Christopher Long bagged a hat-trick as Motherwell progressed in the William Hill Scottish Cup with a 3-0 win at Dundee.
The striker put his team in at the break two to the good, before netting his third late on in the second half to put the result beyond doubt.
Returning from the winter break after a week in Tenerife, Stephen Robinson was at pains to ensure his team were sharp in order to avoid a repeat of a shock exit at the same stage last season.
Richard Tait and Peter Hartley replaced Liam Grimshaw and Bevis Mugabi from the team that lost to Hamilton in the final game of 2019.
Motherwell started bright and immediately went on the front foot, with James Scott going close early on from distance and Liam Polworth testing Jack Hamilton after a fantastic disguised run.
Then with 22 minutes on the clock, Polworth was scythed down on the edge of the box. Long stood over the free-kick with Jake Carroll, with the striker lashing an effort which took a nick on the way through to finding the net.
Eight minutes later it was two. Allan Campbell’s bursting run teed up Polworth, who then laid Long in on the left side of the box. Taking the ball in his stride, he placed the ball into the right corner of the net to double Motherwell’s advantage.
The visitors continued to test their shooting boots. Tait sent a long-range effort narrowly wide, while Long continued to pester.
Dundee started the brighter in the second half. Mark Gillespie saw his crossbar rattled by McDaid, and substitute Danny Johnson sent a low effort narrowly wide.
With Motherwell finding it hard to find rhythm on a heavy pitch, Long stepped up to put things beyond doubt with 15 minutes to go.
Cutting in from the right, he sent a looping shot from outside the box towards the left corner. Goalkeeper Hamilton got behind it, but could only help the ball into the net as he failed to get his hands behind it.
Long went agonisingly close to a fourth in the dying minutes, flashing an effort wide, but Motherwell’s work was done to book their place in the fifth round.
