Brave Crusaders exit Europe after giving Wolves a scare

When Ryan Bennett headed into his own net - as Paul Heatley challenged - with less than 15 minutes gone that fairytale was alive and kicking for all the Crues fans packed into Seaview.

But unfortunately that dream lasted only a minute as Raul Jiménez showed why he is rated so highly with a sublime finish to deflate the hopes of the home side.

Jiménez struck a spectacular second before Bennett scored at the right end and a late Jordan Forsythe own goal left the aggregate score 6-1.

It was harsh on the Crues, who over the course of the 180 minutes gave a great account of themselves and the Irish League.

The visitors named a strong starting 11 with Rúben Neves, João Moutinho and Diogo Jota all starting. The hosts made one change from the side that lost narrowly at Molineux last week, with Jordan Owens replacing Declan Caddell.

And the big striker almost handed the Crues a perfect start inside two minutes. Ross Clarke fed Forsythe, who hung a tantalising cross up at the back post for Owens to attack, he won the header, directing it past Rui Patricio but Conor Coady was on hand to hook the ball off the line.

Wolves did not heed the warning as on 14 minutes they allowed Billy Joe Burns time and space to whip a cross into the six-yard box and Bennett headed into his own goal under pressure from Heatley.

The home fans were in raptures, but they were silenced inside 60 seconds as Jiménez produced a moment of magic to level things up on the night.

He was picked out from the left-hand side by Jota and the striker controlled it, turned and finished low past Sean O’Neill.

The Mexican went close to grabbing a second on 22 minutes when he got on the end of Moutinho’s corner, but his glancing header went inches over the bar.

Jiménez went close again with an effort from the edge of the box as the game past the half-hour mark.

The Premier League side took the lead on the night seven minutes before the break with defender Bennett making up for his earlier own goal. He lost his marker to head home Moutinho’s corner from close range.

And right on half-time Wolves all but wrapped up the tie with another superb finish from Jiménez, who lashed home the ball from the edge of the box after exchanging passes with Jota.

O’Neill was called into action at the start of the second half as he had to deal with shots from Jonny and Moutinho.

Tempers threatened to boil over as Jota and Burns clashed, with both players receiving a yellow in the end.

With the game threatening to drift Wolves grabbed a sixth goal of the tie as Forsythe unfortuntaely headed past O’Neill as Moutinho tried to pick out the run of Adama Traore with 13 minutes to go.

CRUSADERS: O’Neill, Burns, Hegarty, Lowry, Ward, Hale (Thompson, 83), Forsythe, O’Rourke, Owens (Cushley, 80), Heatley, Clarke (Caddell, 78).

Subs (not used): Doherty, Beverland, Coates, Ruddy.

WOLVES: Rui Patrício, Bennett, Rúben Neves (Saiss, 68), Jiménez (Gibbs-White, 56), Boly, Coady, Diogo Jota (Vinagre, 67), Jonny, João Moutinho, Dendoncker, Traoré.

Subs (not used): Ruddy, Sanderson, Perry, Kilman

Referee: Nejc Kajtazovic (Slovenia)