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Larne's Rangers dream over as Georgia extra-time pain game leads to Europa League exit Larne’s Europa League exit to Iberia 1999 will leave manager Gary Haveron reflecting on a case of what could have been – both in terms of first-leg frustration and missing out on a potential glamour clash reward with Scottish giants Rangers. Haveron highlighted the risks after last week’s first-leg scoreless draw in the third qualifying round to the Georgia champions and a 2-1 reverse on Tuesday in Tbilisi left the best of last season’s Irish League out of the Europa League. As a result, Larne have lost the chance to face Rangers in the play-off round – with the Ibrox outfit aiming on Thursday to overturn a 2-1 deficit in Glasgow to Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok for the chance to, now, take on Iberia 1999. Vakho Bedoshvili broke the deadlock for the hosts on 74 minutes but Larne left it level moments later thanks to James Simpson. With the scoreline all-square after 90 minutes, the next moment – which proved decisive – arrived from a Nika Sikharulashvili goal on 102 minutes. Haveron’s men now drop down into the UEFA Conference League play-off round to face the losing side between Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar or Cyprus’ Omonia for a shot at progress into the league phase. Larne, winners of three Irish League titles in four seasons, made history for Northern Ireland football in 2024 by reaching the European league phase stage for the first time. LARNE: Ferguson, Cosgrove, Bent, Ridley, Donnelly, Graham, Gallagher, Doherty, Sloan, Gibson, Lusty. Subs: Carney, Wallace, McKendry, Randall, O'Neill, Magee, Ukek, O'Hara, McEneff, Simpson.