Larne manager Gary Haveron said he was "proud" of his side's performance despite a 4-0 home defeat by Red Star Belgrade in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round tie. The Northern Irish champions held the Serbian side well for long spells, particularly in the first half, before a costly 10-minute spell in the second period effectively ended the contest.

Red Star took the lead through a penalty converted by Bruno Duarte, who added a second in the second half, while Vasilije Kostov and Muhammed Cham also scored to seal the 4-0 win at Larne's home ground. Haveron acknowledged the gulf in quality but said the experience would benefit the club going forward, with Larne now looking ahead to the second leg in Belgrade next Wednesday and eyeing a more realistic chance of progress via the Europa or Conference League qualifying routes.