Sheridan backs Steelmen to secure Conference League spot

Cillian Sheridan has no interest in sitting on the fence. Not after what he watched at Fir Park.

The former Motherwell striker is adamant the Steelmen will complete the task in the Faroe Islands and reach the third round of Conference League qualifying, after a composed 2-0 first-leg win over HB Torshavn in Alfred Johansson’s first competitive match in charge.

Motherwell took control of the tie in front of their own fans, with goals from Martin Moormann and Lukas Fadinger giving Johansson the ideal start to his tenure. It was efficient, professional, and exactly what a new manager craves from a European opener.

Across the water, HB arrive with far less swagger. Fifth in the Faroese top flight after 16 games, they earned their place in this competition by finishing second last season, but they hardly resemble a side ready to bully a Scottish Premiership club out of Europe.

Sheridan certainly doesn’t see it.

"I'm going to put my neck out and say I think they will go through," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, doubling down on the belief that a two-goal cushion should be more than enough for Motherwell to manage the return leg.

The message was blunt. So was the expectation.

"You can't go away to the Faroe Islands and lose a two-goal lead. Plus this is the Conference League, it's not the champions of the Faroe Islands, it's their team that finished in the Conference League positions."

For Sheridan, this isn’t the moment for nerves or caveats. He accepts the risk of bold prediction, but he doesn’t sound remotely unsure about it.

"I'm willing to have egg on my face at the end of this, but no, they're not going to give up this lead."

Johansson’s first step has been a confident one. The real measure now is simple: can Motherwell turn that strong platform into a routine passage, or will a quiet Faroese evening ask bigger questions of this new era at Fir Park?