Chris Johns (GK), Trai Hume, Michael Newberry, Sam Roscoe, Matthew Clarke, Chris Shields, Jamie Mulgrew © (Ahmed Salam 72’), Stephen Fallon, Niall Quinn (Andrew Clarke 72’), Kirk Millar, Billy Chadwick (Christy Manzinga 60’)
Matthew Williamson (GK), David Walsh (GK), Conor Pepper, Ross Larkin, Cameron Palmer, Navid Nasseri, Adam Carroll
David Healy and his players’ European journey came to an end tonight, as they missed chance after chance in Luxembourg in a remarkably one-sided match which they somehow ended up losing.
Linfield were dominant in the first half and would have been disappointed not to have been ahead at the break. Like last week, Fola Esch sat deep and pressed when the ball got into Linfield’s midfielders and if they won it, they broke rapidly. This week they had fewer chances to do so as Linfield were slicker in their passing.
The first of the many chances in the game came for young full-back Trai Hume who attacked a corner from Kirk Millar to the back post, only to see his header fly just wide of the goal.
Jamie Mulgrew was unlucky not to break the deadlock 20 minutes in when he latched onto a loose ball and hit a good strike from 20 yards which was heading for the corner but it was well saved by a diving goalkeeper.
In a rare breakaway, Fola Esch seized upon a loose ball and broke through Luxembourg international Stefano Bensi down the left but he was stopped crucially by Stephen Fallon who was backtracking. Somehow, Bensi got injured in the process and went off on a stretcher five minutes before the break.
Trai Hume threatened again when Matthew Clarke’s low cross came all the way through after going untouched in the box and the full-back’s driven shot on the edge of the box was beaten away by the ‘keeper. Kirk Millar also went close when he drove a low free-kick just wide of the post from 30 yards.
The final chance in the closing stages of the first half was the greatest of all, as Niall Quinn’s cross-come-shot came back off the crossbar and Stephen Fallon latched onto it, but he’ll have been disappointed to have dragged his shot wide.
Half Time: Fola Esch 0 – 0 Linfield
The second half brought more of the same, arguably even more intense pressure ensued. The Blues couldn’t believe they weren’t ahead inside a minute of the second half, as Trai Hume got down the right and picked out Niall Quinn in the middle with a low cross which Quinn flicked goalwards and the goalkeeper made a great reflex save. The ball was recycled and headed back across goal where Quinn was again denied at close range by a block by the ‘keeper.
Stephen Fallon tried his luck again minutes later after being found in the box by Niall Quinn but his dug out shot was just over, and then Quinn delivered a corner which Hume headed over at close range, although he didn’t seem to know an awful lot about it.
The home goalkeeper got away with one when he spilled Niall Quinn’s free-kick and his teammates managed to scramble it away. It was unbelievable once again that Linfield didn’t score on 66 minutes. Firstly, Christy Manzinga rose to meet a cross and his header hit the crossbar. The ball fell for Michael Newberry whose shot was blocked and somehow didn’t go in. Just a moment later, Sam Roscoe rose to meet a corner and his header beat the goalkeeper but typically, it was headed off the line.
Another golden chance in that hectic period fell for Linfield as Trai Hume delivered a great cross and the unmarked Kirk Millar headed wide.
It was almost frustratingly predictable that for all Linfield’s dominance, possession and missed chances that they’d find themselves a goal down to a sucker punch. It came through Fola Esch’s first shot on target on 68 minutes as substitute Lucas Correia broke and fired a shot into the top corner from distance.
Linfield had 20 minutes to find at least two goals and they kept pushing. Christy Manzinga headed a cross from Trai Hume onto the roof of the net and Andrew Clarke headed just wide from Niall Quinn’s free-kick.
Manzinga did well to engineer a decent chance for himself as he beat a defender in the box but the goalkeeper once again saved, this time with his feet. A minute later he also curled a shot a yard wide of goal on a very frustrating night.
Linfield did eventually find the net, but it was a killer that it took so long to arrive. The impressive Sam Roscoe on his first start for the club netted his first goal as he stormed onto a low Manzinga cross from the right and buried it from close range. That gave Linfield a glimmer of hope but they needed another goal in the four added minutes.
As Linfield poured bodies forward in search of a tie-levelling goal, the threat was that they could get caught on the break and that’s what happened in the second of four added minutes. Trai Hume challenged and brought his man down and Rodrigo Parreira stepped up, slipping the penalty into the corner beyond Chris Johns to put the final nail in the coffin.
It'll be a tough one to take and although Linfield weren't at their best in the 2-1 first leg defeat last week, they'll feel the best team lost over the two legs and will have to put the disappointment behind them to focus on the league kicking off in just over two weeks.
Full Time: Fola Esch 2– 1 Linfield
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