Motherwell manager Stuart McCall is confident his players have the mental strength to compete if their game against St Mirren turns into a battle of wills.
Well have put in some impressive footballing displays under McCall, most notably when they won 2-1 at Aberdeen last week. They also put together some decent passing moves against Hamilton on Saturday but also showed resilience against a stubborn Accies side as they won 1-0 on a deteriorating Fir Park pitch.
Like Hamilton, St Mirren are fighting for survival in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and McCall knows his players must match their opponents' determination as he said: "It's going to be a gritty affair, I'm sure."
McCall continued: "At this time of year, you look at most pitches, it's not like early in the season when you can get it down and zip it about. It's bumping and bobbling, which tends to make games more of a scrap.
"But we're confident either way, we can play, we can pass, we can make chances, but we also have a bit of grit and determination. The record number of clean sheets (15) show we can defend well at times. There are plenty of ways to win a football match."
McCall does not feel he has particularly made any significant breakthrough in his bid to stamp his philosophy on his team, but he has been pleased with most of their performances since taking over at the turn of the year.
"The players have bought in from day one, I just want them to go out and play and express themselves," he said.
"But the more games we get together, the more they learn about me and, more importantly, the more I get to learn about them and their strengths and weaknesses, and where we need to strengthen and the young boys that can be pushed in.
"You need more than six or eight weeks but we're getting there. A couple of victories don't mean you are on the road to great success, just as a couple of defeats don't mean too much. It's so tight in this league and things can change so quickly in football."
Source: PA
