Motherwell V Inverness CT at Fir Park Stadium : Match Preview

06 May 2014 14:31
Motherwell V Inverness CT - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Well unchanged for Inverness

Motherwell have an unchanged squad ahead of their Scottish Premiership clash with Inverness on Wednesday.


Midfielders Paul Lawson (Achilles) and Stuart Carswell (knee) and defender Simon Ramsden (knee) remain on the sidelines following surgery.


But otherwise the squad is unchanged following the 2-1 win over St Johnstone on Saturday.


The Steelmen host Inverness hoping to keep their bid for second place in the Scottish Premiership on track.


The trail Aberdeen by a single point ahead of the Dons' clash with Dundee United on Tuesday and will visit Pittodrie on the final day of the season hoping to be named 'best of the rest' for the second year running.


Fourth-placed Dundee United could still pip his side to a European slot, but, having faced budget cuts and a major upheaval in his squad last summer, boss Stuart McCall believes a top-three finish will top last year's runners-up achievement.


He said: "If we could finish in the European spot then I think it would match last year's achievement.


"The last couple of seasons we have been fortunate with injuries, but this year we have had eight and nine players out at some points.


"But, if someone was to tell me at the start of the campaign that we would break last year's points tally, I would have told them they were absolutely crazy.


"I think we'd have been happy with 50 points and the top six. But to have 64 points with two to go is beyond our wildest dreams."


Inverness teenager Ryan Christie has been tipped to become the latest youngster to light up the Highlands by team-mate Aaron Doran.


The 19-year-old midfielder netted just his second goal for Caley Thistle in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Dundee United and Doran believes it just another sign of his growing importance for John Hughes' side.


He said: "Ryan's been brilliant for us.


"Every time he gets on the ball he looks comfortable. Nothing has phased him so far and he's a good player to have around.


"You know you can trust him when you pass him the ball. He never looks afraid and doesn't hide. That's the way you need to be when you are young. He has a bright future ahead of him."


Fifth-placed Inverness are currently wedged between St Johnstone and Dundee United but with two games left to go, they have only prize money left to play for.


Neverthless, Doran praised the side for bouncing back from the painful 6-0 drubbing suffered at Celtic Park a week and a half ago by holding Jackie McNamara's William Hill Scottish Cup finalists to a stalemate at the weekend.


Now he has urged them to build on that result by beating Motherwell for the first time since August.


The 22-year-old Irishman said: "The draw with United was a positive result to get and showed we have not let our heads go down after the Celtic game.


"We gave it a good go and it was a good performance on Saturday. Now we need to look ahead to the Motherwell game on Wednesday.


"The last two games we have played them have been tight but they have come out on top. But we don't want to let the season fizzle out and believe we can get a result at Fir Park."


Source: PA