Coleraine boss Oran Kearney is targeting a shock scalp against FK Velez Mostar of Bosnia at a happy hunting ground on Thursday evening (8pm).
With the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds undergoing work on a new 4G pitch, Mourneview Park will host the first qualifying round Europa Conference League clash.
And Kearney hopes memories of a string of positive results at the Lurgan venue in recent years can help the Bannsiders overturn a 2-1 deficit from last week’s first leg in Sarajevo.
Coleraine have lost just one of their last nine visits to Mourneview Park, a buoyant run of form that includes a 2-0 Irish Cup win over Glenavon there 18 months ago.
“It’s a pity the second leg isn’t at the Showgrounds, but with the work that’s going on there, this is the way it has to be,” said Kearney.
“Mourneview is a ground that has been good to us in recent years. It’s a good pitch and surface and it also lends itself to a good atmosphere.”
An early Ben Doherty strike had Coleraine ahead in the first leg before penalties in either half saw FK Velez carve out a 2-1 win, with the visitors losing Lyndon Kane to a late red card.
“Our mindset in the first leg was to keep the tie alive and not be out of sight heading into the second leg and we achieved that,” said Kearney.
“Before the game, I would have taken a draw or a one goal deficit because it gives us something to really attack and have a real rattle at.”
The winners of the tie will progress to meet greek giants AEK Athens in the next round.
