Andy Preece knows he needs the performance of a lifetime from his Airbus UK Broughton players in tonight’s Europa League eliminator – but he’s adamant they can cause a monumental upset, writes Dave Goodban.
The Wingmakers boss hailed his heroic side after last Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Norwegian full-timers FK Haugesund at Bangor, which he described as ‘probably the best performance of any team I’ve ever managed’.
But he believes the Welsh Premier League runners-up will need to raise the game once more if they are to get the result they need to progress to meet Bosnian outfit FK Sarajevo in the second qualifying round.
Before flying out to Scandinavia yesterday, Preece told the Chronicle: “We'll have to be even better again.
“It will be a full house and an atmosphere like nothing a lot of our lads will have experienced. They (Haugesund) will be nervous, though. They’re not doing great in the league and it's their first time in Europe, but they’ll still be expected to brush us aside.
“We’ll take a huge amount of confidence from that performance last week and we've got a chance. It might only be an outside chance, but it's a chance and we certainly believe we can do it. Why shouldn't we?”
Preece was effusive in his praise for his ‘phenomenal’ team after the deserved draw, which saw returning forward Jordan Johnson put Airbus ahead after half an hour.
The former Bury manager, who masterminded a famous FA Cup victory for previous club Northwich Victoria over Charlton in 2009, said: “It was a phenomenal performance when you think of the standard of the opposition. They're easily the best team we’ve ever played and we could have won it, that’s how good we were.
“Whatever happens now, that was probably the best performance of any team I’ve ever managed. It was unbelievable and I couldn't be more proud.”
Johnson, who joins strike partner and former housemate Chris Budrys on the list of the Wingmakers’ European goalscorers, said: “To get through would just be incredible, but we’re confident we can go there and do it.
“The gaffer thinks there could be 6,000 there, so it'll be a brilliant experience and hopefully we can go and perform again. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Airbus look to be flying the flag for Wales in the competition tonight after Aberystwyth and Derry suffered 4-0 first-leg defeats to Derry City and Icelandic side Stjarnan respectively.
