FOR Queen of the South, the second qualifying round of the Uefa Cup is close to footballing Utopia, a place they and their supporters could only have visited in their dreams before tonight.
For their manager Gordon Chisholm, it is somewhere he has been once before and experienced perhaps the most distressing nightmare of his managerial career.
Three years ago, Chisholm was in charge of Dundee United when they faced Finnish side MyPa
at the same stage of the tournament. After a goalless first leg, United were 2-0 up and apparently cruising in the return at Tannadice before the cheap concession of two goals in the closing 15 minutes saw them eliminated in embarrassing fashion.
It was a result which ultimately contributed to Chisholm losing his job at United. He has resurrected his reputation dramatically at Queen of the South, leading them to the first Scottish Cup final of their history last season where they emerged with huge credit from a 3-2 defeat to Rangers.
Like his United side in 2005, the Dumfries club now enter the Uefa Cup as Scottish Cup runners-up and find themselves seeded against Scandinavian opposition. If Queen of the South go into the tie against Nordsjaelland of Denmark without any great expectations being placed upon them from Scottish football at large, Chisholm is making his own demands as he seeks to put his previous experience to good use.
"The most important thing I learned from that tie with United was the need to concentrate at this level for 90 minutes," said Chisholm. "MyPa were not a particularly good team and we had that tie firmly within our grasp. Then we switched off, gave away a penalty and then lost another goal trying to play a silly offside. Two lapses of concentration put us out on away goals.
"That's what I have been preaching to our players this week, they can't afford to switch off for a second. At any level, you have to concentrate, but in Europe you will be punished more if you drop your guard."
Chisholm and his assistant Kenny Brannigan travelled to watch Nordsjaelland draw 1-1 at home to Randers on Sunday, a result which left the club from the Copenhagen suburb of Farum at the bottom of the Danish League after four games of their season.
The team coached by former Dundee and Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst, however, were comfortable 8-0 aggregate winners against TVMK Tallinn of Estonia in the first qualifying round and Chisholm believes his First Division side face a challenge comparable to the one they overcame when beating Aberdeen 4-3 in the Scottish Cup semi-final last season.
"They are a very good side, of a similar standard to a team from around the top half of the SPL, and we will have to be at the top of our form to have a chance of winning the tie," he said. "We will need to be on a par with that semi-final against Aberdeen, although without conceding goals like we did that day.
"I would be happy with any result which has us keeping a clean sheet. Nordsjaelland have got pace in the right areas of their team, they are patient and look to pass and keep the ball all the time. We need to be cautious, but I believe we are capable of doing something against them.
"Everyone is saying we should just go out and enjoy being in Europe, but I don't see it that way and I know the players don't. We aren't just representing Queen of the South and Dumfries, we've got the eyes of Scottish football on us and it would be great if we could prove a lot of people wrong and win the tie."
Queens are only the 19th club to represent Scotland since European club competition began in 1955 and just three of their predecessors, Morton (1968-69), Airdrie (1992-93) and Gretna (2006-07) have failed to win a tie.
Neil MacFarlane, the 30-year-old midfielder who played for Hearts when the Tynecastle club reached the group stage of the Uefa Cup four years ago, is setting the bar high for the Dumfries men as he targets a return to that level of competition.
"Queens are looking to progress, there is a lot of ambition here," said MacFarlane. "Hearts had some great fixtures in the group stage, against teams like Feyenoord and Schalke, and that's what we are aiming for. It's definitely possible.
"We don't want this just to be a one-off for Queen of the South. We want to be playing big games like this as often as possible. We've got to seize the moment and stay in the Uefa Cup for as long as we can.
"We are stepping up a level, just as we did in the semi-final and final of the Scottish Cup last season, but we are a very positive side who have shown we can handle that. Nordsjaelland will be decent, but they only qualified for the Uefa Cup through the Fair Play system and they are not top of the Danish League. We don't need to be overawed and I think we are a team who are set up to play in Europe.
"Having played in Europe before, I feel an extra responsibility in this tie, along with guys like Steve Tosh and Jamie McQuilken who have also been there before. If we can help the younger lads in the side, it could be a great night."
The full article contains 936 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
