Scott McDonald urges Motherwell to find some consistency
Motherwell striker Scott McDonald hopes they can find some consistency with a run of Ladbrokes Premiership games.
McDonald's team went into the international break on the back of a controversial 2-0 defeat by Dundee after the Australian appeared to have a goal missed by the match officials.
Previously they had followed a 3-0 home defeat by Inverness with a 4-1 victory over Ross County in the space of four days.
The tightness of the table is highlighted by the fact that Motherwell could be bottom after Saturday's visit of Partick Thistle, but could also be in the top six.
And McDonald knows that finding a rhythm in the nine matches they play before the end of the year could prove crucial for their campaign.
"We have been up and down for quite some time, but everyone has in this league," the 33-year-old said.
"It's been quite strange and very stop-start in terms of the way the games have come. We seem to get two or three and there's a break and then we had an extra break because Aberdeen were in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
"We have not had an opportunity to kick on and play so many games on the spin, which always helps.
"I think everyone else has been up and down, (apart from) Celtic and Aberdeen (who) have hit a good vein of form.
"It makes for an interesting league though and seeing how tight it is from the bottom of the league to sixth in the league."
Partick Thistle winger Steven Lawless is eager to get back to action at former workplace Fir Park after recovering from hernia surgery.
The 25-year-old saw his run of 53 consecutive appearances brought to an end by the injury last month but he is in contention to start against Motherwell after missing only four matches.
Lawless told the club's Jagzone channel: "It's brilliant to be back. It's three weeks since the operation so I have not missed too much.
"I feel brilliant, I have not got pain at all, the operation went well so everything is looking good. It could have been even earlier. I ended up pulling a muscle in my back because I couldn't really walk right."
Lawless savours any game against his former club but Fir Park has not been a happy venue for Jags fans in recent times. Thistle's last away win over Motherwell came 20 years ago and they have lost on seven of their last eight visits.
"I'm looking forward to going back," Lawless said. "We haven't managed to get the win there since we came back up. We have beaten them at home but it would be good to go there and get the win.
"Even last year we went there on a terrible run and played really well but lost to an own goal. Sometimes the performances don't manage to get results but hopefully we can go there and turn them over."
Source: PAR
