Connah’s Quay paid the price for two costly defensive blunders, one in each half, to crash out of their first Champions League campaign in the first qualifying round.
It was a disappointing night for the Deeside club who went down to a 2-0 defeat in the tie at the Cardiff City Stadium last night.
Despite a battling display against Bosnian champions FK Sarajevo, the Nomads fell behind after 16 minutes when a long diagonal ball over the top of the defence caught out the Welsh champions, allowing striker Benjamin Tatar to calmly fire his shot past keeper Lewis Brass.
The Nomads carved out several opportunities to level before half-time but went into the break still a goal behind.
Andy Morrison’s side began the second period with far more intent and had much of the opening possession but another lapse of concentration at the back gave Tatar the opportunity to increase Sarajevo’s lead on 65 minutes after bursting through the middle of the park and calmly completing his brace.
Speaking after the match, manager Morrison expressed disappointment at the result, blaming sloppy mistakes for the goals: “It’s two errors which have cost us. They’ve not opened us up, we’ve been in control of the game in the first half out of possession.
“In the second half, we’ve done excellently. We were at our best passage of play, we were dominating possession and getting the ball into good areas and then we make a mistake, where we’ve been punished.
“I’m disappointed with that but I’m so proud of the players since it was five months since a competitive game.”
The Nomads were making their first foray into the Champions League after being crowned Welsh Premier League champions after the competition was ended early last season due to the coronavirus.
But their European campaign is not over yet, with the side now heading into the Europa League second qualifying round which takes place on 17 September.
Tonight Barry Town United take on NSI Runavik from the Faroe Islands in the preliminary round of Europe’s second-tier club competition. In last season’s preliminary round they lost to Northern Ireland’s Cliftonville but coach Gavin Chesterfield hopes they can use that experience in the competition to good effect tonight.
“Last year we were well prepared and had done our homework, but went to Northern Ireland a bit wide-eyed,” he said. “But there’s no doubt in my mind that what happened last year will stand us in good stead this time around.”
Victory in Torshavn would see the Dragons up against Scotland’s Aberdeen, who finished fourth in the SPL last season behind Celtic, Rangers and Dundee. The mouth-watering tie would take place at Pittodrie Stadium on Thursday, 27 August.
Both of Wales’ other Europa League entrants went straight into the first qualifying round, with Bala Town drawn to play Maltese-side Valletta away and Cymru Premier runners-up The New Saints at home to Slovakian side MSK Zilina next week.
Europa League Fixtures
Preliminary Round
20 August: NSI Runavik v Barry Town United (Torshavn)
First Qualifying Round
27 August: TNS v MSK Zilina (Park Hall); Valletta v Bala Town (Centenary Stadium, Ta’Qali)
