Motherwell are immediately into attack as a few lively challenges fly in already, but Blair Spittal, the summer midfield arrival from Ross County, sends a side-footed effort curling over the crossbar from 22 yards.

Motherwell get the game under way in their white change strip, with Sligo in their traditional red.

Can the visitors overturn the deficit or will the Irish underdogs prevail?

Sligo Rovers: McNicholas, Banks, Buckley, Blaney, Kirk, Cawley, Morahan, McDonnell, O'Sullivan, Keena, Fitzgerald.

Substitutes: Barlow, Bolger, Brush, Byrne, Clancy, Heaney, Liivak, Mata, McCarthy, Pijnaker, Walsh.

Motherwell: Kelly, Mugabi, Lamie, Carroll, McGinn, Slattery, Maguire, Spittal, Tierney, Van Veen, Morris.

Substitutes: Campbell, Connelly, Cornelius, Efford, Fox, Goss, Johansen, Mahon, O'Donnell, Ojala, Shields.

The teams enter a noisy Showgrounds, the sun beating down on a lush green surface.

Pat Nevin
Former Motherwell winger on BBC Radio Scotland

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Owen Coyle
Former Motherwell striker on BBC Radio Scotland

Sligo obviously have a bit of an international scouting system going.

They already have New Zealand centre-half Nando Pijnaker on loan from Portuguese club Rio Ave and yesterday they added winger Fabrice Hartmann from RB Leipzig.

However, the 21-year-old was signed too late to be involved against Motherwell and is sitting in the stand tonight.

We are no closer to knowing who awaits Motherwell or Sligo in the next round.

Czech visitors Sparta Prague took the lead three minutes before the break, but there was still time for hosts Viking to reply before half-time in Norway.

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander is hoping there is no repeat of the Bevis Mugabi mistake that led to the goal that separates the sides.

"We need to not give a sloppy goal away and have a bit of better finishing in the box," he tells BBC Scotland.

"I've watched the game back and the stats speak clearly. The most important stat though is 1-0 and we need to rectify that.

"My focus is on my team and get them to win a game of football. If our team wins, the supporters will get what they want."

Asked about the start handed to young Ross Tierney in midfield, Alexander adds: "I just feel for this game and to start Ross is ready to do that. But we have players on the bench who could come on at any time of the game to help the team."

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Lose tonight and Graham Alexander will be under scrutiny not only for their Conference League exit but as a result of their pre-tie preparations.

Well only played two pre-season friendlies - a 5-1 win over Austrian Second Division side Vorwarts Steyr and 1-0 defeat of Partick Thistle - before the first leg against Sligo.

The extra match fitness from 23 games played in their League of Ireland Premier Division season, in which they currently lie fifth, appeared to work in Sligo's favour.

Two strikers will be hoping to celebrate contract extensions tonight at The Showgrounds.

Motherwell's Kevin van Veen will hope to show added sharpness since the first leg, when the Dutchman was an injury doubt ahead of kick-off.

Meanwhile, New Zealand international Max Mata came close to extending his side's lead after coming on as a substitute at Fir Park.

With tonight's game being a sell-out, Sligo had investigated the possibility of expanding capacity at The Showgrounds from its current 3,800 to 4,500, but their plan to erect a "temporary modular structure" was discovered to be not practical.

While Sligo show no changes from the first leg, veteran former Shamrock Rovers midfielder Gregory Bolger is fit enough to make the bench.

Robbie McCourt wasn't involved in the first leg against Well, but the left-back's sale by Sligo to rivals Dundalk yesterday has still had an impact on Scottish football.

It apparently slammed the door on a possible return to Dundalk for Mark Connolly, who had been on loan from Dundee United, and the defender has instead joined rivals Derry City.

As mentioned earlier, Motherwell manager Graham Alexander makes just one change from the first-leg defeat.

In comes Irish midfielder Ross Tierney, who impressed as a substitute at Fir Park, taking the place of striker Connor Shields, who drops to the bench.

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Motherwell should have known all about the threat from Aidan Keena and the Sligo striker will surely be a marked man tonight after his goal separated the sides at Fir Park a week ago.

The 23-year-old spent three years with Heart of Midlothian, during which he showed promise during loan spells with Queen's Park and Dunfermline Athletic, before less fruitful experiences with Hartlepool United and Falkirk.

However, it is since leaving the League 1 Bairns in January that the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international has blossomed, scoring 13 in 23 outings for Sligo, including two in their three Conference League games so far.

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Should the tie go to a penalty shoot-out, a Motherwell-born goalkeeper will not be standing in the way of his hometown team's progress.

Ed McGinty was Sligo's spot-kick hero in the previous round against Bala but was sold to Oxford United hours before last week's first leg.

Fellow 22-year-old Luke McNicholas, the Irishman who returned this summer from a loan spell in the north with Cliftonville, didn't do too badly to keep a clean sheet at Fir Park.

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A win tonight and Sligo will have gone beyond the second qualifying round of European competition for the first time since playing in the Intertoto Cup group stage in 1996.

Motherwell have never reached the group stage of European competition, last making the play-offs in 2012.

Sligo Rovers manager John Russell tells BBC Scotland that Motherwell remain favourites but is hopeful his side can make history by qualifying for the third qualifying round of European competition.

"The key for us tonight is to perform to our capabilities," he says. "We are at home, it’s a fabulous occasions with a full house. We want to be playing these games, we need to embrace it.

"There will be a reaction and they’ll be hurting. You heard the home fans last week and they’d have been a bit surprised we turned them over. We’re expecting them to come out firing, but we’ll be ready for it.

"There’s a real buzz about the time. These are special occasions for everyone, and hopefully tonight will be another one."

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