UEFA Champions League: In a match between equals, Shelbourne's two away goals would look like a strong basis on which to start planning for the next round of the Champions League qualifiers, but few at Tolka Park were brushing up on their Spanish just yet as they completed their preparations for this evening's second qualifying round second leg against Croatia's Hajduk Split.

At 3-2 the home side look to have a slight advantage but the Dubliners still have to win if they are to qualify for the first round proper and a meeting next week with Deportivo La Coruna. And, as Pat Fenlon looked rather tired of being reminded yesterday, it is a long time (12 games spread out over a decade or so) since Shelbourne beat any European opponents on home turf.

"I don't think you can dwell on a record like that," he sighed. "The reality is that this is a different bunch of players, none of whom go back that far with the club.

"As far as I'm concerned our last home game is of some relevance and we drew that nil-all, which isn't bad. The aim this time is to go one better, which we feel we can do."

Hajduk, more impressive in the first leg perhaps than their slender lead might suggest, bring a decent sprinkling of internationals with them to Ireland.

They boast a particularly formidable attacking unit, Dragan Blatnjak, Mario Carevic and Natko Racki all possessing the capacity to cause Shelbourne problems.

Blatnjak scored twice in the first leg, but Carevic, who normally plays just behind the front two, was obliged by injuries to others to slot in on the left side of the Hajduk defence, where he was much less influential than he might otherwise have been.

Shelbourne, in fact, had specifically reshaped their team in order to deal with the Croatian international, Stuart Byrne dropping back to sit in front of the back four so as to contain him.

The approach, though, still worked well and the home side look set to start with a 4-1-4-1 shape again this evening. That means Jason Byrne will begin the night on the right side of midfield, while Glen Fitzpatrick will play as a lone striker, in the early stages at least.

Both of Ireland's teams in European competition last week conceded early goals, and though Fenlon clearly wants his side to press forward, he has spent much of the past few days emphasising to them the need for patience.

"Games like this are a big step up for the lads and they have to realise the different challenges that a team like Hajduk presents," he said.

"It's important that they don't panic just because they don't score in the first 15 or 20 minutes.

"Often you see matches in Europe where the team that has more of the possession doesn't end up winning - because their opponents are patient and use their heads.

"We need to remember that in this game and I'm confident we can. We have a hunger here that I think was probably missing when I was a player. It's what enables us to score so many goals late on in games and I'm hopeful that it's going to see us through again this time."

Jason Byrne, meanwhile, rates Hajduk Split slightly below the Grasshoppers Zurich side that overwhelmed Bray Wanderers while he was playing his football at the Carlisle Grounds but, he says, "there's clearly a lot of quality in the side."

"It was difficult out there because obviously we were all having to put in a fair bit of effort on the defensive side of things. They played three at the back as well, which very few teams here would do, so it all took a bit of adapting to.

"But here I expect us to play our own game and I'm looking forward to it. I desperately want to get a goal in the game."

His cause may be helped by the fact goalkeeper Vladimir Balic is seen as a weak link for the Croatians, though nobody is underestimating the scale of the task, not least chief executive Ollie Byrne, who conceded last week that the visitors remain favourites to advance.

That the Spaniards await the winners in the next round, however, is a huge incentive - one potentially worth around €400,000 to Shelbourne - and Byrne appealed to the public to come along this evening to support a team representing Ireland on the international stage.

"We have 3,500 tickets left so there won't be a problem facilitating people," he said.

"With a big crowd behind the team we are in with a chance of securing a result that would be a huge boost to football here so we're appealing to the people of Dublin, whatever their own affiliations, to come out in large numbers and cheer the team on."