Crusaders European journey came to an end tonight in Norway after Extra Time at the hands of Rosenborg in a game that had everything.

With the tie level after the first leg, the hosts were favourites, but despite them taking the lead after half an hour, Crusaders levelled. The tie went to ET where once again Rosenborg held the lead but second later Heatley levelled. Heatley then moments later received his marching orders for a second yellow for time wasting.

Just minutes into the second half of ET Rosenborg grabbed the winner through Cornic smashing home on the rebound to set up a tie with Hearts in the third qualifying round, breaking Crusaders hearts who return home to start their league campaign next week.

Crusaders did start the better of the two sides and had a succession of early corners, they did have a headed effort that was well saved by Hansen down to his left but from then on it went by way of the script in the first half with the hosts dominating the ball and the chances.

It was just after the half hour mark when the hosts took the lead in the tie. Jayden Nelson was played in behind on the left hand side and calmly slid the ball past Jonathan Tuffey to give the home fans something to cheer about, not that they needed it with the Rosenborg faithful in fine voice throughout the game.

They looked to put the tie away from Crusaders before the break, but despite totalling up seven corners and 62% of the ball, their lead at the break looked to be just one, but on the stroke of half time the tie was level once more.

A lovely backheel from Ben Kennedy in the box parallel to the goal left Philip Lowry an easy task to slot into the empty net and bring his side back on terms right as the clock ticked into the red, to the delight of the few fans who made the arduous trip to Norway.

Rosenborg continued to be the dominant team in the second half of the game, the flurry of corners continued as the hosts ran up a total of 12 with twenty minutes to go, but their biggest chance came from goal scorer Nelson who had a second chance acrobatic effort towards the net come crashing back off the bar and cleared after a scramble.

As time ticked towards the end of the 90, despite the home side still pushing it felt like extra time was inevitable, will Crusaders doing an excellent job at slowing down the game, helped by five yellow cards in the process.

Substitute Thorvaldsson had a huge chance to steal the game for Rosenborg right at the death but his header was met by Tuffey who kept the tie alive for Crusaders as the Norweigans looked certain to get the winner, so to Extra Time we went.

Ten minutes into extra time Rosenborg subbed on Skjelbred, and within thirty seconds, he picked up the ball and whipped a delightful cross that Thorvaldsson could not miss this time as he beat the keeper to head home and put the hosts ahead once more. He did however have a nasty collision with the keeper and had to be withdrawn moments later.

With the task looking steep, Crusaders did not back down, in fact within seconds of the restart they had levelled the tie once again. Paul Heatley hit a shot towards the net that looped over the keeper and in to send Crusaders into a frenzy.

Tie game once more, but the punches kept coming as Heatley went from one end of the emotional scale to the other, picking up a second yellow card for time wasting that the referee spotted as he was slow in removing a second football off the pitch. The whistle blew and now Crusaders had to hold on for 15 mins of ET with 10 men. The task already daunting enough.

The Crusaders fight was surely over though three minutes into the second half of ET. Holtes' effort towards the net was well saved by Tuffey but up stepped Cornic for the hosts to smash the rebound in off the bar, once again sending the home crowd wild knowing that with their opponents down to ten, they surely would hold on this time.

That they did, setting up a tie with Hearts in the third qualifying round, a lucrative fixture that just escaped Crusaders as they now return home with all focus towards the start of the NIFL campaign next Friday night.