Serravalle, San Marino Stadium – Larne FC have won the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 first qualifying round 1-0 away at Tre Fiori. The only goal of the evening came from Matthew Lusty in the 45th minute, assisted by Sam McClelland. The second leg will determine who faces Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) in the second qualifying round.
Difficult start, early yellow cards
Larne did not come through the first half unscathed. Sean Graham picked up a yellow card as early as the 10th minute, with Sam McClelland following suit in the 19th minute. The burden of those early bookings forced manager Gary Haveron to act at half-time: McClelland left the field at the interval and was replaced by Benjamin Magee. Yet it was McClelland himself who, just moments before his substitution, had laid on the decisive assist for the opener.
Lusty converted in the 45th minute to make it 0-1 at the break — a goal that carried considerable symbolic weight. The 21-year-old striker from Newtownards had scored six goals in his seven competitive appearances prior to this match and duly extended that run. Lusty has worn the Larne shirt since 2021, and against Tre Fiori he once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers in Northern Irish football.
Second half: Tre Fiori chase an equaliser
Tre Fiori, San Marino's record champions with nine Campionato Sammarinese titles to their name in recent years, pushed for an equaliser after the restart. The home side responded swiftly on the touchline, introducing Mattia Sancisi and Giulio Ponticelli in the 56th and 57th minutes respectively. Captain Matteo Prandelli, who had scored 23 goals in 29 league matches during the 2025/26 season, remained on the pitch initially but was shown a yellow card in the 58th minute. Danilo Girolomoni followed him into the book in the 66th minute.
Larne managed Tre Fiori's spells of pressure with their own substitutions: Jordan McEneff and Joshua Ukek came on in the 63rd minute, while Lusty was replaced by Kevin O'Hara in the 78th minute. The lead remained intact.
The picture ahead of the second leg
The 1-0 advantage is a solid result for Larne, though hardly a cushion that guarantees comfort. Tre Fiori will need at least one goal in the second leg to keep the tie alive. For Larne and manager Gary Haveron — who led the club to a third league title in four years during the 2025/26 season — progression to the second qualifying round against Red Star Belgrade would represent the next step on a path the Northern Irish club has pursued with remarkable consistency in recent years. The second leg will reveal whether Matthew Lusty's goal ultimately proved to be the decisive one.
