Sliema Wanderers suffered a 7-0 loss to FC Noah of Armenia in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round at the City Stadium.

FC Noah, who had eliminated Shkendija of North Macedonia with a 4-1 aggregate score in the first round dominated from start to finish, scoring three in the first half, adding four goals after the break.

The hosts were clearly a better side right from the start and managed to take the lead on 19 minutes thanks to Virgile Pinson. Nine minutes later, Goncalo Gregorio doubled the score and the same played made it 3-0 just past the half hour. 

Eleven minutes in the second half, Noah extended the lead thanks to another goal by Gregorio and two goals in hardly a minute by Erald Cinari and an own goal between the 72nd and 73rd piled up more misery on the Blues before Helder Ferreira scored the seventh goal one minute in added time.

The return leg is scheduled for August 1 at the Centenary Stadium, kick-off at 19:00. The winner will face Greek side AEK Athens or Inter Club d’Escaldes of Andorra.

NOAH Ognjen Chancharevich, Gudmundur Thorarinsson, Goncalo Gregorio (81’ Mathues Aias), Erald Cinari, Artem Avanesian (64’ Hovhannes Hambartsumyan), Martin Gambos (74’ Imrane Oulad Omar), Aleksandar Milijkovic (64’ Helder Ferreira), Gor Manvelyan, Pablo Santos, Goncalo Silva, Virgile Pinson (64’ Gustavo Sangare).

SLIEMA Josip Bender, Jean Borg, Joseph Minala (46’ Serginho), Adam Magri Overend (78’ Neil Frendo), Vito Plut (70’ Samuel Gomes), Myles Beerman (65’ Cain Attard), Gustavo Alcino, Murilo Henrique, Geoffrey Acheampong, Simon Zibo, Steve Pisani (78’ Stanley Ohawuchi).

Referee Roman Jutari (MDA)

Assistant Referees: Vlad Lifciu, Vadim Vicol (MDA)

Fourth Official Ion Orlic (MDA)