JIM O'BRIEN today vowed to make cocky SK Flamurturi players eat their words by helping Motherwell dump them out of Europe and book a glamour tie with Steaua Bucharest.

Gloating Flamurtari players claimed they would have beaten O'Brien and his Well team-mates even if they hadn't played their game last week in Albania last week in the searing heat.

And they reckoned their Scottish rivals, who had a John Sutton penalty controversially disallowed in the first leg of their second qualifying round, used the conditions as an excuse for the defeat.

But O'Brien, set to play out wide in the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie tonight, is quietly confident the Fir Park club can overhaul the 1-0 deficit and clinch a glamour showdown with former European Cup winners and Romanian giants Steaua in the next round.

O'Brien said: "We're really looking forward to the game. They're okay, a hard-working side that wants to get in your face and make it difficult for you.

"Obviously the heat didn't help us over there and they dealt with that a little bit better than us. They're a decent side and made it really hard for us.

"But we still should have had enough to beat them. The heat wasn't an excuse. If they want to come out and say they'd have beaten us nonetheless that's fighting talk.

"We're well equipped to go and win this time and I don't see why we shouldn't win.

"To be honest, we've not really thought about them, we've looked at our side of the game.

"The fans want to see the club at the highest level and this is a good chance for us. We came up against Nancy last season and I don't think we took much stick then because everyone knew they were a good outfit."

O'Brien revealed the Motherwell players have started to get to grips with the tactics which new boss Jim Gannon wants them to adopt since he was thrown in at the deep end before the Llanelli game with a decimated squad.

And the former Celtic kid has also welcomed the arrival of two new players in the past week - Giles Coke and Chris Humphreys - even though it will mean stiffer competition for his place in the first team.

He added: "Things have been going well, things are taking shape and the squad has got a bit more understanding of what the manager wants to achieve.

"It's a different formation to what Mark McGhee played. He likes to attack with pace and that's good for me.

"Because these Europa League games have come up so quickly it means we've had to adapt very fast, but that will be better for us in the long run.

"Once we get used to the style of play which the manager is adopting, then I think the start of the season will see us flying.

"The manager has brought Chris in which is good competition for places and Paul Slane's been absolutely brilliant for us, too.

"There are some trialists in too which is healthy for us. Chris looks sharp and his crossing is really good. He is a great addition to the squad.

"When a new manager comes in it's a difficult period, but also a good period because it's a clean slate.

"It means everyone has a point to prove which is healthy for our squad.

"You want to mix it with the big teams and if we get through we've got a big team in Steaua.

"If, of course, they beat my old Celtic youth team coach Willie McStay's Ujpest team."