Prospect of facing Solskjaer’s Molde grips Sligo

Champions League fever in Sligo means there are now only 700 tickets left for sale for home fans for their second qualifying round first leg game against Norwegian champions Molde which, the club have confirmed, will take place on Wednesday, July 17 at the Showgrounds.

The Airtricity League champions may have missed out on a meeting with Celtic — that honour has gone instead to Belfast side Cliftonville — but Sligo’s opponents are hardly lacking in European pedigree, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knowing a thing or two about winning the continent’s premier club trophy from his days with Manchester United.

He has also previously crossed paths with Sligo boss Ian Baraclough, the pair having done their coaching A licence together at Lilleshall in England a number of years ago.