Striker Jamie Moralee helped Barry to a win on the night

Barry Town bowed out of Europe at the first hurdle but can take pride in a spirited performance that had opponents FK Vardar on the back foot for most of Wednesday night's clash.

Facing a 3-0 deficit from the first leg of their Champions' League first qualifying round out in Macedonia, Barry made the best possible start by pulling back a goal within the first minute.

The Dragons forced their visitors from Skopje to concede a free kick on the left and a good, deep cross hung invitingly in the Jenner Park air.

Defender Lee Jarman needed no second bidding and muscled his way into the box to make the sweetest of connections and power the ball into the back of the net.

Despite still holding a two-goal advantage in the tie, Vardar were clearly rattled by their early reversal as Barry poured forward in search of a second.

Chances came and went begging, with the most agonising a header from young Nigerian striker Ade Akinfenwa that rolled agonisingly wide of the post with the Vardar goalkeeper beaten.

Barry continued to attack in the second half, but as the match progressed were forced to take more chances.

The feared sucker punch came on 61 minutes as Vardar counter-attacked swiftly and Rogerio Oliveira forced the ball over the goal-line.

However, the home side were not prepared to lie down and replied within two minutes as Jamie Moralee pounced to make it 2-1 on the night.

But with the away goals rule, Barry still needed three more goals to win through to the next round and face Russian giants CSKA Moscow.

Vardar were content to sit back, defend in depth and try to catch Barry on the break.

The Dragons hammered away but it was in vain as they again bowed out in the first qualifying round of the Champions' League.

Barry Town: Ovendale, Jarman, Kennedy, Morgan, Phillips, French, Jamie Moralee, Ramasut, Akinfenwa, Cotterrall, Ocquaye. Subs: Lloyd, Molloy, Jenkins, Byrn, York, Moss, Rudall.

FK Vardar: Zekir, Veselinovski, Gjosevski, Blesing, Trajcev, Petkov, Zaharievski, Ristovski, Georgievski, Brankovic, Dos Santos. Subs: Basnarkov, Grozdanoski, Bozinovski, Milevski, Oliveira, Nacevski.

Referee: Sergey Kapanin (Kazakhstan).