Motherwell strolled into the League Cup quarters with a comfortable 4-0 win over Inverness CT. The reward is a home tie against Celtic.
Kevin Van Veen collected the match ball thanks to an early opener and a couple of spot kicks on an evening that turned into a showcase of new signings.
The game was over by the break with the ‘Well three ahead. Liam Kelly kept warm by exchanging build up passes with his defenders.
Van Veen opened his account by converting Joe Efford’s delivery from the right before an own goal arrived to open up easy street. Sean Goss was tripped in 38 minutes and the penalty was awarded.
In truth Motherwell should have scored more than the one goal in the second half. That followed a cruel hand ball decision and the second spot kick followed.
The highlight of the second period came with the substitutions. New boy Matt Penney had been give a start in the left back slot but he was joined a by Stuart McKinstry, Roland Aarons, and, still celebrating his sixteenth birthday, Lennon Miller. The game almost had a pre-season feeling as the crowd welcomed the latest recruits to the pitch.
A special cheer was reserved for Van Veen when he left the field with fifteen minutes remaining.
The draw for the quarter final matched Motherwell and Celtic for a date in mid-October at Fir Park. Premier Sports will certainly choose this one for a live broadcast.
Motherwell 4 Inverness 0
Attendance 3,982 (164)
Team: Kelly, Penney, McGinn, Lamie, Solholm, Tierney, Spittal(McKinstry 71), Slattery(Maguire 78), Goss (Miller 78), Van Veen(Shields 75), Efford (Aarons 71)
Wednesday 31 August 2022