| The score draw earned in Norway will guarantee a special night at Fir Park on Thursday. The team deserves a big support to see them through the second leg and with any luck a glamour tie in the next round. |
 It’s just the halfway stage in the tie and nothing has been won yet, but everyone involved in the game against Aalesund deserves credit. A look at the scores involving Hibs and Celtic underlines the importance of a good away leg. Only the unfortunate late penalty took a bit of a shine off the result.
Aalesund are in mid-season, fourth in their league with eighteen games played and they use an artificial surface. All the components of a disaster were in place but we came through the test unscathed.
The thorough preparation which is becoming the hallmark of Craig Brown’s spell in charge delivered its dividend. Jamie Murphy, still a month away from his 21st birthday, is gaining in confidence and he seems able to carry the responsibility thrown on those who lead the line.
The one frustration of the evening was for those stuck at home trying to follow the game. The lack of a live broadcast by any UK radio or television was disappointing. Given the disruption that fans have to undergo at the whim of E$PN and $KY as the domestic schedule is turned upside down, would it be too much to ask that they cover the early rounds of the Europa League? And what happened to Radio Scotland? “Every goal, every game” is their slogan but where were they when Murphy slipped one into the net early in the second half?
The home tie will offer a chance for most Motherwell fans to cheer on the team in the second half. Those unfortunates who have timed their annual holiday for the first week in August will have to suffer via text and internet updates but the rest of us will be there hoping for another great night at Fir Park.
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