“I think we have had plenty of occasions over the last few years here when this team has demonstrated that ability to keep going to the end and the ability to get late goals, which was in evidence today.   “When the minutes are running away there is always that fear you won’t get that goal, but there was always the confidence that if the players kept doing the right thing – keeping possession, switching the play, getting McGinn and Hayes on it and getting balls in the box, hopefully something would fall for us.   “That game could have finished 1-1, if we hadn’t kept showing that determination and desire, but the game could also have been 6 or 7-1 truth be told.   “I’ve watched the incidents back and Taylor should have scored twice, the goals should never have been chalked off. The ball is not over the line when Stockley heads it back for the first one, it is still on the pitch and Taylor does nothing wrong for the second goal. I know the referee is brave to make the decision when it ends in the right decision for our second goal – he got that perfectly right, but there were two goals there that should have counted.   “Their keeper has had a good night and it could have been a lot more. I can’t be too critical of the players at all because we are not going to be at our full potential at this stage as we try to accelerate our pre-season work to get to that level. I think it was clear at different stages of the game, probably in the first half where trying to replicate that game situation through your training and pre-season fixtures is difficult.   “We’ve managed to be more game like, add more pace to our game and be much more match ready second half and I think that game will help us be sharper next week.  You are always working on your fitness and sharpness through the rounds and we have shown that in previous years. However we need to keep working on it in training.   “The players deserve so much credit because it could have been a night in here where headlines are written about a disastrous 1-1 result. The goal we lose is disappointing, but I think we will respect our opponent and respect them going into the second leg. We felt going into the game that they had players especially in the forward areas who are capable of producing at points in the game. Especially their front two who have pace and size. Francois who is influential in the goal is always somebody we thought could cause problems in the game if given encouragement. I think they deserve a lot of credit for their organisation, they had 7 bookings which illustrates how much pressure they were under, but they were close to getting a massive result and we were close to getting a poor result. But thankfully we managed to show we are good enough and determined enough to make sure it went the other way in the end.   It was a big call not to play Adam Rooney because I have spoken often enough about missing Adam through injury. We are trying to nurse him through as he has been out with a tear in his thigh which is difficult to rehabilitate from without getting that gradual game time training. He’s been out nearly five months and just been back over three weeks and although he’s done most of the training, he’s not managed to do all of it and hasn’t had more than 75 minutes against Brechin which wasn’t really played at a high tempo. We felt that if he was only going to get part of the game, 35-40 minutes, then his role would be better placed in the second half when the game got stretched a bit. Brilliant to get him on and score a goal.

“We tried to get Kenny closer to Jayden in the first half, but it didn’t quite work. Without Miles Storey and a fit Adam at full pelt yet, we had a decision to make as we didn’t want to go with a front two.”   “We have put ourselves in a strong position to get through the tie, but I think there was enough tonight and what I’ve seen previously to suggest that they are capable of scoring. I think we will need to make sure we bring a good defensive performance. We don’t want to be as open. We have had some strong results on the road in Europe in recent years and we are more than capable of going there and getting a good performance.   “Anytime you play in Europe and get through you normally need to bring two decent performances and we have another one to give next Thursday.   “Joe and Jayden have made their debuts. Joe doesn’t have a lot to do, everything he does do is fine as he has no chance with the goal. Jayden led the line well. We didn’t use him enough in the first half and the play was too much in front of him with too many passes. When we get the ball into him he is unlucky with his overhead kick, which would have made a brilliant debut for him, but I think if we get enough balls in the box to him, like the first goal where he keeps it alive at the back-post, he will give us something different and both can be pleased with their debuts.   “I’m not thinking about that at the minute (resting players next week). The job is not done yet and I feel as though we will have to give it full concentration and focus to get through the tie. We just have to see where we are after tonight, they’re will be a lot of tired legs in the dressing room as that will be the hardest they have worked in pre-season. We will see where we are and try and pick the right team. Whatever that team is we will be going there to try and get a result and nobody will be coming off the pedal. It is all about building performances and sharpness rather than coming off it and resting people.”   “I am looking forward to getting Miles Storey in tomorrow. It cannot be easy for him, he has been desperate to come and join his new teammates. He’s been working away on his own and hopefully when he reports tomorrow we can get him straight back into football work and training whilst integrating him into the squad. Hopefully if we get a performance next week he will have another round to look forward to. We brought him to the team to add more of a goal threat and in games like tonight the appearance of him and his influence could certainly help us.”

“We tried to get Kenny closer to Jayden in the first half, but it didn’t quite work. Without Miles Storey and a fit Adam at full pelt yet, we had a decision to make as we didn’t want to go with a front two.”   “We have put ourselves in a strong position to get through the tie, but I think there was enough tonight and what I’ve seen previously to suggest that they are capable of scoring. I think we will need to make sure we bring a good defensive performance. We don’t want to be as open. We have had some strong results on the road in Europe in recent years and we are more than capable of going there and getting a good performance.   “Anytime you play in Europe and get through you normally need to bring two decent performances and we have another one to give next Thursday.   “Joe and Jayden have made their debuts. Joe doesn’t have a lot to do, everything he does do is fine as he has no chance with the goal. Jayden led the line well. We didn’t use him enough in the first half and the play was too much in front of him with too many passes. When we get the ball into him he is unlucky with his overhead kick, which would have made a brilliant debut for him, but I think if we get enough balls in the box to him, like the first goal where he keeps it alive at the back-post, he will give us something different and both can be pleased with their debuts.   “I’m not thinking about that at the minute (resting players next week). The job is not done yet and I feel as though we will have to give it full concentration and focus to get through the tie. We just have to see where we are after tonight, they’re will be a lot of tired legs in the dressing room as that will be the hardest they have worked in pre-season. We will see where we are and try and pick the right team. Whatever that team is we will be going there to try and get a result and nobody will be coming off the pedal. It is all about building performances and sharpness rather than coming off it and resting people.”   “I am looking forward to getting Miles Storey in tomorrow. It cannot be easy for him, he has been desperate to come and join his new teammates. He’s been working away on his own and hopefully when he reports tomorrow we can get him straight back into football work and training whilst integrating him into the squad. Hopefully if we get a performance next week he will have another round to look forward to. We brought him to the team to add more of a goal threat and in games like tonight the appearance of him and his influence could certainly help us.”