Decimated Motherwell kick off new era in positive fashion - but more needed in Faroe Islands

Johansson, 35, has been given the task of building on the fine work last season of Jens Berthel Askou. Motherwell's adventurous and attractive style of football under the now Toulouse manager landed them fourth place in the Premiership and a place in the Conference League. While on paper a second qualifying round tie with HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands looked straightforward, the Steelmen did well to emerge with a 2-0 advantage after the first leg.

Motherwell's team from last season has been ripped apart. Goalkeeper Calum Ward, midfielders Callum Slattery and Elliott Watt plus talisman Elijah Just have left, the latter sold for a club record fee a day ago to Swansea. Experienced defenders Stephen O'Donnell and Paul McGinn are injured, while last season's top scorer Tawanda Maswanhise is nursing a cheekbone problem. Left-back Emmanuel Longelo was only fit enough for the bench.

Without bona-fide strikers Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Eythor Bjørgolfsson, Motherwell came into this match without a proper No 9, with new signing Willy Vogt and Ibrahim Said - more like attacking midfielders - leading the line.

There were five debutants too: goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, defenders Jake Girdwood-Reich, Martin Moorman and Dylan Williams, as well as Vogt.

These are changed days at Motherwell and while most supporters accept the exploits under Askou are unlikely to be repeated, there was excitement at Fir Park as nearly 8,000 fans turned out for Johansson's bow.

Motherwell and HB previously met in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup, a 7-1 aggregate success setting up a meeting with Borussia Dortmund for the Steelmen. Should Motherwell navigate the second leg in the Faroese capital next Thursday, then they will almost certainly play HJK Helsinki of Finland in the third qualifying round, who thrashed Coleraine 5-0 earlier in the evening.

Roared on by a boisterous crowd and a tifo that read "in these streets we dream of glory", Motherwell started strongly. They took control of possession and were always looking to send crosses into the HB penalty box. But lacking a proper No 9, too many of them failed to properly trouble the Faroese defence.

There was some irony, therefore, that the opening goal came from a cleared cross. The ball fell to Moormann 25 yards from goal and nobody expected the Austrian centre-half to lash the ball high into HB goalkeeper Bjarti Mork's net. It was some way to introduce himself to the Fir Park faithful.

That goal should have provided the impetus for Motherwell to kick on, but they took their foot off the accelerator. Without being threatening, HB at least stemmed the claret and amber tide. Motherwell gifted them a half-chance when Girdwood-Reich was dispossessed but with Paulsen way out of his goal, Noah Mneney's lob was woefully short of being accurate.

Motherwell had the final chance of the half and it was a good one. Tom Sparrow's excellent delivery on 36 minutes found Ibrahim Said free in the six-yard box, but his header cracked off the bar. It was a chance a veritable poacher would surely have put away.

Motherwell continued to dominate the ball after the restart, but were toiling to break HB down. They needed another effort from distance to unpick the islanders.

This time it was just on the edge of the penalty box, but Fadinger's strike was just as pure as his compatriot Moormann's. A loose ball fell into the midfielder's path and he swept it high beyond Mork via the underside of the bar on 57 minutes.

HB ought to have halved the deficit on the hour mark when Jakub Thomsen drilled a half-volleyed effort just past the post with Paulsen beaten. Motherwell had an even better opportunity not long after but Vogt shot straight at Mork after good work from Sparrow.

The game was now more open, with HB pushing for a goal that would change the complexion of the return leg. Paulsen was forced to beat away a stinging effort from Asi Dam on 74 minutes and then from Heini Sorensen four minutes later. Then Heidin Hansen prodded over from close range after Motherwell failed to deal with a corner.

HB ended the game strongly and it was a reminder that the tie is not yet done. Motherwell will need a little bit more in Torshavn, but can be satisfied with the beginning of a new era in ML11.