Joe McConnell
Kilmarnock won their first European game in 23 years, progressing to the Europa Conference League play-offs thanks to a Joe Wright goal.
Wright was sent off early in Killie’s 3-0 Scottish Premiership defeat to St Johnstone on Sunday, but was the hero on a famous night for the club in Norway, his deflected goal proving enough to beat Tromso.
The defender’s 11th-minute header was the only goal at the home of the world’s most northerly professional football club, above the Arctic Circle, as Killie secured a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Wright is mobbed by Kilmarnock teammates
It was Kilmarnock’s first European triumph since their UEFA Cup preliminary round victory over Glenavon in 2001, and it puts them in line to aim for a place in the group stage against FC Copenhagen.
Derek McInnes had claimed that Tromso thought they had won the match after the first game, despite a late equaliser for Ayrshire by 19-year-old Bobby Wales, who started the second game.
The Kilmarnock manager’s determination to upset the odds rubbed off on his players, who took an early lead from Danny Armstrong’s corner. Wright rose well to meet the outbound pass and his shot took a massive deflection off Vetle Skjaervik’s head and into the roof of the net.
The home team almost responded immediately when Jakob Napoleon Romsaas came on, but Robby McCrorie came down well to save. An offside flag would likely have been overruled by VAR if the shot had gone past the keeper.
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Highlights from Kilmarnock’s defeat to St Johnstone last weekend
The Ayrshire side frustrated the hosts after the break. McCrorie showed good management to hold Jens Hjerto Dahl’s low shot from outside the box and a minor offside decision came to his rescue after Leo Cornic slipped the ball under the keeper following a high pass.
The visitors had another chance in the final 10 minutes, when Amadou Barry headed the ball over the crossbar from three metres.
Vassell had a splendid chance to save the situation when he was inadvertently fed by a weak pass, but the Killie captain took a heavy touch and was tackled eight metres out.
But the away team managed to survive the aerial pressure in the final minutes and the final whistle was greeted with joy by the 300 travelling fans.
