A thunderbolt, a defensive lapse and a late penalty knocked Cliftonville out of the Europa Conference League in front of a sellout Solitude last night.
Paddy McLaughlin’s men impressed for long periods and summer signing Stephen Mallon caught the eye with a really bright display on the left wing.
The lively 23-year-old, who forced a super save from Daniel Veszelinov in the second half, looks a really exciting proposition heading into the new Irish League season.
Read more: Irish League goalkeeper John Connolly seeking new club after committing to play on at 45
But ultimately a first half goal from Dominik Vaselovsky and second-half brace from Nikola Krstovic proved the difference as DAC edged to a 3-0 win on the night and 5-1 aggregate victory overall.
The visitors, 2-1 up from last week’s first leg in Slovakia, were ahead and in control of the tie when Vaselovsky struck just 12 minutes in.
Reds skipper Levi Ives failed to clear his lines and Balogh capitalised to pick out his teammate who swept a close range shot in off the far post.
It should have been 2-0 soon after when DAC broke the length of the pitch, but Kacer’s attempted lob was saved by Cliftonville goalkeeper Fynn Talley.
Mallon, a recent arrival from Bohemians, forced a smart save from the goalkeeper with a rising shot and Ronan Hale also fizzed over from the distance.
But at the other end Talley had to produce a stunning close range save to parry Milan Dimun’s close range effort off the underside of the crossbar.
Balogh also forced a scrambled save from Talley, a recent summer loan signing from Brighton, but there was nothing the teenager could do about DAC’s second goal in the 64th minute.
The impressive Krstovic had been on the pitch less than a minute when he picked the ball up 25 yards out and fired a rocket into the far corner of the net.
And it was 3-0 in the 90th minute when Krstovic bagged his second of the night from the penalty spot after Kacer was fouled by Talley inside the box.
Elsewhere in the first qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, Larne crashed out 1-0 on aggregate after a 1-0 home defeat to St Joseph’s of Gibraltar.
The Inver Reds, who reached the third qualifying round last season, ended the tie with 10 men after Mark Randall was red carded for a second bookable offence in the 78th minute.
And the visitors capitalised when Julian Valarino scored the winning goal two minutes later.
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