St Mirren out of Europe after defeat by Brann

Manager Stephen Robinson says St Mirren “have had the taste and now want more” European football after their Conference League adventure ended in a devastating defeat by Brann.

Joachim Soltvedt rolled in the opener after a cute cutback to put Robinson’s side 2-1 behind on aggregate early in the third qualifying round second leg in Bergen.

Searching for their first win away on the continent for 44 years, St Mirren did not go down without a fight as Oisin Smyth’s wonderful volley was well saved and Richard Taylor’s close-range header flew too high.

As the game went on, it grew incredibly open in the relentless rain and the scent of a St Mirren equaliser was in the air.

They were a threat from set-pieces all night and substitutes Fraser Taylor and Alex Iacovitti linked up, with the latter thunderously heading the visitors level with just over 15 minutes left.

With the wind in their sails, it seemed that, if any team might grab victory, it would be St Mirren.

Mikael Mandron picked out Toyosi Olusanya, but the striker, who put in a tireless shift, slipped in untimely fashion and the chance was squandered.

Felix Myhre then powered a heartbreaking header beyond Ellery Balcombe with five minutes left before Aune Heggebo capitalised on the visitors’ collapse with Brann’s third on the break.

The Norwegians now progress to the play-off round, where they will face Astana of Kazakhstan.

Robinson could not hide his pride for his side. “We score a brilliantly worked corner, a brilliant delivery from young Fraser Taylor and, for 10 minutes, we had them rocking,” he told BBC Scotland.

“Toy slips over when he has a side-foot into the goal – the game could have been very different.

“Had we played like that over two legs, if we had that belief in the first leg, it might have been a different story.”