Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Motherwell will look to overcome a one-goal deficit in the tie with Sligo Rovers when the two teams face each other at Showgrounds on Thursday. The Irish outfit did well to shock Motherwell at Fir Park, with key attacker Aidan Keena scoring the only goal off the match. The 23-year-old will be the man to watch in the home team, while head coach John Russell is unlikely to make changes to the starting XI.
The Well, on the other hand, failed to turn their dominance into goals in the first leg, but they should not be written off just yet. Graham Alexander will surely prepare the team in the best way possible for the second leg; therefore, we predict that the winner will be decided after extra-time. The 50-year-old tactician should have a full squad to choose from.
Highlighted Player (Liam Kelly):
Born in Newport Pagnell, England Liam Kelly is a right-footed midfielder who plays for Coventry City in the League One. Kelly is a product of Milton Keynes Dons football school, but he did not play for the club at senior level. The English footballer started his senior career at Scottish club Kilmarnock, but after making 100 appearances in the league for the Killie, he moved to England, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal with Bristol City.
The English footballer played for the likes of Oldaham Athletic and Leyton Orient as well before joining Coventry City in the summer of 2017. His main position is central midfielder, but he is capable of playing as both defensive and right midfielder as well.
His preferred foot is right. He made his league debut with Coventry City on August 5, 2017 in a 3-0 win over Notts County, while scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-1 win over Stevenage in April, 2018.
Highlighted Team (Motherwell):
Motherwell are professional football club that compete in the Scotland Premiership. The Steelmen play home games at Fir Park, the stadium which can hold up to 13,677 spectators, wearing amber and claret shirts.
White, on the other hand, is the dominant colour of the club’s away kit. Founded in 1886, Motherwell won their first domestic trophy in the 1931/32 season, leaving Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic behind them in the standings. Speaking of the Scottish Cup, the Steelmen have two titles in the cup competition. In the 1951/52 season, Motherwell defeated Dundee 4-0 in the Scottish Cup final, with the team repeating the success 39 years later as they outplayed Dundee United 4-3 in the title game.
The likes of Hamilton Academical and Airdrieonians are regarded as the club’s bitterest rivals. The games between these clubs are known as the Lanarkshire derby. Hughie Ferguson is leading the club’s all-time goal-scoring chart as he netted 284 goals for the Steelmen in league matches.