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Motherwell Football Club has today (Wednesday) parted company with manager, Ian Baraclough.

The Board of Directors would like to sincerely thank Ian for his great efforts last season and keeping the club in the SPFL Premiership for this very important season in the Club history, with the 130th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the 1991 Scottish Cup celebrated at the end of the season.

The Board will immediately commence the search for a new manager.

In the interim, current Under 20s boss Stephen Craigan, along with Stephen Robinson and Jim Hollman, will handle first-team affairs.

Extended Highlights from Cappielow Park as Motherwell crash out the League cup with a 3-2 extra time defeat to Greenock Morton.

Action images from today’s 3-2 extra-time defeat to Greenock Morton at Cappielow Park in the League Cup.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix.

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[tab:Match report]

 Phil McGhee at Cappielow Park

Motherwell crashed out of the League Cup to Championship side Morton after losing 3-2 after extra time.

An injury time equaliser from Scott McDonald forced Motherwell into extra-time for the second consecutive League Cup tie. But there was to be no great escape for the Fir Park side this time as Jim Duffy’s men netted twice in the additional 30 minutes.

A late strike from Loius Moult gave some hopes of taking the game to penalties and revive memories of the Scottish Cup win at Cappielow in 1991 on the road to Hampden.

However, there was to be no cup glory this time, though, as despite an energetic finish, Motherwell failed to improve sufficiently on a slow start.

Ian Baraclough made three changes from the side which faced Hamilton, Jack Leitch returning to the midfield while wide men Marvin Johnson and Dom Thomas were deployed to support lone striker Theo Robinson.

Undoubtedly, there was pressure on the Premiership side and Morton made the most of it with a confident opening spell. And although Leitch was first to produce a shot which drifted over, it was the home side that found the net after 11 minutes.

Peter McDonald’s pass took a fortunate bounce off Stephen McManus’ heel at the edge of the box but there was nothing lucky about the finish as Alex Samuel slammed his angled drive from 15 yards high past Connor Ripley.

The Fir Park men then enjoyed a lot of possession as they moved the ball around the Cappielow pitch and Johnson latched on to a loose ball at the edge of the box before testing the Morton ‘keeper with a low shot.

Liam Grimshaw then broke from the middle of the park but his shot drifted high over the bar. A rehearsed corner from Thomas after 24 minutes picked out the unmarked Joe Chalmers and the full back’s drive from 20 yards raced through a packed penalty box and just outside the post.

It was the Greenock men, though, who came closest to adding to the score when McDonald darted into the box and his powerful drive forced a diving block from Ripley.

Johnson curled another effort beyond the Morton goal before McDonald came close to snatching a second just before half time when unmarked, he stabbed the ball a yard wide of a begging goal.

A big improvement was required from ‘Well in the second half, particularly in terms of goal threats but it was an unchanged side that kicked off the second forty five.

That changed within 13 minutes, though, when ‘Well went two up front, Louis Moult and Scott McDonald replacing Thomas and Robinson.

Before the strikers could make an impact the tie was almost over. Former Steelman Ross Forbes rolled a short free kick to McDonald and his terrific strike was brilliantly blocked by Ripley once again.

A quick exchange between McDonald and Moult sent the latter racing through but Gaston sprinted from his line to clear the danger.

Down the other end, a Forbes free kick took a wicked deflection before rolling narrowly past Ripley’s post to keep the visitor’s faint hopes alive.

With ten minutes remaining Lionel Ainworth came on to make his presence felt on the right. Although there was a bit more urgency and threat around the home goal ‘Well still couldn’t force a save from the Morton ‘keeper.

Indeed it took a smart save from Ripley to deny Michael Tidser making it two and finishing off the tie.

Then in the final minute, Ainsworth’s 20 yard drive flashed narrowly past the post ‘Well looked down and out.

Dramatically in the second minute of injury time McDonald snatched an equaliser when he squeezed Ainsworth’s cross under the ‘keeper.

The late equaliser failed to dent Morton’s confidence and six minutes into extra-time Ripley produced another good save to turn a 35 yarder from Forbes over the bar.

Two minutes later ‘Well should have been ahead when Moult chested down Ainworth’s cross but from 12 yards he swept the ball wide of goal.

That miss proved costly when Morton regained the lead, Samuel sneaking in front of Kieran Kennedy to guide the ball low past Ripley for his second goal.

The game was then stopped for 5 minutes due to trouble in the ‘Well crowd behind the Morton ‘keeper.

Early in the second period of extra time Grimshaw’s volley was held by Gaston under his cross bar before Ainsworth miss hit from five yards as ‘Well chased another equaliser.

