A penalty just before the end of the first half paved the way for FC Pyunik of Armenia to beat Marsaxlokk 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round at the Centenary Stadium on Thursday. 

Coach Enzo Potenza named new signing Oleksiy Bykov in the starting line-up while Lucas Caruana and Matheus Silva were included as substitutes.

The visitors managed to take the lead five minutes from the end of the first half when they were awarded a penalty after Juan Carlos Corbalan floored Daniil Kulikov inside the area and Momo Yansane converted from the penalty spot.

Six minutes in the second half, Pyunik doubled the score courtesy of Artak Dashyan whose long distance effort, when served by Yansane, gave goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi no chance.  

Pyunik sealed the issue on 66 minutes with Mikhail Kovalenko hitting home from close range after Mafoumbi had partially saved a Iasonas Pikis effort. 

The return match will be played at the ‘Vazgen Sargsyan’ Republican Stadium in Yerevan on July 16, kick-off at 18:00, with the qualifying side facing Debreceni VSC of Hungary in the second qualifying round.

MARSAXLOKK Christoffer Mafoumbi, Weder Soares Silva, Joseph Minala, Oualid El Hasni, Juan Carlos Corbalan, Redon Mihana (Nikolai Muscat 54), Domantas Simkus (Lucas Caruana 66), Isaac-Christie Davies (Jose Ulises Arias 54), Leandro Aguirre (Oleksiy Bykov 23), Rasmus Linden (Matheus Silva 54), Dodo

PYUNIK Henri Avagyan, Sead Islamovic (Erik Simonyan 83), Serhiy Vakulenko, Filipe Almeida, Hovhannes Harutyunyan (Edgar Malakyan 62), Mikhail Kovalenko (Robert Darbinyan 69), Nikos Kenourgios, Karlen Hovhannisyan (Gevorg Tarakhchyan 70), Artak Dashyan, Momo Yansane (Iasonas Pikis 62), Daniil Kulikov.

Referee: Milos Gigovic (BIH)

Assistant Referees: Amir Kodic, Damir Lazic (BIH)

Fourth Official: Armin Efendic (BIH)