Motherwell’s young Colts side booked their place in the second round of the IRN-BRU Cup with a 3-0 win at East Stirlingshire.
David Turnbull, Broque Watson and Jake Hastie scored first half goals as the youngsters saw off their Lowland League opponents.
Motherwell named a starting line up with first team experience, both in the top flight and lower leagues.
Adam Livingstone, Barry Maguire, James Scott, Liam Brown and the aforementioned pair of Turnbull and Hastie have all featured for the first team, while Rohan Ferguson has 80 games under his belt for Airdrieonians.
There was also a first outing in claret and amber for recent recruit Christian Mbulu, who slotted in at centre back.
The hosts had some early chances, shooting from range and testing Ferguson in goal, but the Steelmen had the lead within 17 minutes.
Collecting a cutback from Brown outside the area, Turnbull curled his shot into the top right corner to open the scoring.
Three minutes later, the advantage was doubled. Hastie burst down the left and squared the ball across the face of the goal, with Watson on hand at the back stick to steer home.
It took a further two minutes for another goal to come. This time Scott’s cross from the right was found by Hastie in the centre of the six yard box, and he bundled the ball past Jamie Barclay.
The second half took time to get going, with the Shire testing at times with runs down the flanks, and the Steelmen struggling to create.
It would be debutant Mbulu who would have the first gilt-edged chance of the half, his header from close range from a corner being well saved by Barclay.
As the game wore on, the hosts ended up down to nine men as two players were forced off injured, with all three changes already having been made.
But chances continued to be few and far between, and Motherwell progressed to Thursday’s draw, the they could be drawn against teams from England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
