2 – 1
“Vakho Bedoshvili broke the deadlock to give FC Iberia 1999 a 1-0 lead, capitalising on sustained pressure following the triple substitution midway through the second half.”
Pivotal“James Simpson, himself a 65th-minute substitute, levelled immediately for Larne to make it 1-1, stunning the home side just two minutes after they had taken the lead and throwing the aggregate tie wide open.”
Pivotal“Nika Sikharulashvili converted in extra time, assisted by Andria Bartishvili, to make it 2-1 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, sending FC Iberia 1999 through and ending Larne's Europa League journey.”
PivotalFC Iberia 1999 were dominant throughout in terms of the raw numbers — 68 percent possession, 15 shots to Larne's three, and 11 corners — yet found themselves unable to kill the tie off before extra time in a match that encapsulated the unpredictable nature of European two-legged football. The home side finally broke the deadlock through Vakho Bedoshvili in the 74th minute, capitalising on a spell of pressure following the triple substitution at the hour mark, but Larne hit back almost immediately through James Simpson, who had himself come on as one of those changes, to level at 1-1 and force extra time with the aggregate poised at 1-1. The visitors, despite being pinned back for much of the contest and managing just one shot on target, showed defensive resilience and clinical edge — Larne's three saves from goalkeeper underscored how hard FC Iberia pressed. Ultimately it was Sikharulashvili, who had walked a disciplinary tightrope since his yellow card in the 67th minute, who settled the tie with a composed finish two minutes into extra time, assisted by substitute Andria Bartishvili, ending Larne's European campaign and advancing FC Iberia 1999 to the next round of the Europa League.
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