Aberdeen have been eliminated from the Europa League courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Slovenian side Maribor in the second qualifying round.
Following a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie last week, the Scottish outfit knew that they needed to score in Slovenia this evening to stand any chance of progressing, but they slumped to a 1-0 defeat in a match that also saw Jayden Stockley sent off for the visitors.
The match was preceded by a minute of silence in memory of Maribor youngsters Damjan Marjanovic and Zoran Baljak, who lost their lives in a car accident on Tuesday, and it was the home side who had the first shot on target of the night when Dare Vrsic's curling strike was comfortably held by Joe Lewis.
Aberdeen, who were without first-leg goalscorer Jonny Hayes through injury, quickly responded, and Jasmin Handanovic was called into action for the first time soon after when he denied Wes Burns.
The visitors were handed a glorious chance to get an all-important away goal midway through the first half when Adam Rooney was brought down in the area, with the referee pointing to the spot despite Niall McGinn scoring after the foul.
It proved to be a contentious decision when Rooney failed to convert from 12 yards, seeing his penalty kept out by Handanovic.
Sights of goal continued to arrive at both ends of the field, though, and after Marcos Tavares had headed wide from a corner for the hosts around the half-hour mark, Burns saw a tame shot comfortably gathered by the Maribor keeper.
Handanovic was the busier of the two shot-stoppers, and the hosts had him to thank again for keeping the scores level at the break when he tipped Graeme Shinnie's shot over shortly before the interval.
Aberdeen almost made a perfect start to the second period when a cross fell for McGinn at the back post, but he couldn't keep his volley down under pressure from the defence.
Maribor hit back with a couple of chances of their own, though, and Lewis was needed to keep out three efforts in as many minutes early in the half.
Dons manager Derek McInnes called on Stockley in an attempt to find the breakthrough, but it proved to be an ill-fated switch as he was heading back down the tunnel within 10 minutes having picked up two yellow cards.
The Slovenian hosts have knocked Hibernian, Rangers and Celtic out of Europe in the last six years, and they looked increasingly like adding Aberdeen to that list of Scottish conquests following the red card, with Tavares and Bla Vrhovec threatening from distance.
Rooney forced one more save from Handanovic with five minutes remaining, but it was Maribor who looked most like scoring in the closing stages and the opening goal eventually arrived deep into stoppage time.
It was a calamitous way to end Aberdeen's European hopes as Mark Reynolds's back-pass bobbled over the foot of Lewis and in for an own goal, sending the hosts through to the playoffs.
