Linfield knocked out of Uefa Cup

All-Ireland champions Linfield have been sent crashing out of this year's Uefa Cup following a 4-2 defeat (5-3 on aggregate) to Halmstads of Sweden at Windsor Park.

David Jeffrey's men went into Thursday's game full of hope after securing a 1-1 draw in the opening away leg two weeks ago.

However, all hopes of a trip into the first round proper of the competition were virtually dashed when goals by Gunnar Heidar Thorvaldsson, Tommy Jonsson and Yaw Preko gave the visitors a 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate) half-time lead.

In the second half the Blues showed a lot more adventure and were able to conjure up two goals through Glenn Ferguson and Tim Mouncey, however the Swedish visitors finished the game off with a fourth goal through Dusan Djuric followed by a 84th minute dismissal of Linfield striker Peter Thompson, to the disappointment of 4,000 home fans.

Linfield boss David Jeffrey said he was annoyed to give away all three opening goals.

"I was proud of the players in the second half but annoyed at them in the first," he said.

"We made schoolboy errors and the players did not do themselves justice.

"The frustrating thing is that two of the goals could have been prevented. It was our old Achilles heel. We should have defended better."

Linfield will now turn their attention to the ongoing CIS Cup and the start of the Irish Premier League which begins next month.

(MB/SP)