Crusaders said goodbye to European football for another season, as they lost out to Norwegian giants Rosenborg 3-2 (5-4 agg.) in Trondheim.
Jayden Nelson opened the scoring for the hosts, but Philip Lowry grabbed an equaliser on the half-time whistle. With no goals in the second-half, Extra-time was required. Isak Thorvaldsson scoring before Paul Heatley got the Crues back on level terms almost immediately, before being harshly sent-off for time wasting. Leo Cornic scored the winner in an exasperating finish.
The north Belfast side started the brighter of the two teams, attacking and threatening at will. Ben Kennedy had the first opportunity, going close with a header on five minutes. Crusaders continued their dominance in the early stages, with Billy-Joe Burns unlucky with a header at the back post. However, the hosts slowly grew into the game and on 33 minutes grabbed the opener. Sverre Halseth Nypan played an excellent passed past Burns down the left-hand side and Canadian international Nelson coolly slotted the ball past an advancing Jonny Tuffey and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. Both sides created chances after this and if there was any doubt if the visitors could get back into the game, these were dismissed on the stroke of half-time. That man Clarke again causing havoc with a cross from the right, which led to a goalmouth scramble. Daniel Larmour, then Kennedy getting touches before the ball rolled to Lowry six yards out who passed the ball into the gaping goal to make it 1-1.
After a confident start to the second-half by the visitors, the Norwegian side began to gain more dominance as the hour mark approached. Only a fantastic triple save within a minute from Tuffey kept the score all-square; and substitute Adam Lecky was fortunate to only receive a yellow card after using his head to make contact with a Rosenborg player. Both sides created chances without success, but on 96 minutes the hosts must have thought they had won it when an unmarked Thorvaldsson headed a cross back across Tuffey’s goal but the ex-Northern Ireland International pulled off a save of boyhood comics, to send the game into extra-time.
Extra-time produced three goals. First, Thorvaldsson got his just reward with a fine header, getting to the end of a cross ahead of Tuffey to make it 2-1 on 102 minutes, However, Crusaders only needed two minutes to strike back through Heatley. A strike into the bottom left after some tidy work out right by Lecky. It wasn’t to finish as the dream night Heatley hoped for though, as he was sent off for a harsh second yellow card soon after.
Three minutes into the second period Rosenborg scored a third on the night. Magnus Holte had a shot that was superbly saved by Jonny Tuffey, but the rebound fell to Cornic who smashed home via the crossbar to make it 5-4 on aggregate and end the brave challenge of the Hatchetmen.
Rosenborg: Hansen, Cornic, Reitan, Jenssen, Periera, Tagseth, Borkeeiet, Nypan, Holse, Saeter, Nelson.
Subs: Tangvik, Rogers, Rosten, Skjelbred, Vaananen, Thorvaldsson, Holte.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Burns, Lowry, Kennedy, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Winchester, Larmour, Heatley, McKeown, Clarke.
Subs: Williamson, Weir, Teelan, M Kennedy, Owens, Robinson, Lecky, Malachy, Anderson.