Cork City 1-2 Genk (Genk win 3-1 on aggregate)
Cork City's Europa League dream has ended for another year with a 2-1 defeat to KRC Genk at Turner's Cross.
The Belgians scored two goals in the first half to settle the encounter, and though the SSE Airtricity League side pulled one back after the break, they never came close to taking control of the tie.
With Ireland boss Martin O'Neill in attendance, City looked bright early on; however, Thomas Buffel put his team ahead after a well-worked move on 13 minutes before Sebastien Dewaest doubled the visitors' tally with minutes to go to the half-time whistle.
John Caulfield's men never gave up their chase and continued to press their opponents, eventually scoring through an Alan Bennett header on 62 minutes.
Try as he might, substitute Mark O'Sullivan couldn't fashion an equaliser despite having two fantastic attempts late on. Genk, for their part, also missed a penalty in added time - Neeskens Kebano blasting his spot kick off the crossbar.
The Leesiders retained faith in the side that had performed so well in this third qualifying round fixture in Belgium last week, while the visitors made one sole alternation and introduced Congolese striker Kebano in place of Nikolas Karelis, who dropped to the bench.
A goal down from the first leg, City knew they had to score at least two on the night and not concede to have any change of progressing to the next round of the competition. As a result, they started with intent and several early set pieces to try and threaten their opponents.
The game's first real chance fell to last week's goal scorer, Leon Bailey. Former Swansea City boy Alejandro Pozuelo supplied the ball into the box from a corner and winger Bailey was waiting at the back post to pounce, only for Kenny Browne to deflect the effort away from danger.
The breakthrough came four minutes later. Bailey, again, was the instigator by racing away clear down the left before finding the incoming Buffel with a pinpoint cross.
The ex-Rangers man hit the ball first time, side footing his shot into the roof of the net and leaving Mark McNulty with no chance of a save.
City, to their credit, didn't fall back and continued to press. However, that also left them open to counter attack and Bailey should have done better on 18 minutes when he broke away only to fire right and wide.
The hosts called Marco Bizot into action for the first time with 22 minutes gone. From Kevin O'Connor's throw, Greg Bolger fired a looping cross deep into the box; however, instead of finding any of his team-mates, the ball dipped and the Genk keeper was forced to parry it away from his net and out for a corner.
A mistake from McNulty almost saw the Belgians in again on the half-hour mark. The goalkeeper's poor clearance was picked up by Buffel, who drove into the area and chipped across the box to Bailey.
The attacker, however, fluffed his lines and City were able to clear.
The game was end-to-end at this stage and a minute later centre-half Browne blazed a loose ball into the stand following another corner from O'Connor.
Now in need of three goals, City continued to push forward without creating any clear cut chances. And, much to the disappointment of the sold out crowd of 6,900, the next goal went the way of Genk.
Pozuelo floated a corner superbly into the box and Dewaest escaped the attention of Browne, for once, to direct a powerful header straight to the back of the Cork net.
Caulfield added O'Sullivan and Danny Morrissey to his attack for the second half, and the former drove his first shot in anger wide of Bizot's post from a narrow angle on 50 minutes.
Dooley caused problems for Sandy Walsh all evening, but it was an attack down the right that allowed City pull a goal back on 62 minutes. O'Connor landed an excellent free on Bennett's head at the far post and the centre-half made no mistake from yards out.
Genk substitute Leadro Trossard almost danced through the Cork defence - only to be halted by Garry Buckley - shortly after his introduction and forced McNulty into another decent save in a crowded box with 15 minutes remaining.
O'Sullivan then had a header tipped away by Bizot on 79 minutes before seeing a second effort drop just over the Dutchman's crossbar in the final moments of the game.
Cork City FC: Mark McNulty; Michael McSweeney (Danny Morrissey '46), Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O'Connor; Greg Bolger; Steven Beattie, Gearoid Morrissey (Mark O'Sullivan '46), Garry Buckley, Stephen Dooley; Sean Maguire (Karl Sheppard '56).
Substitutes: Colin Healy, Gavan Holohan, Matthew Conor, Ian Turner.
KRC Genk: Marco Bizot; Sandy Walsh, Sébastien Dewaest, Dries Wouters, Jere Uronen; Wilfred Ndidi; Thomas Buffel (Holly Tshimanga '73), Alejandro Pozuelo, Ally Samatta (Brian Heynen '77), Leon Bailey (Leandro Trossard '65); Neeskens Kebano.
Substitutes: Nikolas Karelis, Bennard Kumordzi, Dante Vanzeir, Laszlo Koteles.
Referee: Kristo Tohver (Estonia)
