out of the Conference League in a penalty shoot-out after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Rapid Vienna at Tannadice.
The Taysiders returned from Austria with a morale-boosting 2-2 draw from the first leg of the third qualifying round and Max Watters, on loan from Barnsley, had a packed Tannadice in raptures when he headed the home side in front after 25 minutes for three goals in three games.
Watters grabbed his second with a penalty three minutes before the break but Rapid striker Janis Antiste reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute with United defender Iurie Iovu involved in the ball finding the net.
Half-time substitute Ercan Kara levelled in the 77th minute to take an open game into extra-time and then penalties, where United substitute Amar Fatah hit the post, the only miss as the visitors triumphed 5-4.
Crystal Palace's opponents for their Conference League debut were also confirmed.
The Eagles will face Fredrikstad in the first leg of their play-off at Selhurst Park next Thursday after the Norwegian side lost their third-round Europa League qualifying second leg 2-0 to Midtjylland, who won 5-1 on aggregate.
