It was always mission improbable for Cork City to overhaul Legia Warsaw in the Champions League first qualifying round after a 1-0 first-leg defeat and so it proved.

Before a crowd of 14,576 in the Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium last night, the Rebel Army put in a creditable performance but came up short, caught by the concession of two avoidable goals before a third at the death.

A strike before half-hour from José Kanté solidified Legia’s position and they made the game and tie safe in the final quarter after withstanding a City flurry midway through the second half.

Their progress to a meeting with Zrinjski Mostar or Spartak Trnava was already assured by the time sub Carlitos added a third. City do at least have the safety-net of the Europa League third qualifying round next month.

When you go against teams that are better technically and big clubs like Legia, you have to take your chances when you get them,” boss John Caulfield said last night.

“Over the two games, Legia dominated possession. At the same time, we came out of Turner’s Cross last week and we didn’t score — that was disappointing. It was disappointing tonight because we felt we could score.

“Ultimately you make mistakes, you give away soft goals and that’s difficult.

“It’s great for the club to be in the Champions League. We are disappointed because over two games were Legia the better team? But we had quite a number of chances to score. It is disappointing we didn’t.”

With Mark McNulty still short of full fitness after his ankle injury against Shamrock Rovers a week and a half ago, Peter Cherrie continued in goal for City. Defender Conor McCarthy and midfielder Gearóid Morrissey had been ruled out beforehand and Steven Beattie came into the side at right-back while Graham Cummins was Morrissey’s indirect replacement, slotting in at centre-forward while Karl Sheppard moved to the right wing and Garry Buckley dropped to partner Conor McCormack in midfield.

City set about containing their hosts and it was a strategy which served them well for much of the first half, though of course the Legia attacking threat was never going to be fully shut down and by the break, they had gone ahead on the night and doubled their lead in the tie.

It was one of their new signings, Guinea international José Kanté, who netted just before the half-hour with his first goal for the club. When defender Mateusz Wieteska was allowed to carry the ball forward, he lofted a delivery to the right of the area, where midfielder Cafu had made a dart. Cherrie gambled and sought to intercept the pass, meaning that when Cafu sent the ball back towards the middle, Kanté there to sidefoot home.

Prior to that, there hadn’t been too many clear-cut chances for Legia, though last week’s matchwinner Michal Kucharczyk had gone close early on with his second effort after Steven Beattie got a good block on his initial shot.

By and large, though, City were disciplined and sought to close down space well.

At the other end, Conor McCormack nearly played in Jimmy Keohane but Legia goalkeeper Arkadiusz Malarz was off his line quickly, while Garry Buckley’s shot on 17 minutes was deflected out for a corner by Wieteska.

Five minutes later, a good delivery from a free kick on the right by Barry McNamee was almost met by Seán McLoughlin, but Legia had been upping the tempo and were rewarded when Kanté opened the scoring.

City might have had an immediate equaliser as Cummins’ pass allowed Sheppard to have a go from distance, with the ball screeching over the angle of post and crossbar.

After Cherrie saved well from Cafu and Cummins did well defensively to avert the danger from a Kucharczyk cross, City pressed again in the closing stages of the half.

Steven Beattie’s throw from the right allowed Sheppard to flick on and the ball almost fell for Keohane but William Remy was able to calmly dispose of the threat.

Less than a minute into the second half, Sheppard could have capitalised on a defensive mix-up but he shot wide and Legia looked to assert their superiority once more.

From a Maczynski corner, Wieteska rose to meet the ball but Cherrie saved, while Cafu half-volleyed wide when the next corner made its way through to him on the edge of the penalty area.

Legia and Kanté should have made it 2-0 on 54. When Damien Delaney’s intended header back for Cherrie fell short, the striker latched on to the ball but the goalkeeper did well as he dived at his feet.

It looked as if City were beginning to tire, with a subsequent increase in sloppiness, but they had one last push left in them. Cummins got his head to a Keohane free kick but couldn’t direct it goalwards, then a cross by McNamee proved to be agonisingly elusive for the striker before Inaki Astiz made an important interception when McNamee again tried to find him after he had been put in by Keohane.

With those quarter- and half-chances not capitalised upon, the outcome of the tie was decided in the 73rd minute.

Garry Buckley’s loose ball in midfield was picked up by Cafu, who drove forward and fed Miroslav Radovic. When the captain was caught by a mistimed challenge by his opposite number McCormack inside the area, he stepped up to take the penalty himself and sent an unsaveable shot to the top-left corner.

Marko Vesovic might have added a third straight after that but Cherrie saved well, however he couldn’t keep out Carlitos in the 89th minute following good build-up play from Maczynski and Radovic.

LEGIA WARSAW: Malarz; Remy, Astiz, Wieteska (Antolic 69); Vesovic, Cafu, Maczynski, Nagy, Kucharczyk (Hlousek half-time); Radovic, Kanté (Carlitos 64).

CORK CITY: Cherrie; Beattie (Kane 79), Delaney, McLoughlin, Griffin; McCormack, Buckley (Sadlier 79); Sheppard, Keohane, McNamee; Cummins (O’Hanlon 79).

Referee: KE Steen (Norway).