UEFA.com
July 21 2004
Second round takes shape
FC Pyunik weathered a spirited fightback from FK Pobeda before
booking a second-round meeting with FC Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine
courtesy of a 4-2 aggregate win.
Frayed nerves
The Armenian champions, 3-1 victors in the first leg, were given a
scare after 23 minutes when Dragan Dimitrovski gave the F.Y.R.
Macedonian visitors the lead. A 2-0 victory would have put Pobeda
through on away goals, however Galust Petrosyan finally calmed
Pyunik’s frayed nerves with an equaliser 13 minutes from time.
Pobeda’s Borce Manevski was sent off in the 89th minute as the tie
slipped away from his side.
Kottila header
Elsewhere, a 27th-minute goal from Mika Kottila, his second winner is
as many Champions League matches this season, gave HJK Helsinki a 1-0
victory against Linfield FC to put the Finnish champions through 2-0
on aggregate.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv await
The vital strike arrived after 27 minutes when Kottila headed into
the net following good interplay between Liro Aalto, Tommi Grönlund
and Petri Oravainen. “Our next opponents [Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC of
Israel] are going to be harder,” said HJK coach Keith Armstrong.
Tense night in Tirana
It was also a tense night for KF Tirana, who advanced to a meeting
with Ferencvárosi TC of Hungary despite a 1-0 home defeat against
Belarussians FC Gomel. The Albanians squeaked through 2-1 on
aggregate. Meanwhile, FC WIT Georgia fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat in
the Faroe Islands against HB Tórshavn, but still won 7-3 overall and
will now play Poland’s Wisla Kraków.
No problems for Skonto
Skonto FC had few problems as they won 3-1 in Wales against Rhyl FC
to wrap up a 7-1 aggregate victory. Mihails Miholpas was on target
twice for the Latvians who will now face Trabzonspor of Turkey. Gary
Powell’s goal for Rhyl was the club’s first in European compeition.
Kaunas power
FBK Kaunas powered to a 6-1 aggregate win against Sliema Wanderers FC
after beating their Maltese visitors 4-1. Andrius Gedgaudas, Darius
Sanajevas, Saulius Mikoliunas and Marius Zaliukas scored for Kaunas
while Michael Mifsud, in his last game for Sliema before a move to
Norway, was also on target. The Lithuanians will face Djurgårdens IF
of Sweden in the next round.
Match overshadowed
However, this victory, and NK Gorica’s tie with FC Flora, remained
overshadowed by the death yesterday of former Lithuanian
international Valdemaras Martinkenas, who worked as goalkeeping coach
for the Estonian champions and national team.
Black armbands
Flora players wore black armbands in Martinkenas’ memory, but fell
3-1 on the night against the hosts, for whom Jani Šturm scored twice,
and 7-3 on aggregate. The Slovenians will now play Denmark’s FC
København.