Pat Hoban insists Glentoran have nothing to fear in the second leg of their Uefa Conference League first qualifying round tie against RFS on Thursday evening (kick-off 5.30pm).

The Glens suffered a narrow 2-1 first leg defeat in a hard-fought tie at the BetMcLean Oval last week as Martins Kigurs’ double gave the Latvians a one-goal advantage going into the return leg at the LNK Sporta Parks in Riga.

Hoban, though feels Glentoran, who took the lead through new boy Zeno Rossi, showed enough to trouble RFS and insists there is plenty of confidence in the squad ahead of the second leg.

“Obviously we would have preferred not to be behind after the first leg, but our objective was always to make sure that the tie was still very much alive going to Riga and that is certainly the case,” said Hoban.

“On another night we could have been coming away with an advantage or at least level, but unfortunately it just wasn’t to be.

“That doesn’t mean it’s game over though, it’s very much all to play for and now we know a bit more about them too which will also help us.

“They are obviously a decent side with players who can hurt you if you let them play, but I think we stood up well to what they threw at us and I don’t think we were really under the cosh at any particular time.

“We certainly asked a lot of questions of them too and were unfortunate not to score more than once on the night.

“Our set-pieces caused them a few problems and big Zeno certainly showed he’s a real threat aerially.

“So there’s a lot to be positive about going into the second leg plus we will have another week’s training under our belts too.

“The key thing is making sure we are tough to break down and to try and restrict their opportunities.

“The pressure will be on them as the home team and I’m sure they will be hoping to put the tie to bed as early as possible so we have to frustrate them and hopefully bring a bit of tension to their fans.

“The longer the game goes on with the score still the same it will heighten that and it means we only need one opportunity to bring ourselves level.

“It will be tough, no doubt about it, but it is a challenge we will relish and one that we are more than capable of doing if we work hard and play to our full potential.”

Hoban has a wealth of experience playing in European competition and was part of the Dundalk squad which took on Arsenal at the Emirates in the Europa League group stages back in 2020, and he also scored against Rapid Vienna in the same group.

The striker also has experience of winning in Riga as the Lilywhites defeated Riga FK on penalties in a Champions League first round qualifier back in 2019.

“Yeah that was a very tough game, I remember it was a goalless draw in the first leg at Oriel Park, and it was the same out in Riga after normal time and extra-time,” he recalled.

“So it was down to penalties and I took our first penalty to make it 1-1. Both sides missed two each in the normal shootout before they missed another in sudden death with Sean Hoare sending us through.

“As I say it was a tough battle over the two legs and I know Thursday night is going to be something similar for us and you have to dig in on nights like that. It’s about standing up and being counted.

“There are big rewards for progressing in Europe, obviously financially for the club it’s huge, but there’s also the reward of playing some big teams if you get through the rounds and I have been lucky enough to experience that.

“That’s obviously far off and not in our minds at all at the minute as our focus is solely on going there and doing a job.”

New signing Zeno Rossi introduced himself to the Glens fans with a 38th minute goal and was unlucky not to add to his tally in the game.

Hoban was impressed by what he saw from the former Bournemouth defender and feels he will be a real asset for the Oval outfit this season.

“Yeah you can’t ask for much more than to grab a goal on your debut for the club,” said the experienced frontman.

“It was a super header to put us in front and he was so unlucky not to get another as he had a couple more chances in the game.

“He’s obviously a threat in the opposition area given his height and aerial ability, but he was also impressive at the other end.

“He is a real commanding figure, he’s strong and he is good on the ball which is a great combination for any defender to have.

“I know as a striker it’s tough when you come up against a physically imposing defender and one that is also comfortable on the ball and never gets flustered when put under pressure.

“You could see the other night the impact he made for us and that will only improve the more games he plays with us.

“Zeno is a fantastic addition along with Greg (Sloggett) and Rhys (Walsh), and they will all be very important players for us throughout the season.”

Thursday night’s UEFA Conference League first qualifying round second leg against RFS kicks off at 5.30pm (UK time) at LNK Sporta Parks in Riga. The match will be streamed live on NIFL TV, with supporters able to purchase a live match pass at www.nifltv.co.uk