Drogheda United (1) v HJK Helsinki (1) Dalymount Park Kick-off: 7.45Boasting 19 clean sheets from 29 competitive games this season, it is a fair observation Paul Doolin's side are suitably proficient and at ease with the art of defending.

One more tonight - at the very least - will see Drogheda advance in European competition for the first time and, in the process, etch another chapter in the club's remarkable resurgence of late.

Having taken the lead through Shane Robinson on the astroturf in Helsinki a fortnight ago, Drogheda conceded a late equaliser. Impressive and all as the performance was, Doolin refuses to underestimate the task against an established Finnish side, who boast European pedigree and who have conceded just one goal - against Drogheda - in their last four games.

"Normally when teams go away you would tend to play defensively," says Doolin "but we went with a 4-4-2 approach and in fairness stuck with it right until the end. No matter what, though, we'll stick to what we've done this season. We're at home but you still have to be cautious. The most important thing for us is to continue with what we've been doing for most of the year."

Doolin's counterpart Keith Armstrong believes his players let themselves down somewhat in the first leg but he stopped short of suggesting his team underestimated their opponents.

On any given match day in Helskini, HJK regularly attract 10,000-plus to their Finnair Stadium. But Armstrong claims the poor local turnout a fortnight ago - when Drogheda chants echoed around the ground - deflated his players and put them on the back foot from the very start. Still, he acknowledges Drogheda's contribution, in particular the suffocating manner in which his players were starved of space.

Knowing his side must score tonight, he expects a battling contest against a disciplined and unforgiving defence in which Jason Gavin and goalkeeper Dan Connor excelled last time.

"Drogheda played very well and stuck to their game plan impressively," he concedes. "I was disappointed with my own players as we didn't move the ball as quickly as we should have.

"We've conceded just one goal recently and that was against Drogheda which shows how good a team they are if they can score against us these days. But . . . we have to score tonight, so we certainly won't be sitting back."

Doolin is without striker Declan O'Brien who has a broken jaw and James Keddy who has aankle strain. Steven Gray returns having missed the first game with a knee injury.