Stephen Craigan: Motherwell can't dwell on Ian Baraclough's exit
Motherwell caretaker boss Stephen Craigan is solely focused on getting his team through the visit of Partick Thistle following the "shock" of Ian Baraclough's exit.
The former Fir Park skipper was catapulted into the hotseat on Wednesday after Baraclough was sacked on the back of Motherwell's League Cup defeat by Morton and a run of Ladbrokes Premiership results which sees them in 10th spot.
And Craigan insists he has had almost no time to consider his own prospects of getting the job on a permanent basis when owner Les Hutchison weighs up the options.
The 38-year-old said: "I don't think there was any doubt Tuesday was a big disappointment. The team expected to get through and having analysed the game, we should have got through. So Wednesday afternoon was a shock to us.
"Our friend first and foremost, and our colleague, has lost his job. Within an hour the owner asked me to step up to take the team.
"For a club that has been very good to me, and I have been good to the club over 18 years, there was no hesitation to take the job to try to help the players out but inside there was a coldness because a good friend had lost his job.
"But Ian did say to us that the game moves on very quickly and we have to move forward.
"We felt we weren't far away, and I still think we're not far away. Small margins and being clinical, making good positive decisions, that's the difference sometimes in football. The owner has a strong business mind and he obviously felt he needed to make a change."
Motherwell are set to have an unchanged squad for the Ladbrokes Premiership encounter with Partick Thistle.
Wes Fletcher (ankle) is close to a comeback but may have to wait another week. Steven Hammell (groin) looks unlikely to be risked while Stephen Pearson (knee) could come back against Dundee the following weekend.
Partick's Mathias Pogba could return from a hamstring injury but Gary Fraser (knock) and long-term casualty Christie Elliott (back) remain out.
Ryan Edwards aims to boost his international prospects by starring for Partick Thistle after continuing the Australian connection in Scotland.
The 21-year-old former Reading midfielder could make his Thistle debut against Motherwell on Saturday after signing until the end of the season.
He could face former Socceroos striker Scott McDonald at Fir Park and is following in the footsteps of his father, Alistair, who was on the books of Rangers in the late 1980s.
And the Australia Under-23 international knows he could win more recognition if he plays well for the Jags.
He said: "My dad played at Rangers, and my agent was goalkeeper at St Johnstone, and there's an Australian link with Scotland - Jackson Irvine at Ross County, Celtic have Tom Rogic. So I have followed Scottish football for a long time now and it's a very good league.
"When you see Jackson Irvine getting called up for the senior national team after playing well for Ross County, it's really positive and gives you a lift, to know that if you are playing well for your club you are going to get a look-in for your national team.
"Playing for your country is probably the best thing in football. We've got the Olympic qualifiers coming up so as long as I'm playing for my club, I'll get in contention to get picked for that. I'm yet to make my senior national team debut and I would love to do that one day."
Source: PAR
