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Champions League qualifying recap
LIMASSOL, Jul 19 (SW) - Republic of Ireland champions Cork City advanced to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday after a draw with Apollon Limassol in Cyprus booked their progress.
<b>Apollon Limassol - Cork City</b> 1-1
<i>Cork City win 2-1 on aggregate</i>
The Eircom League side, who fell out of the top two in the league after Dublin City's withdrawal from the competition on Wednesday, saw the Cypriots go level in the tie as Polish striker Lukasz Sosin scored in the 50th minute.
The side from the Republic, though, weren't going to be denied and skipper Dan Murray hit the winning goal with his head from a corner kick in the 75th minute to send Cork through to face Serbian side Crvena Zvezda.
<b>Nova Gorica - Linfield</b> 2-2
<i>Nova Gorica win 5-3 on aggregate</i>
Slovenian champions Nova Gorica now move on to face Steaua Bucuresti after disposing of a valiant Linfield side from Northern Ireland.
The visitors, who lost 3-1 at home in the first leg, cut down the deficit in the 28th minute through Peter Thompson, but Miran Burgic's header on the half-hour kept the home side in control.
After a missed penalty by Mark Dickson should have given Linfield the lead on the night, Burgic bagged his second in the 84th minute before Paul McAreavey got a consolation late on.
<b>Aktobe - Liepajas Metalurgs</b> 1-1
<i>Liepajas Metalurgs win 2-1 on aggregate</i>
Aktobe narrowly missed out on being the first Kazakh team to advance in the Champions League after a second-half penalty propelled Latvian champions Liepajas Metalurgs through.
Konstantin Golovskoy sent the fans into bedlam in the 25th minute when he leveled the tie for the home side, but Denis Ivanovs' successful spot kick two minutes before the hour mark sent the visitors into the next round and a tie against Dynamo Kiev.
<b>The New Saints - MyPa</b> 0-1
<i>MyPa win 2-0 on aggregate</i>
TNS again missed out on advancing the Champions League after being beaten at home and on aggregate by Finnish side MyPa, who dominated the proceedings.
The lone goal of the game came after just six minutes when Saku PuhaKäinen but a perfect lob over TNS goalkeeper Gerard Doherty, and the away goal all but sealed the Welsh side's fate.
MyPa now face a test in the next round against Danish side FC København.
<b>FH Hafnarfjordur - TVMK Tallinn</b> 1-1
<i>FH Hafnarfjordur win 4-3 on aggregate</i>
Icelandic part-timers FH moved on to face Legia Warszawa in the next round after a draw with Estonian champions TVMK Tallinn secured their progress.
A goal by TVMK's Viktors Dobrecovs leveled the tie at 3-3, but TVMK needed another because they trailed still on away goals.
That goal never came and Atli Gudnason put the match away in the dying moments to put FH through.
<b>B36 Tórshavn - Birkirkara</b> 2-2
<i>B36 Tórshavn win 5-2 on aggregate</i>
An exciting night in the Faroe Islands saw their champions advance to the next round after being held to a draw by brave Birkirkara of Malta.
B36 added to their huge first-leg lead in the 41st minute as Klaemint Matras made it 4-0 on aggregate before Birkirkara finally got on the board on the hour mark.
Abele Ekeke restored the margin for B36 in the 75th minute before Kenneth Scicluna earned a nice draw for Birkirkara, but now B36 must tackle Turkish powers Fenerbahçe.
<b>Siroki Brijeg - Shakhtyor Soligorsk</b> 1-0
<i>Siroki Brijeg win 2-0 on aggregate</i>
Bosnia-Herzegovina's Siroki Brijeg now face Hearts in the next round after a first half goal saw them put away Belarussian champions Shakhtyor Soligorsk.
The visitors had Anatoly Budaev sent off in the 28th minute, and Ronnele Gomes then stepped up to immediately give Siroki Brijeg the advantage and the only goal of the match.
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