Kilmarnock

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "That was so tough on each and every one of us.

"There wasn't a lot in the first half. We tried to get more penetration, because for all the possession we had, we didn't work the goalkeeper enough.

"It was always my intention to make three or four changes at 55 minutes or so but when Stuart [Findlay] got sent off, it was all hands to the pump. We felt the players needed help out there.

"It was such a gutsy performance. I love managing this group of boys because when more was needed, they gave it. We still carried a fight, we didn't accept what was happening. I couldn't have been more proud of them."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter at Fir Park

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Extra time is the last thing Derek McInnes would have wanted for his Killie players after their exertions in Europe last week in Norway and coming up this Thursday in Denmark.

Having made nine changes, his side did not appear overly tired, but they did look disjointed and failed to reach the level we know they are capable of. Findlay’s red card left them with an uphill task.

McInnes has always placed a premium on good cup runs and while this last-16 exit will sting for now, a positive result in Copenhagen and another step towards the Conference League would more than make up for it.

David Watson.

Derek McInnes said pre-match that a few starters today could stake a claim for wanting a start week in, and week out. Watson ought to be one of them.

It was another tireless shift from the young midfielder, he just never stops.

For 120 minutes he was box-to-box and hauling his side to an equaliser, though it never quite came.

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Motherwell: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Casey, Gordon, McGinn, Seddon, Wilson, Zdravkovski, Halliday, Miller, Robinson.

Substitutes: Hegyi, Balmer, Sparrow, Kaleta, Ebiye, Wells, Ferrie, Watt, Maswanhise.

Kilmarnock: O'Hara, Wright, Dead, Findlay, Mackay-Steven, McKenzie, Watson, Polworth, Murray, Anderson, Watkins.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Mayo, Lyons, Vassell, Kennedy, Cameron, Donnelly, Wales, Bainbridge.

Follow our live coverage here.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes feels the squad and fans are feeding off each other's enthusiasm during their European tour.

Killie were backed by about 300 supporters as they secured progress to the Conference League play-offs with victory at Tromso, the world's northernmost professional football club.

They were helped along by the vocal backing of their fans but that process had begun long before the game.

McInnes, whose side travel to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen on Thursday, told Killie TV: "We had a meeting with the players at lunchtime on the day of the game.

"The supporters had commandeered a pub right across the road from the hotel, so we were well versed in all their singing throughout the day and seeing how much they were enjoying it.

"My own son was over experiencing it. It's a special time for everybody and we just wanted to try and at least give us one more shot at it.

"Obviously it's going to be like most cup competitions, tougher as you go along. I'm sure the supporters will enjoy it."

Kilmarnock first have a Premier Sports Cup second-round tie at Motherwell on Sunday.

McInnes is hoping to get Marley Watkins back from a groin injury but Corrie Ndaba is still missing.

"I need to utilise the squad," he said. "I could do with Marley coming back, maybe for Sunday. Corrie will maybe be back for next week potentially."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Motherwell's problems continue to mount with the news that Apostolos Stamatelopoulos has been sidelined for six weeks after the former Newcastle Jets striker was forced off during Saturday's defeat by Rangers.

With fellow summer signing Filip Stuparevic recovering from his injury, manager Stuart Kettlewell moved this week to bring striker Tony Watt back to his former club on loan after limited game time with Dundee United.

Well's only wins this season have been over fourth-tier sides Edinburgh City and Clyde and they are without a win in three outings as they entertain a Kilmarnock side on a high after Conference League progress.

A single goal against Tromso in Norway was enough to secure a first win in five outings this season, but visiting manager Derek McInnes will no doubt shuffle his pack again as he aims to end a run of five visits to Fir Park without a victory while looking towards next week's play-off round tie against FC Copenhagen.

Read the Premier Sports Cup preview in full here.

We asked for your views after Kilmarnock’s 1-0 win against Tromso set up a Confernce League play-off against Copenhagen.

Here’s what some of you said:

James: An excellent performance from Killie, the tactics were spot on and for all their possession Tromso created very little. Matty Kennedy was superb and the defence was solid and the young left-back was very good.

Marwan: Not the best performance, but at a knockout game I do not care how we win. Defensively we were very good and Joe Wright was brilliant. Bring on Copenhagen!

Sean: Magical result that could kickstart our season! Impressive and one game away from the group stages. They are back to believing in themselves.

Tam: Brilliant from the team and the manager.

Dougie: Hopefully that result will kickstart their season and do as well if not better than last season.

Ant: A real dogged performance which was much needed after the weekend. Kyle Vassell is still a worry - another poor performance from the captain but the team collectively played well, defence was much more solid.

Jim: Honestly that was the worst referee in the world, he had no control of the game from start to finish. Well done Killie, a workmanlike performance much better than previous games. Hopefully this means the confidence is back and better performances will now materialise, well done.

Stuart: Fantastic lift for everyone connected to Kilmarnock.

Isobel: Take a bow Killie players after a gritty performance which was orchestrated by Kennedy. We had to ride our luck at times but overall we were more creative. The referee was baffling to say the least. A deserved win and hope this springboards our confidence over the next few games.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ollie Bainbridge "couldn’t be more grateful" at being handed a start against Tromso on Thursday as Kilmarnock’s European adventure continued.

The on-loan Sunderland defender, 19, was drafted in for just the second start of his senior career after lining up against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership opener.

Bainbridge played a part in Killie’s fine defensive showing in Norway and "loved the experience" after initially feeling "a bit shaky".

"There's not many times you get to play in Europe in your career, so to do it very early on, I couldn’t be more grateful," he told BBC Scotland.

