Motherwell's attention turns to cup duty as top six secured

11 Apr 2011

A GOOD season for Motherwell could get better still.

Many a team has crumbled after losing a popular, successful manager midway through a season but the transition from Craig Brown to Stuart McCall has done little to knock the Fir Park side off their stride.

An appearance in the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final, where they were unlucky to lose to eventual winners Rangers, has been matched by reaching the same stage of the Scottish Cup, making it the first time in more than 60 years that they have reached the last four of both major cup competitions in the same campaign.

Cup success has gone hand in hand with league consistency. This result, coupled with Inverness Caledonian Thistle failing to win in Kilmarnock, ensured Motherwell will be in the top half of the table when the league splits in two in a fortnight.

With no chance of finishing any higher than fifth, there is little for McCall's side to play for in their remaining league matches but the prospect of influencing the destination of the championship, as they famously did on the final day six years ago, is an enticing one for the Motherwell players.

"Was that the one where the helicopter was already on its way and then had to turn around?" asked Darren Randolph, the Motherwell goalkeeper showing a decent grasp of recent Scottish football history.

"I've been told all about that one so it would be good to do the same again and do something about how things finish at the end. That just adds to the excitement of finishing in the top six and playing against the better teams in the league."

All that can wait, though. For now, all Motherwell are thinking about is the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone on Saturday.

With league business taken care of, the only thing likely to trouble McCall this week is how to whittle his squad down to the 16 who will be stripped for action at Hampden.

Against Hearts, McCall was able to start several of his first-team regulars on the bench, handing a first-team debut to 17-year-old Stuart Carswell.

With Gavin Gunning, Steve Jennings and Francis Jeffers – none of whom featured at Tynecastle – likely to be available again, it gives the Fir Park manager something of a selection dilemma to mull over in the coming days.

"The players thought as well that we had quite a thin squad at the start of the season," added the Irish keeper. "Then Nick [Blackman], [Alan] Gow, and Marc Fitzpatrick left and we realised it was going to be even smaller.

"But it's just made everyone come together. We've managed to get back some form and get that sixth place."

On a personal front, it has been a memorable campaign for Randolph, too. The Republic of Ireland internationalist kept his 18th clean sheet of the season on Saturday, a Motherwell record.

"My main aim was to beat John Ruddy's record from last year and I'm still trying to add to it to make sure no-one can get close to it [in future]."

For Hearts, the wait to confirm third place drags on. Dundee United have closed the gap to eight points but, barring a collapse, Jim Jefferies' side should coast through to ensure European football at Tynecastle next season.

"We're doing well but we need to go out and wrap up third place as quickly as possible," said Ian Black, the Hearts midfielder.

43 Steven Saunders strikes the post with a long-range shot.

75 Ross Forbes' thunderous effort comes back off the Hearts bar.

80 Craig Thomson's free- kick is pushed away by Darren Randolph.

Taken from the Herald