There will be no excuses for not winning on Saturday. ICT are a good side and they know how to play cup ties – but they are still a First Division team and if we play to the best of our ability we will go through.
Our home form is superb at the moment and we should be confident after a run of six straight Fir Park wins. This good form should see a big crowd there to back the team, even if season ticket holders have to pay at the gate.
We have no new injury worries for the game. Leitch, Dair and Partridge are still unavailable – presumably so is Uncle Phil – but we should be able to field the same side that strolled to victory against Thistle. Stevie Craig played for an hour in the mid-week U21 match but it is unlikely he will displace either McDonald or Clarkson in the starting lineup.
ICT have former ‘Well ‘keeper Mark Brown between the sticks and we all know that he is capable of making some excellent saves. Barry Wilson, formerly of Livingston, will be a threat up front but no one at Fir Park will be gutted at David Bingham missing out through injury.
This will be the third meeting between the clubs in recent years, with Motherwell sneaking both previous matches in the League Cup. This will be another close one but after an enjoyable game, we’ll emerge as 2-1 victors.