Hajduk Split - 0 Fulham - 1Steed Malbranque was the hero as he fired Fulham to a 1-0 victory against Croatia's Hajduk Split last night, in the Cottagers' first ever major European match.

The French midfielder came up with the crucial away goal in this UEFA Cup first round, first leg tie five minutes after the interval, rifling into the bottom corner.

Goran Ivanisevic - Split's most famous fan - joined 33,000 home supporters and 250 Fulham followers in the magnificent Poljud Stadium just yards from the Adriatic Sea.

Meanwhile, Blackburn's re-acquaintance with European football threatens to be short and not at all sweet after being held to a 1-1 draw by a highly efficient CSKA Sofia in the first leg of the UEFA Cup first round at Ewood Park.

CSKA have a good pedigree, were technically proficient and possessed some searing pace in attack. It was one of those pacemen, Velizar Dimitrov, who put CSKA ahead midway through the first half, and Blackburn had cause to be grateful to Corrado Grabbi for an instinctive finish to equalise.

Ipswich extended their proud home European record to 30 matches without defeat - but were under-par against novices Sartid and could only claim a 1-1 draw.

The Suffolk club, who gained their place in this year's UEFA Cup through the Fair Play league, will have to score in Yugoslavia in a fortnight to progress.

Sartid, an inventive side from the industrial town of Smederevo, gave the Division One team a major scare by taking a first-half lead through Nenad Mirosavljevic before Alun Armstrong equalised through a goal which looked suspiciously offside.

Scottish minnows Livingston fought back with two late goals against Sturm Graz to give themselves the slightest chance of surviving.

The Austrians had taken the lead through Arnold Wetl in the first half. And they turned a slim advantage into a rout when Imre Szabics and Ekrem Dag both nettedbefore David Mujiri grabbed a double shortly after the break.

Rolando Zarate and skipper Stuart Lovell netted late in the game for the visitors.