Motherwell produced an impressive performance and result against HJK Helsinki in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie, drawing 1-1 in Helsinki.
Tawanda Maswanhise netted from the spot in the second half before Teemu Pukki came off the bench to level.
Alfred Johansson was forced into changes from the side that secured an opening day victory at Hibernian. Ibrahim Said was unable to travel to Finland due to visa issues. Tawanda Maswanhise was brought into the starting 11 for the first time this season following his recovery from a broken jaw. Alex Lowry was handed his first start as a Motherwell player, replacing the injured Dylan Williams, who also didn’t make it to Helsinki.
Motherwell were dealt an early warning shot as Toivo Mero found space in behind the Motherwell defence, and although he forced a good save from Paulsen, the flag was raised for offside.
The Steelmen settled into the game well but struggled to find any penetration through the HJK defence. The only real chance of note came when Tawanda Maswanhise went down inside the box. Appeals of a push were waved away, a decision backed by the subsequent VAR check.
But in truth, the first half showed limited action in front of either goal, with both sides trying to hold possession across the pitch.
With 15 minutes left of the first half, HJK began to look more dangerous, creating more chances Alex Paulsen was more than equal to.
Good play down the right from HJK created some space for Santeri Haarala to burst into, and his shot was met by a strong hand from the Motherwell stopper.
Just before half-time, he was called into action again, this time denying Mads Borchers, who had plenty of space and time inside the box.
With the hosts having the better of the chances in the first-half, the 600 Motherwell fans that travelled were hoping for more action in front of the goal. They were behind in the second period as Motherwell kicked towards their travelling fans. And the early signs were hugely optimistic for the Steelmen, who went up a gear.
Oscar Priestman found a half-yard on the edge of the box and opted to have a shot towards goal. The Aussie’s effort went whistling past the post, but despite not finding the bottom corner, the Motherwell end erupted with encouragement.
Just two minutes later, Motherwell went close again. A well-worked short corner routine saw Emmanuel Longelo fizz in a cross from the left-hand side. Martin Moormann got in front of his marker at the front post, but his effort came off the post via a small deflection from a Helsinki defender.
Motherwell had Helsinki on the back foot, and another two minutes later, the woodwork was struck. The ball was fed into Longelo’s path, who wound up a powerful strike from 25 yards that beat the keeper but came crashing off the bar.
The Steelmen continued to probe, and eventually, they were rewarded on 65 minutes. Regan Charles-Cook did well to battle against two Helsinki defenders before being clipped by the defender. The referee wasn’t interested initially, but a VAR check began immediately, which eventually brought the Czech referee to the monitor. Upon inspection, he pointed to the spot with Maswanhise trusted with the spot kick.
The Zimbabwe international showed his composure to send Marković the wrong way and sparked wild celebration in the away end.
As Motherwell have seven games to play in 24 days, rotation was always going to be required. Lukas Fadinger and Willy Vogt made way for academy graduates Mikey Booth and Olly Whyte, with the hosts also opting for change, bringing on the experienced Pukki and Lucas Lingham.
The changes had the desired effect for HJK and within a minute, the game was level once again. With Lowry down on the ground cramping up, HJK decided to play on in the attacking phase with the former Premier League player Pukki picking up the ball in the penalty box. The Finn was able to show the quality needed to turn inside, past his markers, and dispatched high into the net.
With Motherwell bringing on Jamie Knight-Lebel, Luca Ross and Johnny Koutroumbis in the final stages, the Steelmen showed composure and character to see out the remainder of the game largely drama-free, bringing a hugely important and impressive 1-1 result back to Fir Park ahead of the second leg next week.
Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann, Longelo, Priestman, Fadinger, Lowry, Vogt, Charles-Cook, Maswanhise.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, McConnell, Knight-Lebel, Wilson, Koutroumbis, McAllister, Whyte, Ross, Booth.
