Connah's Quay Nomads 0-2 KA Akureyri (Agg 0-4): Nomads out of Europe at first hurdle
- Published
Connah's Quay were appearing in European competition for a seventh season.
Connah's Quay Nomads bowed out of the Europa Conference League as they lost 2-0 to Iceland's KA Akureyri in the second leg of their first qualifying round tie.
Daniel Hafsteinsson, who had scored in his side's 2-0 first leg victory, netted the opening goal early in the first half at Park Hall.
Elfar Adalsteinsson sealed a 4-0 aggregate win with 14 minutes left.
KA Akureyri will face Dundalk in the next round.
Nomads made a positive start and Jordan Davies' long throw into the penalty area was headed wide of the post by Kai Edwards.
KA Akureyri went ahead after 16 minutes with Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson's corner headed on by Jakob Snaer Arnason for Hafsteinsson to score at the far post.
Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson had a further opportunity for the Icelandic side before Nomads' Harry Franklin put a curling effort wide of the post.
Franklin made a strong run into the penalty area but his pass for Jack Kenny was intercepted and cleared while at the other end Bjarni Adalsteinsson's long range effort did not trouble Andy Firth.
The second half saw Callum Morris' effort by Kristijan Jajalo following a cross by Noah Edwards, who himself was denied by the Akureyri keeper.
But any Nomads hopes were finally extinguished when substitute Adalsteinsson's close range finish from a cross by Steingrímsson extended the visitors advantage.
Davies fired a speculative long range effort over the bar while substitute Michael Wilde had a goal disallowed after the veteran striker's foul on Jajalo as Nomads' European campaign came to an end.
Connah's Quay Nomads manager Neil Gibson said:
"Extremely disappointed. I don't feel in any way shape or form that over two legs it's a 4-0 aggregate scoreline.
"They probably had better quality in the final moments and when we did have opportunities we didn't take them and I thought we had a perfectly good goal ruled out as well.
"Things conspired against us tonight and it wasn't to be."