Larne manager Gary Haveron was “heartbroken” after watching his side exit the Conference League at the play-off stage following a dramatic 3-2 aggregate defeat to Lincoln Red Imps – when progression was within touching distance at Inver Park.

The Inver Reds held a 2-0 advantage heading into Thursday’s tie and kept their opponents from Gibraltar quiet for 82 minutes, but the tie then swung in shocking fashion.

Kike Gomez and Manu Toledano struck a quickfire double before Larne substitute Montel Gibson was given his marching orders – all within a mad five minute spell which sent the clash to extra-time.

With penalties seemingly on the horizon, Toledano stepped up to convert a spot-kick in added time of extra-time after he had been brought down by Chris Gallagher.

placeholder image — Dejected Larne players after their defeat to Lincoln Red Imps. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/Pacemaker Press)

It means Larne now miss out on a £2.7million financial windfall and the potential for dream League Phase clashes against the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Ajax and Monaco.

"Heartbroken, that's probably the biggest thing I'm feeling right now,” reflected Haveron. “To come so close...for 82 minutes, we played ever so well.

"I thought we played some really, really good football. Bar the first maybe 15 minutes where they came out and had a real good go, I thought we settled and then we played some great football and we created so many good chances.

"My biggest disappointment is that we haven't taken one of them because that would have changed the complexion of the game completely.

"If we get the goal, then we get the momentum and they've got to come out even more, it would have played very much into our hands.

"But we didn't take one of those chances and then a goal from nothing really, an absolute wonder strike.

"My disappointment is that I'm standing right behind the ball and it clearly hits (Bernardo) Lopes on the hand – he tries to control it on his thigh and it hits him in the hand, they play on and they go up the other end and score direct from it.

"It's a wonder strike, but my disappointment is that we conceded the second goal, not so much the first.

"First goals can happen, wonder hits can happen, ricochets or a slight mistake can happen, but it's about not conceding the second one when you're rattled...that's the one I'm going to be disappointed with the most, the second one.

"But even at that, we've had an unbelievable chance at the last kick of the ball and how it's not going in the bottom corner, you're talking about the width of the post, it's just ridiculous, the small margins at this level.”

A late double at the end of normal time and Gibson’s red card ultimately swung the tie in the Red Imps’ favour – and Haveron was left frustrated with a number of officiating calls.

"The first yellow card is a joke because the ball goes up in the air and he goes up and challenges for the ball,” he added. “He hasn't led with his elbow, he's jumped with his arm high and he's not swung it, he's just jumped with it to get leverage to get up.

"The first one's harsh, the second one is a case of, again, he doesn't see where the guy is, it's not like he's trying to slap him or hit him, but he did make contact with him.

"When you throw your hand back, I suppose, you leave that open...it certainly didn't help our cause.

"We dug in, we still had some chances and we were still a threat in the game from the balls in the box that we had.

"I think at this level, Cricky's (Gallagher) maybe made the minimum contact, but when you go to ground, you always give the referee a decision to make.

"We were one minute away from taking the game to penalties...it’s a lottery, but you've still got a chance and a much better chance than you have playing against 10 men against the level of opposition.

"I'm just disappointed for them as much as anything else, but incredibly proud of the effort they put in.”