Linfield manager David Healy has challenged his team to grasp a fantastic opportunity tonight and secure a place in the Europa Conference League group stages with victory over Latvian side Rigas Futbola Skola.

The Premiership outfit had been on course to take a defendable lead back to Belfast from the first leg after goals from Stephen Fallon and Joel Cooper, but RFS mounded a late fightback to leave the tie in the balance at 2-2.

Linfield responded with a 3-1 league victory away to Newry City on Sunday, maintaining their perfect start to the new domestic campaign.

Healy’s side had started their European adventure in the Champions League qualifiers during July, beating The New Saints before eventually losing heavily to Norwegians Bodo Glimt, despite having won the first leg at Windsor Park. Hopes of progress in the Europa League were then ended by Swiss side Zurich, but Healy feels his squad can take a lot from what they have experienced so far with the potential of that journey running for a while yet.

placeholder image — Linfield boss David Healy. Pic by Pacemaker.

“Everybody around the place has an understanding that this is a huge opportunity for us,” boss Healy told the LinfieldTV platform ahead of the club’s attempt to create history as the first Irish League side to reach the group stages of European competition. “If we had been given this opportunity at the start of the European run ,with the games that we have played along the way, (to now be) with a home game to guarantee qualification, we would have snapped somebody’s hand off.

“It is here on Thursday and it is a fantastic opportunity for us.

“We know Riga are a good side, but if we go and play at our maximum and limit small errors and mistakes, then we are capable of getting the job done.”