Dunfermline Athletic 1 (Dempsey 72)
Hafnarfjord 2 (Bjornsson 82, Nielsen 89)
Aggregate 3-4
Attendance 7,189
The Pars entertained Hafnarfjord in their first
European tie for all of 34 years - staged in
unfamiliar surroundings due to the artificial pitch at
East End Park, and went into the game hoping to join
both Rangers and Hearts in tomorrow's UEFA Cup draw in
Monaco, but alas failed abysmally with a result that will
certainly have repercussions for Scotland's UEFA
coefficient.
Two ex-Rangers players lined up for the home side,
namely Greg Shields and Scott Wilson, against a side
fielding the son of former Ibrox midfielder Jim Bett -
namely Baldur.
The Pars were without a win thus far this campaign,
but did make a positive start with Craig Brewster
shooting wide inside four minutes, and then two
minutes later Andrius Skerla's header from a Gary
Dempsey corner flew just over.
The Icelanders looked the more comfortable side on the
ball, seldom wasting a pass, but the more direct style
of the home side, whilst lacking a cutting edge,
remained the more likely to open the scoring.
On the half-hour mark a Dempsey drive from twenty
yards whistled just wide, but six minutes later Noel
Hunt should have opened the scoring when put in the
clear by a Dempsey cross, only for hesitation to prove
fatal - goalkeeper Daoi Larusson blocking his effort.
Dempsey had been the outstanding Dunfermline player
throughout the first-half, and indeed almost opened
the scoring in 37 minutes when he headed over under
pressure from a Brewster header across the face of
goal from a Shields cross.
A goalless draw would of course have been enough to
see Athletic through, given the 2-2 draw in the first
leg, but Darren Young almost made the breakthrough
seven minutes after the restart with a low shot from
Craig Brewster's knockdown that was held by Larusson.
The opening goal almost arrived in 56 minutes - but at
the other end, Emil Halfredsson striking the underside
of the bar from 25 yards.
Hafnarfjord were however edging their way into the
game with the 7,189 spectators growing increasingly
nervous - Derek Stillie turning Bett's low drive wide
on the hour, then four minutes later Halfredsson was
inches wide from an Allan Borgvardt pass.
The Icelanders were gaining the upper hand; yet midway
through the second-half Darren Young tested Larusson
with a 22-yard drive.
Dunfermline finally snatched the lead in 72 minutes
when a Shields cross saw Larusson spill the ball under
pressure from Brewster - Dempsey firing the loose ball
into the net.
Two minutes later the tie was almost sealed when Noel
Hunt, at point-blank range from a Gary Mason pass saw
his effort deflected wide.
Just when Dunfermline appeared in control, Hafnarfjord
equalised in 82 minutes when substitute Armann
Bjornsson fired into the roof of the net from a
blatantly offside position, standing on the goal line
following a Skerla error.
A frantic closing few minutes saw the roof fall in on
the Pars with just 33 seconds remaining of regulation
time, Tommy Nielsen hooking the ball home following a
Halfredsson corner - the goal standing despite a clear
handball from substitute Asgeir Asgirsson.
Disaster for Dunfermline, but a historic win for the
Icelanders, who are the first club from that northern
outpost to progress through two successive rounds in
Europe.
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC Stillie; Shields, Wilson, Skerla,
Thomson (Byrne 82); Darren Young, Mason (Tod 90),
Derek Young (Donnelly 82), Dempsey; Hunt, Brewster
UNUSED SUBS Langfield, Lyle, Labonte, Mehmet
HAFNARFJORD Larusson; Sevarsson, Gardarsson; Nielsen,
Bjarnason, Halfredsson; Gardrson (Asgirsson 66), Bett,
Borgvardt, Guojonsson (Vidarsson 80), Stefansson
(Bjornsson 76)
UNUSED SUBS Halldorsson, Leifsson, Karkov, Olfasson
REFEREE Attila Hanacsek (Hungary)