Graham Alexander says his Motherwell side did enough to win against Sligo Rovers, but didn't take their chances.
Aidan Keena's first-half strike after he pounced on an error by defender Bevis Mugabi gives Rovers a slim advantage to take to Ireland next week.
But Alexander says he saw enough in his side to reckon they can go to the Showground and win.
He said: "My feeling is frustration that we didn't win the game. I think we did more than enough to win the game.
"The goal speaks for itself. It's an obvious mistake but an honest one, and then after that it gave them something to protect. They sat deep at times and tried to hit us on the counter.
"We still created enough chances to win the game, but didn't take them.
"But it's half-time in the tie, it's still there for us to try and win it.
"I don't think so. We created more than enough chances to win, we gave them a goal through a mistake - it's nothing to do with intense pressure we were under, or lots of chances they were creating.
"That's the way the game sometimes go, I don't think there were any circumstances before the game that caused the end result, but we still have the second leg to go and win."
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