"We've got a lot of experience and the back four sort of kept us together. A lot of communication, the team stuck together and we saw that with the clean sheet."

Bainbridge is keen to help Kilmarnock find the form they displayed last season after a somewhat stuttering start to the new campaign.

"The gaffer has mentioned they were really solid last season, and in Norway we showed it again," he said.

"So maybe it was just a blip for the past couple of games. He was just so proud and absolutely buzzing for us and the fans. What a win."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Captain Kyle Vassell was "fearing the worst" when he botched a late chance to double Kilmarnock’s lead in Tromso.

He needn’t have worried. Derek McInnes’ side continued their backs-to-the-wall masterclass and, after surviving a major scare when Amadou Barry thumped a header against the bar, marched on to a Conference League play-off meeting with FC Copenhagen thanks to Joe Wright’s early goal.

"We had to defend, so disciplined for 90 minutes," Vassell told BBC Scotland.

"They’re a good team on the ball, we knew that, and I'm so proud of the boys. We stuck together, we dug in and I’m so happy to win.

"We expected it [second-half pressure] to be honest. We wanted something to hold on to because we know when we're at our best, we're hard to break down.

"It was a really tough thing to track your runners for 90 minutes really and do all the horrible stuff that people don't see. But we stuck in, everyone in there is knackered, but we'll do it every day to win a game of football.

"Don’t get me wrong, when I had that chance late on and I messed it up, I was fearing the worst. But then I back my team and I had to dig in a little bit more and we held out, so it's just amazing.”

Kilmarnock’s hectic schedule continues with a Premier Sports Cup trip to Motherwell on Sunday followed by the play-off first leg away to Copenhagen next Thursday.

"We're not a club that has the facilities to recover like the top boys, but the club are doing everything they can to try and get us right," added Vassell.

"And it's so nice to be professional off the pitch as well and and eat and drink and make sure we look after our bodies. I'll push that with the boys, cause it's a massive game Sunday. I’ve already said I want to get to Hamden this year."

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Kilmarnock’s defence proved to be an unbreachable obstacle for Tromso on Thursday night.

Was the bedrock of the 1-0 win a switch to the formation that served Derek McInnes so well last season?

Laurie Finlayson, co-host of the Killie View podcast, certainly believes so.

"Yeah absolutely, I think a key to our success last night was actually restoring the 4-4-2 formation, as simple as that sounds,” he said.

"In recent weeks Derek has been toying with things that hasn't really worked, whereas playing 4-4-2 was what brought us a lot of our success last season.

"And a lot of that success last season came from performances akin to last night where it's quite gritty or digging in and getting the job done.

"And defensively, it's been a strange one this season because it's effectively the same backline a lot of the time. The only difference really being Robby McCrorie is now between the sticks and for a couple of games now, young Oliver Bainbridge, on loan from Sunderland, has been getting a game."

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Derek McInnes' "fighting talk" and insistence Kilmarnock were going to Tromso to win is a change of tact other Scottish clubs in Europe should take note of, says Sunday Mail chief football writer Scott McDermott.

Listen to the Scottish football podcast for more reaction to Kilmarnock's win

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FC Copenhagen set up a Europa League play-off against Kilmarnock after surviving what some fans described as one of the worst-ever penalty shoot-outs.

Seven out of 10 spot kicks were missed or saved - with former Celtic and Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi one of the culprits - as the Danes won the shoot-out 2-1 after Banik Ostrava deservedly edged their home leg 1-0 to level the aggregate score at 1-1.

Copenhagen travelled to the Czech Republic with an advantage courtesy of substitute midfielder Victor Froholdt's stoppage-time winner.

In Ostrava, English goalkeeper Nathan Trott and the first of a couple goal-line clearances kept Banik at bay until Erik Prekop fired home from David Buchta's cut-back three minutes from the break.

The hosts were again dominant in the second half, with Elyounoussi firing one of Copenhagen's rare goal attempts straight at goalkeeper Jakub Markovic before setting up midfielder William Clem for a low drive just wide in extra time.

Banik substitute Abdullahi Tanko fluffed a one-one-one chance to avoid the tense spot-kick finale.

Then came the shoot-out, with fellow home forward Jiri Klima setting the tone by striking the outside of a post, Markovic saved from Iceland forward Orri Oskarsson and Ewarton skied his attempt over the bar before midfielder Magnus Mattsson finally put Copenhagen ahead.

Filip Kubala immediately replied for the hosts then Elyounoussi fired his spot kick against Markovic's legs.

However, Michal Frydrych was next to lift his attempt over the bar, Elias Achouri found the top corner and Matej Chalus handed victory to the Danes by thumping yet another clear of the crossbar.

Following his early dismissal on Saturday, Kilmarnock defender Joe Wright bounced back with a crucial winning goal and a solid defensive performance in his side's triumph in Tromso.

The 29-year-old defender headed home after 11 minutes played and was thrilled by the team's energetic, all-round performance as they progressed to a Conference League play-off against Copenhagen.

"All the boys are delighted in there," Wright told BBC Scotland.

"It was a brilliant team performance. We just worked so hard, tirelessly as a team and communicated well.

"To get a 1-0, it was a perfect result for us. That's what we were last season; difficult to score against and popping up with goals at good moments.

"I think we were comfortable in our shape. We worked on it. It looks unnatural when their goalkeeper is carrying the ball to the halfway line but it is something we were happy for them to do, which allowed us to nick possession and hit them on the counter attack.

"It's mainly the same squad with some new additions. From where we were two years ago to then a play-off game in the Conference League. It's a massive credit to everyone at the club."