Eight minutes from the end, though, Tidser nudged the ball beyond Ripley to make it 3-1 and dent any thoughts of a Motherwell recovery.

However, with four minutes remaining Moult lashed a loose ball high into the net to set up a nail biting finish but Morton held out to deservedly progress to the quarter finals.

[tab:As it happened]

 Ally Reilly at Cappielow Park

FT: Morton 3 – 2 Motherwell AET

ET 26′ | 3-2
GOAL – Moult pulls one back for ‘Well. 3-2 now….

ET 22′ | 3-1
Goal – Tidser makes it 3-1, getting on the end of a cut-back into the box

ET 15′ | 2-1
Last 15 now underway

ET HT’ | 2-1
Denny Johnstone goal gives Morton a 2-1 lead going into the last 15 minutes.

ET 15+ 3′ | 2-1
Gaston saves McDonald’s shot with his foot as he raced on to Moult’s through ball

ET 14′ | 2-1
Long stoppage in play here as Police deal with incidents in the crowd.

ET 10′ | 2-1
Goal – Johnstone gets across his man and gets on the end of the cross, tapping into the net. 2-1 Morton.

ET 9′ | 1-1
Great ball in to Moult by Ainsworth. He takes a touch but can’t find the target from 15 yards.

ET 6′ | 1-1
Forbes pulls a shot out of nothing and Ripley does well to tip it over the bar.

First half of extra-time is now underway. COYW!!!!

FT’ | 1-1
Into extra-time, McDonald pulling ‘Well level with the last kick of the ball.

McDonald equalises!!!!!

GGGGOOOOAAALLLLLL!!!

90′ | 1-0
Ainsworth skips past his man and gets a shot away which flies agonisingly past the post.

86′ | 1-0
Morton sub, Lamie on for Miller.

85′ | 1-0
Good save again from Ripley, palming Tidser’s shot wide of the post.

79′ | 1-0
Motherwell sub, Taylor makes way for Ainsworth

77′ | 1-0
Deep ball into the back post by Johnson is headed wide of the post by Law.

76′ | 1-0
Morton sub, Johnstone on for McDonald.

75′ | 1-0
Forbes’ free-kick is deflected wide of the post, with Ripley wrong footed. Close.

71′ | 1-0
Moult booked for dissent it looked like. Nothing in the foul and ref pulled the play back.

62′ | 1-0
Superb save from Ripley, diving low to his right to tip McDonald’s free-kick to safety.

61′ | 1-0
Law booked for pulling at Sabajo’s shirt as he passed him.

59′ | 1-0
Johnson gets down the wing and forces a corner….but it is nodded clear at the front post.

56′ | 1-0
Motherwell subs, Moult comes on for Robinson and McDonald comes on for Thomas.

46′ | 1-0
Straight away Morton have a free-kick in a dangerous position…Fired in low by Forbes, cleared by Leitch.

Morton get the second 45 underway. …

Half time, Morton 1 – 0 Motherwell

43′ | 1-0
Pepper booked for a foul on Johnson as he broke away from a Morton corner.

42′ | 1-0
Very nearly 2-0 to Morton there as McDonald latches onto a cross and pokes it just wide from close range.

36′ | 1-0
Taylor bursts forward and plays in Johnson…..can’t test the ‘keeper from just outside the box, though.

30′ | 1-0
Samuel stings Ripley’s palms with a powerful drive from just outside the box. Ripley beats it away.

27′ | 1-0
Great corner delivery to the head of O’Ware who heads inches over the bar from ten yards.

24′ | 1-0
Taylor’s cross is sliced wide for a corner….nicely worked set piece sets up Chalmers who shoots just wide!

13′ | 1-0
‘Well work the ball quickly up to Johnson who cuts inside from the right but shoots well over the bar.

11’| 1-0
Goal – Samuel gets the break of the ball in the box and makes no mistake, firing past Ripley from 15 yards!

6’| 0-0
Johnson gets the better of Pepper and squares it to Leitch who opts for the shot. Fires well into the ‘Well fans.

4’| 0-0
Tidser works a bit of space down the right and slides in Kilday but he slices his cross into the stand, with Morton men in the area

Kick-off | 0-0
Taylor and Leitch get the game underway. COYW!!!

Out come the teams, ‘Well in full claret, Morton in their familiar blue and white hoops #GMFCvMFC

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough:

Coming Soon

Morton manager Jim Duffy:

Coming Soon

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

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‘Well boss Ian Baraclough previews the League Cup 3rd Round clash with Morton at Cappielow.

Skipper Keith Lasley hopes a positive Cup performance can help breath life in Motherwell’s campaign.

The Steelmen were unbeaten in three prior to Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park.

