Crusaders boss Stephen Baxter blamed “furnace” like conditions for Thursday night’s Europa Conference League defeat to little-known Bruno’s Magpies.
The Magpies, a pub team a decade ago before climbing through the leagues in Gibraltar, were playing their first ever game in European competition.
And the minnows made history with a 2-1 win over the Irish Cup winners who trailed 2-0 in searing heat before pulling one back through Jordan Forsythe on the hour mark.
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Baxter admitted he was “a hair disappointed” with the result but pointed to the teatime kick-off and 30-odd degree heat as contributing factors to the first leg loss.
“People probably wouldn’t be aware of the temperatures here,” he told the Crusaders Facebook page. “We even had to cut short the warm-up by 15 minutes because it was like a furnace.
“We knew the 6pm kick-off would be tricky and there was 33 or 34 degree heat. The pitch is also very sticky and doesn’t lend itself to good football at all.”
The Magpies were ahead just before the break, Daniel Bent giving Crusaders keeper Johnny Tuffey no chance with a drilled finish into the bottom corner.
And it got worse for the visitors in the 49th minute when Argentine striker Pibe broke the offside trap to race clear and steer a low shot past the keeper.
“The second goal looked a mile offside from where I was standing, but I’ll look back on it to see if that’s the case or not,” said Baxter.
“We’re disappointed with the defeat because there were large periods where we were the dominant team and our second half performance was excellent given the heat.
“But the team showed a lot of character to come right back into it. We got a good goal back through Jordan Forsythe and then it was total domination from us.”
With Thursday’s return leg still to come, Baxter is confident the Crues can turn things around with a high profile tie with Swiss club FC Basel awaiting the winners in the second qualifying round.
“It’s only half time,” he said. “They’ll come to Seaview, they’ll play on our home turf and it’ll be a different proposition at our place.”
Mapgies fans celebrated Thursday's famous win with a "walking in a Rooney wonderland" after manager and former Crawley Town assistant boss Nathan Rooney who was appointed in January.
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