Former Hull City and West Brom winger shines as Linfield's Europa Conference League progression hopes on thin ice after Pogon Szczecin defeat

Szczecin skipper Grosicki, who has also earned 88 caps for Poland, calmly converted a 13th-minute penalty after Matthew Clarke had brought down Luka Zahovic as the Slovenian ran through on goal following his own defensive mistake before Joao Gamboa poked home from a Grosicki corner to send the Polish outfit into half-time with a 2-0 lead.

Linfield got themselves back into the tie when Daniel Finlayson pounced in the 55th minute after opposing goalkeeper Dante Stipica fumbled Kirk Millar’s cross, but they were two goals behind once again moments later as Mariusz Malec rifled in from close range.

A devastating move – started and finished by striker Efthymios Koulouris – was another blow before Ben Hall’s stunning 80th minute volley gave them a glimmer of hope only for Grosicki to produce a pass across goal for Mariusz Fornalczyk in the dying moments to give Linfield a mountain to climb in Poland next Thursday.

The visitors wasted no time in proving their class and were visibly a step up in quality from first-round opponents Vllaznia, zipping the ball around early on and almost found themselves with a scoring opportunity only for Chris Shields’ timely intervention.

Shields – playing in his 51st European club game – was a steady presence in midfield during a nervy opening period and despite falling behind, David Healy’s side grew into the game and started to dominate proceedings.

They were finding joy in particular down the right-hand side with Jack Scott and Joel Cooper linking up to great effect and it was the latter that produced one of the brightest first-half Linfield moments in the 21st minute when he sailed past Leonardo Koutris before driving into the box, but his floated cross couldn’t find a teammate.

The hosts were enjoying a sustained period of pressure when Pogon Szczecin struck a cruel blow against the run of play as Gamboa ran across Shields to prod past Chris Johns shortly before half-time to double their advantage.

It was always going to be an uphill task but Linfield were again on the front foot at the start of the second-half and had two chances within seconds of each other – firstly from a superb Millar cross that no Blues player could get on the end of before Matthew Fitzpatrick failed to connect with Daniel Finlayson’s ball over the top in the aftermath.

The Blues did get their deserved goal when Stipica dropped Millar’s free-kick delivery and Finlayson – back in the side after missing last week’s tie in Albania through suspension – produced a fine finish into the top corner.

Linfield looked to have an equaliser shortly after as Chris McKee’s shot across goal was palmed into Fitzpatrick’s path by Stipica, but the summer signing was adjudged to be offside.

Healy’s men were made to pay from another Grosicki set-piece in the 62nd minute as Malec smashed home from close range after a superb point-blank Johns save and Kouloruis extended the margin by finishing off a sweeping move.

The home side continued to push and were rewarded for that persistence when Fitzpatrick chested Millar’s cross to centre-back Hall, who fired his volley emphatically past Stipica.

Millar thought he had clawed another back in the 87th minute only for it to be ruled out with a late offside call on Fitzpatrick and Fornalczyk produced what is likely a hammer blow to Linfield’s European dream by scoring in the dying seconds.

LINFIELD: Johns, Finlayson, Hall, M Clarke, Millar, Shields, McClean (Mulgrew, 82), Scott, McKee (Robertson, 82), Fitzpatrick, Cooper.

Subs: Walsh, Newberry, A Clarke, Doherty, Haygarth, Devine, Archer, McKay, Annett, McStravick.

POGON SZCZECIN: Stipica, Wahiqvist, Zech (Loncar, 46), Malec, Koutris, Gamboa, Legowski (Kurzawa, 54), Wedrychowski (Kowalczyk, 54), Zahovic (Fornalczyk, 85), Grosicki, Koulouris (Gorgon, 67).

Subs: Bichakhchyan, Holewinski, Borges, Lisowski, Smolinski, Stolarski, Wawrzynowicz.