McCall: We'll practice penalties
Rangers boss Stuart McCall says he is preparing for all eventualities in Sunday's Scottish Premiership play-off final decider - even penalties.
Gers' promotion hopes were left hanging by a thread by Thursday's 3-1 first-leg defeat at Ibrox.
But McCall has not given up hope that his side can fight their way back into the match and force extra-time.
And should spot kicks be required to separate the teams, he insists his men will be ready.
McCall said: "We will be practising penalties. It might be required so it is certainly something we will be doing.
"We've left it up to the guys in the last couple of ties that those who feel the need to take a penalty kick (to practice them) if they are more confident and comfortable.
"But you have got to be prepared. We have got to believe, we have got to have an aim and a desire and a courage to go and say, 'What is the worst that can happen?'"
Rangers were awful at the back on Thursday as they allowed Lee Erwin's shot to deflect in off Darren McGregor and then Stephen McManus to run free at a free-kick and head home the second.
Richard Foster then gifted away possession at the start of the second half as Well broke quickly to add a third through Lionel Ainsworth.
Now McCall admits his team will have to defend much better if they are to have any chance to clinching a top-flight return.
"We would like a clean sheet and I would think we will probably have to get one," he said.
"You look at certain games we have played like Hibs away a couple of months back. We got a clean sheet there so it can be done.
"But we certainly need to defend better than we did the other night. We can't make the individual errors that we made.
"I heard someone suggesting last night we were marking zonally. We don't. We mark man-to-man. At the second goal somebody was supposed to be watching big Stephen McManus but he didn't get close enough.
"We need to be more resolute."
Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough will take encouragement from the mental strength his players showed at Ibrox.
There are bound to be plenty of nerves around the three home stands if Rangers open the scoring at Fir Park, but Baraclough is backing his players to handle the pressure as Motherwell look to extend their 30-year top-flight status.
The former Scunthorpe and Sligo Rovers manager said: "There was no fear to go to play, there was no fear to make mistakes. There was a real togetherness amongst the squad.
"They enjoyed the atmosphere, they enjoyed playing on a great stage."
Rangers went into the semi-final second leg with a 2-0 lead over Hibernian and kept their hosts out until injury-time at Easter Road, but if Rangers were to take the lead any earlier than that at Fir Park, then Motherwell will need to show their character again.
"A two-goal lead is a precarious lead and people will point to that first goal," Baraclough said. "We have just got to concentrate and make sure, if it does go against us, that it doesn't faze us.
"In these games you are going to get setbacks, it might be a referee's decision, a ricochet of a ball. You talk about these things and make sure you don't get disheartened, be strong mentally, and go and kick on from that."
Motherwell were helped by the experience of long-serving players Steven Hammell and Keith Lasley at Ibrox while former Celtic captain Stephen McManus was outstanding in defence and headed the second goal.
His former Parkhead team-mates, Stephen Pearson and Scott McDonald, who both made their names at Fir Park more than a decade ago, were also influential but Baraclough's younger players also excelled on their Ibrox debuts.
Loan players George Long and Louis Laing produced their best displays in a Motherwell jersey to help keep Rangers out until the last 10 minutes, and 21-year-old Lee Erwin opened the scoring after running at the home defence.
Baraclough said: "You look at the younger players and you wonder, they have not played in that sort of atmosphere before, but it's brilliant for their education.
"They are experienced now. They know that they can go and deal with that. They thrived on it.
"George pulled off some great saves but I thought his game management was fantastic as well. He controlled the tempo of the game at times."
Source: PAR
