FC Litex Lovech v Glentoran

Champions League Preliminary Round 1st Leg

FC Litex 3 - 0 Glentoran

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GLENTORAN TAKE EURO ROASTING

BUT KEEPER GOUGH IS HERO

Alan Gough emerged as the hero as Glentoran's Champoins League hopes are literally hanging by a thread. The Irish League Champions were given a thorough roasting by a classy Liteks side in soaring temperatures. It was Gough making his first competitive appearance for the team since his transfer from Shelbourne last month, who came to the rescue of his overrun team-mates on numerous occasions. His most memorable moment came up in the 73rd minute when he brilliantly beat out a penalty kick from Alban Bushai. By the stage the Glens were under seige as the Bulgarian side probed for a third and probable killer goal.

Glentoran manager Roy Coyle acknowledged Gough's contirbution afterwards"He was outstanding"said Coyle. "I knew what I was getting when I signed him. I did my homework and he certainly played a hero's part tonight. Coyle also admitted that his teams hopes of gaining any consolation in the return leg at the Oval next week are slim. Liteks are a class side and it's going to be very difficult he added "They are technically gifted and tactically they are very aware and astute. At 2-0 we were looking good and defending well. But the third goal was a sickener and it's going to be very difficult to recover from that position. In saying that, Justin McBride had two great chances to put us on the score sheet unfortunately they didn't put them away.

Glentoran finished with six players booked -the Yugoslav Official booking Chris Walker, Colin Nixon, John Kennedy, Pate Batey, Sturat Elliott and Rory Hamill, for it has to be said minor offences. Glentorans resistence against the slick Bulgarians remained intact for only 12 minutes.

The gifted Altin Haxhi an Albanian International set off on a dazzling solo run from midfield, his pace cut open the Glentoran defence and he cooly drove a right foot shot low past Gough. The Belfast team had an amazing let off four minutes later when Bushai vicious 20 yard ground shot beat the overworked Gough but Tim McCann somehow got back to swoop the ball off the line.

Gough pulled off a breathtaking save on 21 minutes bravely blocking Sevetoslav Todorov's shot with an outstretched leg. But he could do little about Litex's second goal on 36 minutes when referee Arsich amazed everyone in the all seated 7,000 crowd to award the home team a soft penalty. Todorov drove the ball straight at the unfortunate Kennedy but the Yugoslav official saw it differently and Bushai converted expertly.

Glentoran rode their luck two minutes later when Kennedys's mistake let in Haxhi but again big Gough was equal to the effort, managing to parry the strikers shot. The Glens should have punished their opponents three minutes from the interval when Paul Leeman's cross was met by Justin McBride but the little striker volleyed wildly over the crossbar. Liteks went straight to the other end and Todorov's blistering volley crashed against the underside of the crossbar and into the relieved arms of Alan Gough.

After the interval Rory Hamill missed the Glens best chance of the night. Stuart Elliott sent Kennedy free down the left. His cross was parriedby goalkeeper Vitomar Voutov under pressure from Justin McBride. But Hamill shamefully headed the follow up wide. A goal at that point would certainly have given the Glens a much needed lift. Gough pulled out a fabulous save on 66 minutes when Ivan Rushev's corner was met by Todorov but the Glens keeper somehow got a hand to the ball to deflect it wide. Gough again came to the rescue with that stunning penalty save following Walkers challenge on Marun Petrov, brilliantly beating out Bushai's well hit shot. To the astonishment of the home crowd Haxhi was withdrawn from the Liteks side. It was a decision that clearly angered the little Albanian who promptly tore off his shirt in disgust. Gough produced yet another moment of magic on 80 minutes when substitute Veliza Dimitrov was clean through after getting the better of Michael Ferguson but the big keeper once again used his feet to prevent a certain goal. Only 60 seconds later when the Bulgarians grabbed that so important third goal, Rusev sent Petrov through the middle and this time Gough had no chance as the midfielder picked his spot from 10 yards.

Glentoran skipper, Pete Batey making his debut in that role was gutted afterwards, "They certainly put us under the cosh for the first 30 minutes and quite honestly we were chasing shadows at times", said Batey. But we got our game together in the second half closed them down quicker and deprived them of space and I thought 2-0 result would have been satisfactory. But when you get a referee making so many strange decisions it is very annoying. The lads ran their socks off and are all downhearted becuase some of the decisions were rediculous, three goals is a lot to pull back against a team like this but we'll have a crack at them at the Oval. We'll certainly not give it up, said Batey.