Regan Charles-Cook scores for MotherwellSNS

Regan Charles-Cook put Motherwell 2-0 up before half-time in Torshavn

At a glance

  • Motherwell progress to third qualifying round of Conference League

  • Fadinger and Charles-Cook double aggregate lead before interval

  • Williams adds third as Well ease through to face HJK Helsinki

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

Motherwell smoothly progressed to a Conference League third qualifying round tie against HJK Helsinki after a composed and professional performance away to Faroese side Havnar Boltfelag.

Alfred Johansson's side took a two-goal lead into the second leg against a team who had not lost at home in European competitions for five years, but the hosts were soon trailing when Willy Vogt's heels were clipped and Lukas Fadinger slammed in the penalty.

Regan Charles-Cook, who was lively early on and fired two close-range chances directly at goalkeeper Bjarti Mork, doubled the lead before the interval.

In a patient, well-worked Motherwell move, Charles-Cook latched on to a pass down the left before bursting past his man and sliding a smart shot beyond Mork, catching the goalkeeper out at his near post.

Johansson had told his team pre-match to "eat barbed wire" in preparation for a battle against HB, but his half-time talk will have struck a calmer tone.

Dylan Williams' low, driven shot back across goal opened his account for the club and added a third for rampant Motherwell.

A slew of late chances came for the visitors but they failed to add to their sizeable lead.

They now face HJK Helsinki, who won 3-0 in Northern Ireland to complete an 8-0 aggregate victory over Coleraine.

Motherwell will be in the Finnish capital for the first leg on 6 August before the return at Fir Park a week later.

Analysis: More of the same for steadfast Well

Motherwell are a team, and club, in transition. Their influential manager of last season, Jens Berthel Askou, has left along with glut of key players.

Captain Paul McGinn and stalwart Stephen O'Donnell remain sidelined, and last season's Scottish Premiership top scorer, Tawanda Maswanhise, was only fit enough to start on the bench before a late cameo.

But after 180 minutes of European football, they appear to have not broken their stride.

Still to concede a goal, they seem well equipped for another tilt at the top end of the Scottish Premiership table, playing a similarly dynamic brand of football that won praise from far and wide last season.

Should their levels continue to rise, they may well be eyeing a crack at the Conference League proper.

What Johansson said

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson: "Yes, delighted about the intensity of the team, that we managed to be brave enough to play the way that we want to play football, also away from home and obviously delighted with the result.

"All the credit to the players to be brave enough to do it away from home in Europe.

"I think it's down to two things and that's one, how we play with the ball, but I also think it's because we were really strong defensively and we put all the intensity and the aggressivity that's needed.

"So we did not let them bully us with the physicality and the long balls."

What's next?

Motherwell begin their Scottish Premiership campaign away to Hibernian on Sunday at 16:30 BST.

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