Wolves test offers Europa League learning experience for Crusaders’ Philip Lowry

For a player who has built a decade-plus career on a drive for success, it marks an unusual situation.

But then very little could be counted as usual over the last fortnight for the Irish League midfielder.

From facing one of the most coveted young players in world football in Ruben Neves to stepping out in front of almost 30,000 fans inside a Premier League ground, Crusaders’ European meeting with Wolves has provided plenty of memorable moments.

The pick of those, undoubtedly, the team performance that ended in a 2-0 defeat last week but a win on so many other fronts.

Effectively the final kick of note on Thursday in England - when Ruben Vinagre scored - reduced the opportunity to dream going into this week’s return at Seaview.

But Crues were winners on a significant scale before the first whistle given the five-figure financial purse and enhanced profile.

Now Wolves’ panel of acclaimed internationals arrive in Belfast for the second leg with Lowry aiming to draw benefits from the Europa League adventure beyond plaudits.

“It has been the stuff of dreams, an unbelievable experience and the atmosphere over at Wolves was just electric - the best I’ve ever played in,” said Lowry. “Now we’ve the second leg at Seaview and it is an occasion the fans and people around the club deserve but one, as a players, we want to maximise.

“We were gutted in the dressing room to concede so late on but it was also a feeling of relief that we did not go out and embarrass anyone.

“We have to be realistic about the situation and the quality Wolves have with one of the best managers around.

“Our away support over at Molineux pushed the players on and you can see the buzz around the club heading into the home leg.

“The belief that brings fans home and away week in, week out to support this club means some have even talked about what could happen if we get an early goal at Seaview and it’s fantastic to have people dreaming that way.

“From our viewpoint, it comes down to more hard work and maintaining the standards set last week.”

Lowry is determined to walk away from the Wolves tie with long-term gains on top of the short-term glamour.

“We have to treat this whole tie as a learning experience with a view to making progress as a full-time and professional set-up,” said Lowry. “Last year we were duffed by Ludogorets but approached the Wolves first leg in a different way, trying to keep it tight and proving hard to break down.

“In the Irish League we go out on the frontfoot from the start but you cannot play that way in Europe.

“It is about developing those game-management skills and building on the expectations that Irish League clubs can progress in Europe now past the early rounds.

“I think looking at clubs like Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers should be attainable.

“We played the first leg without a yellow card, which maybe went against those expecting an Irish League side to just go out and kick.

“There were nerves the night before and, given it was a return to European football for Wolves in almost 40 years, the atmosphere inside the ground was superb.

“But it comes down to that first pass or tackle to settle and not go into the tie looking at the opposition with an inferiority complex.

“Concentration is a massive part of it, more than fitness, due to Wolves’ movement and how five or six players react to a trigger not one or two.

“But, despite such a quick turnaround, we prepared really well and had a gameplan to execute, which will be the case again at Seaview.

“Ultimately, to go and play against that level of opposition should be an opportunity to take something away to help our development.”