Larne produced a performance to remember in their UEFA Champions League second leg clash with HJK Helsinki at Solitude but ultimately exited the competition after extra-time.

Already a goal up from the first leg, HJK doubled their advantage on aggregate on 26 minutes when Tuomas Ollila popped up at the back post to direct the ball past Rohan Ferguson.

Tiernan Lynch's side pushed hard for the equaliser after the break with Tomas Cosgrove teeing Micheal Glynn to volley narrowly over while Shea Gordon had a low shot kept out by Jesse Ost.

Then, a little later, Ost was called into action again to tip a Lee Bonis back post header over the bar.

But, on 65 minutes, Larne were rewarded for their efforts after Jukka Raitala was adjudged to have handled inside the area and, from the spot-kick that followed, Bonis stepped up to send Ost the wrong way.

Still needing a goal to stay in the tie, Larne remarkably grabbed it with three minutes remaining after an Andy Ryan cross from the left was knocked on by Bonis with Joe Thomson seemingly getting the final touch to divert it past Ost.

That forced extra-time, and gave both sides the chance to regroup and push for the winner.

Unfortunately for Larne, the winning goal fell to the visitors six minutes into extra-time courtesy of Roope Riski's finish at the far post after Pyri Soiri had crossed from the right side of the box, although the ball may have come off Shaun Want in the end.

Larne will now progress to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League and will face FC Ballkani from Kosovo. The first leg is scheduled to be played in Kosovo next week with the return penned in for August 3rd.

Larne: Ferguson, Cosgrove, Want, Bolger, Donnelly, Glynn, Bolger, Sloan, Millar, Bonis, Ryan subs Dowling, Omar, Farquhar, Thomson, Kearns, O'Neill, Westendorf, Maguire, Smith

HJK Helsinki: Iliev, Ollila, Toivio, Radulovic, Lingman, Tenho, Kekinen, Raitala, Soiri, Kanellopolous, Olusanya subs Ost, Riski, Kouassivi-Benissan, Tanaka, Toivonen, Moller, Boamah