Sky Blues defeated in Showgrounds qualifier
A battling Ballymena United lost 4-0 to Malmo in their Europa League first-round qualifier at the Ballymena Showgrounds on Thursday.
Behrang Safari's stunning first-half strike put the Swedish side ahead on the night.
Guillermo Molins, Erdal Rakip and Romain Gall netted to complete a 11-0 aggregate victory.
After a 7-0 first-leg defeat in Sweden, David Jeffrey's sought to limit the damage on their home patch.
The Sky Blues started brightly but were soon on the back foot when Molins and Berget combined to carve open the home side's defence.
Ballymena came close to getting a goal, with Ryan Mayse flashing a free-kick just wide.
Then, on 27 minutes, Safari's 30-yard half-volley left Ross Glendinning flat-footed as the Swedes picked up where they left off last week.
Shane McGinty battling with Erdal Rakip
Molins added to his first-leg goal with a neat finish and Rakip added Malmo's third of the night after another flowing move.
McGinty was unable to provide Ballymena scant consolation when he missed the target on 74 minutes and United's misery was completed when referee Oskari Hamalainen awarded a penalty for Cathair Friel's nudge on Berget.
Gall comfortably slotted home from 12 yards to round off another impressive win for the Swedes.
"We knew it was going to be very difficult given the class they showed in the first leg," said Jeffrey.
He added: "But I thought we did tremendously well and 4-0 flattered them. I didn't think their penalty should have been given and we could have scored one or two had we been more clinical ourselves."
- Line-ups
Line-ups
Ballymena United
1Glendinning
11McCullough
8HarpurSubstituted forLaveryat 70'minutes
6MayseBooked at 90mins
4AddisSubstituted forKellyat 75'minutes
17McGrory
14Burns
7McGinty
23Millar
22LeckySubstituted forFrielat 71'minutesBooked at 90mins
19Balmer
Substitutes
5Whiteside
9Friel
20Winchester
21Ervin
26Kelly
28Lavery
32Friel
Malmö FF
1Melichárek
6LewickiSubstituted forRieksat 68'minutes
19RakipSubstituted forChristiansenat 74'minutes
4Safari
18GallBooked at 55mins
11MolinsSubstituted forPricaat 61'minutes
23Antonsson
20InnocentBooked at 89mins
32Berget
24Nielsen
31Brorsson
Substitutes
5Rieks
7Bachirou
14Christiansen
17Bengtsson
27Dahlin
37Prica
38Shabani
Referee:
Kaarlo Oskari Hamalainen
Source: bbc.com