Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass insists his side are determined to make the Conference League group stages after booking their play-off round place.
The 5-3 aggregate win over Breidablik last night earns the Dons a tie with Qarabag in the next round, with a trip to the Azerbaijan capital Baku next week.
Aberdeen will likely face an arduous travel schedule next week but Glass believes the team are ready to take the next step in Europe.
He said: “The travel happens in reverse as well. If we can keep it alive in the second game – we’ll compete, try win the game over there and then Thursday night under the lights with that sort of backing, you’ll see an Aberdeen team determined to make the group stages. Now it’s real, you win a two-legged game and you’re in it. We know the challenge and what it gives you.”
A brace from Ryan Hedges in the second half sealed their progress, either side of a Gisli Eyjolfsson strike which threatened to put their celebrations on ice.
Glass added: “We should have scored in the first half but the players’ character shone through. Any time we’ve asked them to do something slightly different they’ve been excellent.
“They kept at it in the second half – it would have been easy to think it’s not our night. The response from the players was brilliant and if we take half our chances, it’s 5 or 6-1. We’re happy to be in the next round.
“Funso when he came on, his energy, his pace, was excellent. When there’s a change like that right the start of the second half and the crowd start responding, it’s a different atmosphere. I thought it was a bit boring in the first half and it needed to change. That was the aim in the second half, to make it a bit more aggressive and interesting.
“The change of shape helped Ryan. He’s sitting in there disappointed he’s not scored three or four goals. But he did his work for the team tonight. Every one of them has done their work for the team and everything we do will be done as a group.”
There also appeared to be no sign of the tension between the two managers subsiding, with words exchanged between the two benches at the end of the game.
Breidablik manager Oskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson had spoken critically about Aberdeen after their first leg win in Iceland.
Glass added: “Some people have got a lot to say and that continued after the game. I was delighted we don’t come and critique another team’s performance. I’m pleased our team produced the goods on the pitch. We weren’t at our best but we’re in the next round. I hope they enjoyed their trip to Aberdeen.”