The Road to Hampden Round 5

Motherwell made heavy weather of beating a pucky Stranraer side at Stair Park in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, a game we will not worry too much about if we win on Saturday.

It took a goal in each half from Steve Jones and John Sutton to see off the challenge of the Third Division promotion chasers.

Well boss Stuart McCall was not surprised how difficult the tie turned out to be, “We knew it was going to be a tricky tie, I said before the game the most important thing is to get through. We would liked to have played better and made it easier for ourselves, but all credit to Stranraer the stuck at it and made it difficult for us at times.

“I thing getting the first goal was the key, if we had gone behind it would have been a really difficult today. The bottom line is we are through to the next round and that’s what we came here to do. We have played better in the last two games and got nothing, the main thing is we made it into the draw for the next round.”

Well had an early scare at the start of the game when Keith Lasley took a kick in the ribs after just five minutes. When it looked as though he would have to come off and be replaced by Ross Forbes, he chose to play on.

 Sadly for the midfielder he only lasted until the 31^st minute when he was finally replace by Jamie Murphy, a move that actually gave the team a better shape with Steve Jones moving to the left flank giving the side a better balance.

 The only highlight of the early stages was a combination between John Sutton and Steve Jones which allowed Jones to hit a shot but it was easy for keeper Mitchell to save.

 Apart from this both sides had long range efforts that failed to trouble either keeper and it was with the clock ticking into injury time the Steelmen took the lead out of the blue.

 A Steven Saunders cross from the right was swung to the far post where it found Jones, the winger managed to get a toe poke on to the ball from close range. The keeper was unlucky as all he managed to do was turn the ball over the line off his foot.

 This was the Northern Irish International’s first goal for Motherwell and he was please to contribute and take the pressure off his team maters, “Delighted to get off the mark, and I had no doubt it was over the line. I thought they started well but we had good possession without doing anything with but the goal helped settle us down and allowed to play our passing game.”

 At the start of the second half the home side made their best chance when a Scott Agnew corner reached Kevin Nicoll at the far edge of the box but his shot deflected off Stephen Craigan before being palmed out by Darren Randolph.

 Despite some heroics from the home side the play was generally heading towards their goal without Well troubling the keeper until he was beaten for the second time on 83 minutes. Sub Jonathan Page released Chris Humphrey on the right flank and his cross to the front post was perfect for Sutton to flick home at the front post.

 Well side: Randolph, Saunders (Page – 80), Hutchinson, Craigan, Gunning, Humphrey, Lasley (Murphy – 31), Jennings, Hateley, Jones, Sutton (Casagolda – 88). Subs not used: Hollis, Forbes

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