Late drama at Seaview helps keep Crusaders hopes alive for Norway date

Stephen Baxter’s men produced a gutsy, battling performance full of passion and hunger against celebrated Norwegian side Rosenborg to keep their Europa Conference League hopes alive.

It’s the fifth time the clubs have met in European combat and the Crues are still looking for their first win.

But they can hold their heads high after this performance.

It all started so well for the home team with Philip Lowry firing them into an early lead. But Rosenborg led at the interval through strikes from Carlo Holse and Ole Saeter, the latter from the penalty spot.

But defender Billy Joe Burns’ shot left the home team level on 74 minutes, helped by a Rosenborg deflection.

Ben Kennedy was sent clear by a peach of a pass from Ross Clarke on five minutes only to see his left-footed shot beaten away by goalkeeper Andre Hansen.

But the Crues defied all the odds by taking the lead on 11 minutes.

Striker Adam Lecky managed to get a telling flick to the ball, sending Lowry into the box. The midfielder turned brilliantly to drill the ball into the bottom corner.

The Crues almost did it again on 16 minutes. Paul Heatley this time led the defence on a merry dance after been sent clear by Jordan Forsythe.

After going past Sam Rogers, the little striker’s low show was touched on to the post by Hansen before Ulrik Jenssen mopped up.

But the Norwegians were always dangerous, breaking quickly with precision passing. Holse tested Jonny Tuffey with a blistering free-kick which the shot-stopper was forced to flip over the top.

On the half-hour mark, Holse showed great feet to trick his way past Lowry and, from 20 yards, drive a low shot home.

Referee Evangelos Manouchos awarded a penalty kick just before half-time against Daniel Larmour, who was holding off a challenge from Saeter, the referee insisting the ball came off the arm of the Crusaders man.

Saeter kept his cool to send Tuffey the wrong way from the spot.

After the restart, Jordan Forsythe was right out of luck when his booming header inched over the crossbar following Clarke’s pin-point corner-kick.

Amazingly, the Crues were level with 16 minutes remaining. Burns’ speculative shot from 25 yards appeared to be drifting wide before it ricocheted off the boot of Erlend Reitan and the ball trickled into the far corner.

And the Crues were almost in front again on 80 minutes when Heatley’s volley from the left flashed across the face of goal.

Burns then forced Hansen into a wonder save right at the end.

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, BJ Burns, Lowry, B.Kennedy (Owens, 74), Lecky (Winchester, 65), Forsythe, O’Rourke, Larmour, Heatley, McKeown, Clarke (Anderson, 73).

Subs (not used): Williamson, Kerr Weir, Teelan, M.Kennedy, Smith, Boyd, C.Burns.