The Skipper, who today celebrates his 36th birthday, is now aiming for a positive showing against the Greenock side, which he hopes will help the Fir Parkers click into the next gear.

[pullquote]These are great games to play in. They bring a pressure, but I relish the challenge.[/pullquote]

“There’s no point feeling sorry for ourselves,” he told the broadcast press at ‘Well’s weekly news conference. “Hopefully we can put on a good performance [against Morton] which hopefully gets a result and kick-starts our league form.

“Morton have got off to a good start in the Championship and is there much difference to some of the football played in the Premiership? Probably not!

“These are great games to play in. They bring a pressure, but I relish the challenge. People will be thinking there’s a potential banana skin, so let’s show those doubters wrong.

“I can’t wait for the game to come round.”

Extended highlights from Fir Park as Robbie Leitch’s goal sends Motherwell through to the next round of the Little Big Shot Youth Cup.

Under 20s boss Stephen Craigan talks to MFC TV after Motherwell U20s beat Partick Thistle 1-0 in the Youth Cup.

Motherwell progressed to the third round of the Little Big Shot Youth Cup with a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle at Fir Park.

The visitors shaded the first half, creating a couple of decent chances, but the second belonged to the Steelmen, who dominated proceedings before Robbie Leitch scored the all important goal eighteen minutes from time.

It might have been more had Adam Livingstone’s late strike been allowed, but the assistant ruled it out for Dylan Mackin being offside whilst lying on the ground.

It was the Steelmen who made the better start, with Ben Hall and Jake Hastie both putting chances wide of target in the opening ten minutes.

Thistle gradually settled into things though and both Alex Lynn and Mark Lamont put efforts wide of target before Neil McLaughlin fired over the bar.

Scott McKenzie’s side then hit the post when Kevin Nisbet bundled a corner off the frame as ‘Well had to dig in.

However, after a period of chasing the game, ‘Well gradually worked their way back into things and hit the frame of the goal themselves, Cadden driving down the right, cutting in before firing off Waters left-hand upright.

Cadden had another great run three minutes later, but his low teasing cross was hooked away.

The last word of the half would go to the visitors though when after Docherty had scooped a shot over, Nisbit brought out a decent save from Morrison, curling a low shot that forced the big keeper to turn away at full stretch.

‘Well started the second half of the front foot and it was positivity that carried throughout the whole forty-five.

The impressive Allan Campbell fired a half-volley wide of target before Thistle’s Jordan Leyden saved a goal with an acrobatic over-head kick off the line to prevent Mackin heading home Leitch’s free-kick. The danger wasn’t over for Thistle though and Hastie was unfortunate to see a low effort strike the side netting.

Campbell watched another volleyed effort go close before both Leitch and Ryan Watters forced Marc Waters into fairly routine saves with a pair of low shots.

It continued to be all Motherwell and a positive Leitch run opened up space for Mackin only for his curling shot from the edge of the ‘D’ to fly over the top.

However, ‘Well’s patience finally paid off when Leitch slotted his side ahead after 72 minutes. Cadden collected on the half way line before driving forward and playing Mackin in on the right flank. He jinked past his marker before pulling it back for Leitch who slammed under Waters.

Cadden, who was driving ‘Well forward throughout the game, almost scored an incredible second for his side, roaring through the heart of the Thistle defence but he was blocked at the final hurdle by a combination of defender and goalkeeper. Livingstone flashed the rebound across goal but there would be no takers.

Leitch had another shot blocked on route and Cadden curled over before ‘Well thought they had scored a second.

Cadden’s neat dinked cross found Falconer in the area but he was denied by a superb Waters save. The rebound fell to Livingstone whose first shot was blocked before he slammed high into the net. The goal was originally given but the assistant had his flag up.

That was the last action of an entertaining and hard-fought afternoon. A rare victory in the Youth Cup will allow Stephen Craigan to look ahead to the next round draw with some anticipation.

Motherwell: Morrison, McMillan, Ferguson. Maguire (Watt – 66mins), Hall, Campbell, Watters, Leitch. Mackin (Falconer – 80mins). Hastie, (Livingstone – 77mins) Cadden

Subs Not Used: Potts, Turnbull

The Under 20s are in Youth Cup action tomorrow (Sunday) when they take on Partick Thistle at Fir Park.

Stephen Craigan’s side have battled from a losing position to take points in each of their last three games, but will need to be at it against a talented Jags side.

‘Well have been dissapointing in the Youth Cup in recent years, and will look to progress against their Development League opposition.

The match will take place at Fir Park, with kick-off at 2pm. Prices will be £2 for adults and £1 for concessions/juveniles.