Irish League champions Cliftonville will adopt a cavalier approach to this evening's Champions' League qualifying round tie against Kosice. But their manager Marty Quinn will start the game against the Slovakian champions with a cautious five-four-one formation.

Quinn hopes his side can contain Kosice on their home patch for the opening 20 minutes, preventing any addition to their 5-1 drubbing in Belfast last week.

The Irish champions arrived in Kosice yesterday without any injury concerns.

"The tie seems beyond us, but let's see if we can go back home with some credit," said Quinn. "We made three stupid mistakes in the first leg which handed the tie to Kosice.

"They are a good side but not a great one. We showed with our second-half display in that game that we could make a professional outfit look very ordinary."

Irish League president Gifford McConkey believes Linfield are capable of restoring some European pride to local football when they take on Omonia Nicosia in today's second leg UEFA Cup tie at Windsor Park.

They trail 5-1 following last week's humiliation in Cyprus, but McConkey reckons Omonia will not be relishing the trip to Belfast.

He said: "My club Bangor drew the Cypriot side Apoel in the Cup-Winners' Cup a few years ago and, although they were too good for us on their home soil, it was a different story in the return fixture at Clandeboy Park.

"They struck me as being bad travellers. We drew with them here and could easily have won the game.

"Linfield may find a four-goal deficit a bit too much to make up but at least they have that away goal in the bank - and that's a help.

"I think Linfield can win the match and I will be hoping for a 40 victory."

But manager David Jeffrey is not quite so confident but believes his team performed well in defeat in the away leg.

"It was a dreadful result for us out there, but my players worked tremendously hard in difficult conditions," he said.

"We leaked a couple of soft goals, but no one can accuse the lads of lacking commitment."

Jeffrey concedes a place in the next money-spinning round is out of reach but promises a hot reception for the Omonia visitors.

He said: "There's no point in aiming for a respectable scoreline or a draw. That would be a complete waste of time.

"We are going to have a real go at them and with the help of a large local support we intend giving the Cypriots something to remember us by."