Well should be Faroe happy with draw

[Getty Images] Whoever is chosen as Jens Berthel Askou's successor as Motherwell manager will be fairly confident of progressing beyond the Conference League's second qualifying round following Wednesday's draw. Being unseeded, the Fir Park side could have faced Denmark's FC Copenhagen or Finland's HJK Helsinki, two sides with regular European football behind them. Instead, they were paired with the lower-ranked Havnar Boltfelag of the Faroe Islands, with Well hosting the first leg on 23 July and travelling to the 5,000-capacity stadium at Gundadalur, Torshavn the following midweek. The 24-time champions qualified as Faroe Islands Premier League runners-up for 2025, nine points adrift of Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag, and currently lie sixth in the current season after 13 games. However, Faroese football has improved since Motherwell last played Havnar, in the Uefa Cup in 1994, and won both legs convincingly for a 7-1 aggregate. Havnar have lost in their opening Conference League qualifier four seasons in a row, but they were only narrow defeats by Brondby, Hajduk Split, Derry City and Newtown of Wales, the latter on penalties after winning their home leg 1-0. Their most glorious European triumph came in 2021, when they thrashed Montenegro side Buducnost Podgorica 6-0 on aggregate before losing to Maccabi Haifa in the play-off round. Given Motherwell lost home and away at the same stage to Irish side Sligo Rovers on their last European venture four years ago, there will be no room for complacency against a side who will be midway through their domestic season.