An own-goal by Denis Behan tonight gave Red Star Belgrade a one-goal cushion to take back to the second leg of their Champions League second qualifying round match against Cork.

Red Star, who won the European Cup in 1991, effectively made the return match in Belgrade next week a formality for the Serbian double champions before a sell-out 5,500 crowd on Leeside.

Despite this first leg defeat it was a memorable night for Cork's 31-year-old midfielder Colin O'Brien, who set a new club record of 20 European ties for the domestic league champions breaking the previous best held by all-time top scorer John Caulfield and club captain Declan Daly.

Red Star had an early chance inside three minutes but Dejan Milovanovic drove a free-kick high over the bar from the edge of the box.

Polish referee Tomasz Mikulski had to speak to Cork's Cillian Lordan and Milan Bisevac in a tense opening spell at Turner's Cross.

The Serbian double champions, bidding to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time, dominated possession but they were unable to make any inroads in the opening half an hour.

Lordan fed Behan in front of goal but his shot was blocked by Bisevac midway through as the Irish champions grew into what was their biggest fixture in the club's 21-year history.

Red Star broke on the counter-attack on 30 minutes when Dusan Basta burst forward to set up Bosko Jankovic — but he drilled the ball over as gaps appeared in front of him.

Six foot eight inch Nikola Zigic was yellow-carded a minute later for a foul on Alan Bennett as the home team put up a gallant battle.

But Cork fell behind to a cruel own goal from Red Star's first corner of the night on 36 minutes. Full-back Marko Perovic's flag kick was met by Jankovic and his flick header deflected off Behan's knee into the net.

And to compound Cork's misery and misfortune at not holding out to half-time, they were denied an equaliser when skipper Dan Murray planted a header from Neale Fenn's corner off the angle of post and bar in the 38th minute.

Behan tried an overhead kick to get to the rebound inside the box but hooked the ball wide of Ivan Randelovic's net.

In the second half, Cork had fleeting chances too but Roy O'Donovan and Behan were off target as Red Star settled for a narrow away win.