Sligo Rovers boss John Russell believes his side can leave a legacy on and off the pitch after their 3-0 aggregate win over Motherwell in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.
Sligo belied their status as underdogs to defeat their Scottish rivals 1-0 in the first leg at Fir Park and followed that up with a convincing 2-0 verdict at a packed Showgrounds on Thursday night.
A stunning first half free-kick from Shane Blaney doubled Sligo's overall advantage before Max Mata netted in injury-time at the end of the game to secure a famous result, as the Bit O'Red reached the third qualifying round of European competition for the first time in their history.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Russell admitted it was a result that even he hadn't anticipated, saying: "Before the tie was made, probably not. But I did think with the players we have at this club and the work that's going on, I felt that we'd a big performance in us.
"I think over the two games we deserved to go through and it's a fabulous night, a fabulous occasion here.
"We've made history. We're the first team in the history of Sligo to reach the third round of a European qualification. It's magic.
"They were two brilliant performances. I felt the players showcased their talents and we looked comfortable in those environments.
"As a club, Sligo Rovers need to be pushing and raising the bar. We've put the demands on the players since we've come in and they've listened to us. There's more in us. It's a big step forward for us.
"I've just heard we'll be going to Norway (to face Viking) in the next round. It's brilliant, it's something to look forward to."
Even as he basked in the visceral afterglow of victory in the shadow of Ben Bulben, Russell was acutely aware of what progression means for the club on a more pragmatic level in terms of future capital investment.
Sligo's European adventure has already guaranteed them at least €850,000 in prize money, which is a king's ransom in comparison with the pots and revenues on offer in the domestic game.
"It's huge," Russell, who only succeeded Liam Buckley as manager at the beginning of June, said. "We all know the financial rewards when you're playing in Europe, and for us in the league, there's no TV deal and the prize money is small. So it's important to grow the club, both on and off the pitch by getting through rounds in Europe.
"As players, you want to be doing it, but for the club it's a big help because we want to put plans in place here to build a new stadium and training ground, and all that helps."
In a display full of star performances, Blaney managed to stand out, thanks in no small part due to his sublime set-piece goal.
"It was out of this world," Russell enthused. "To hit it that well, and the buzz in the ground three minutes into the game really set us up so nicely.
"Shane's been brilliant, he's a real leader and his performances have just been getting better and better."
Reflecting on his team-mate's wonder strike, prolific Sligo forward Aidan Keena quipped: "I don't think anyone saw that coming, unbelievable!
"I was thinking myself, 'I wouldn't mind getting on that', but you can't really complain when your centre-half does that."
Keena bristled at how certain Scottish media outlets portrayed his club before the tie.
"'Irish minnows', they were calling us – delighted that was the stance they took because it suited us, we could go out and put our game plan on without much pressure because nobody expected anything.
"But we knew ourselves what we could do."
