Crusaders 0 - 3 Rosenborg

Rosenborg ran out comfortable winners over Crusaders by 3-0 to nil in Seaview on Thursday night.

Mikael Dorsin scored a goal in each half either side of Borek Dockal’s 71st minute strike that broke the hearts and resistance of the home side who had looked like they might frustrate the visitors up to that point.

Gareth McKeown should have given Crusaders a goal to take with them to Trondheim for the return leg on the 12th of July but his late penalty was saved by Daniel Orlund.

Rosenborg took control of the game from the first whistle, as you would expect from a full-time outfit already thirteen games into their season, and Borek Dockal dragged an early free kick wide of Sean O’Neill’s post. Marcus Henriksen, who the attendant Neil Lennon was rumoured to be watching, then slipped when through on goal with the Crues defence scrambling.

Sean O’Neill produced a marvellous save as Simen Wangberg directed Dockal’s corner goalwards. The respite proved only temporary however, as a minute later full-back Mikael Dorsin headed home Henriksen’s cross from almost the same identical spot.

Things looked ominous for the home side as O’Neill made two good saves to deny Henriksen and Jonas Svensson, with Dockal hitting another free-kick just wide.

Henriksen and Dockal then combined and the latter should have at least hit the target from twelve yards but his shot flew harmlessly past the post and wide.

The half hour point marked an upturn in fortunes for the Hatchetmen who began to garner some possession in midfield and start to exert some pressure of their own. They very nearly found an equaliser on 41 minutes when Timmy Adamson’s sweetly struck volley hit the top of bar with the goalkeeper beaten.

The second half saw Rosenborg re-establish their dominance but they seemed strangely reluctant to up the tempo and finish the tie on the night. Perhaps thoughts had already turned to their upcoming weekend league fixture against high flying Molde, but there was definitely a lethargy to their play that Crusaders sought to exploit on the counter.

The game surged to life on 68 minutes when Crusaders were convinced that Peter Ankersen handled the ball in the area, but their penalty appeals fell on deaf ears.

Some were still appealing minutes later when substitute Pricia Rade played in Dockal and the midfielder calmly stroked the ball into the corner of the net to double Rosenborg’s advantage.

Things went from bad to worse only three minutes later when Declan Caddell, who had been involved in a niggling battle with Dockal all evening, went in two-footed on the goal scorer and Dawid Piasecki showed no hesitation in issuing a straight red card.

There then followed a disastrous five minutes for Gareth McKeown as it was his error that allowed Jonas Svensson to nip in and dispossess him in the area and then unselfishly lay the ball off to Mikael Dorsin who tapped in his second of the night.

Worse was to follow for the Crues full back as he couldn’t take advantage of Peter Ankersen’s handball and convert the penalty that would have given his side a sliver of hope for the return leg.

Rosenborg were content to hold possession for the final ten minutes and the home side were too exhausted to prevent them doing so.

It was always going to be a difficult night for Crusaders and Stephen Baxter will know that it will hardly get any easier for them when they visit Norway next week.

Crusaders: Sean O’Neill; Gareth McKeown, Paul Leeman, David Magowan, Stephen McBride; Paul Heatley (Craig McClean 72), Aiden Watson, Declan Caddell, Jordan Owens (Eamon McAllister 83); David Rainey (Matthew Snoddy 86), Timmy Adamson.

Subs not used: Wayne Drummond, David McMaster, David Gibson, Ciaran Gargan.

Rosenborg: Daniel Orlund; Peter Ankersen, Per Werner Ronning, Isaah Mohammad-Awal, Mikael Dorsin; Jonas Svensson, Marcus Henriksen, Borek Dockal,  Simen Wangberg (Jon Inge Hoiland 68) ; John Chibuke (Fredik Midtsjo 77), Steffen Iversen (Rade Pricia 55).

Subs not used: Hovedik Alexsander, Daniel Bernsten, Togstad Lars Arne.

Referee: Dawid Piasecki (Poland).

Attendance: 700 (estimate).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Borek Dockal (Rosenborg).