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Motherwell go in search of a place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup at Hibernian on Saturday.

Here are the key topics going into the match.

Hampden place at stake

The winners of Saturday’s last eight fixture will earn a place at Hampden in the semi-final of the 2020/21 Scottish Cup.

For ‘Well, it would mark the first visit to the national stadium since the 2017/18 Scottish Cup final, where the Steelmen would lose their second cup final of the season to Celtic.

Hibs were at Hampden in October in the delayed 2019/20 Scottish Cup, losing to Hearts in the semi-final.

Happy hunting ground

Motherwell have saved some of their best performances for trips to Easter Road this season.

A 0-0 draw at the start of the campaign arguably should have resulted in three points, only for Jordan White’s winner to be controversially disallowed for offside.

Then in February, goals from Jordan Roberts and Devante Cole sealed a 2-0 victory in a controlled, attacking showing.

Our Scottish Cup quarter final is live to watch wherever you are in the world.

In the UK and Republic of Ireland, the game is being broadcast live on Premier Sports.

Fans based outside the UK/Ireland can watch via their usual subscriptions at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

How to watch

Sky customers signing up at premiersports.com can watch Motherwell this Saturday on Premier Sports 2 on channel 429.

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Motherwell take on Hibernian in the last eight of the 2020/21 Scottish Cup on Saturday.

Kick-off at Easter Road is at 5pm.

Watch live

If you’re in the UK or Republic of Ireland, you can watch live on Premier Sports.

International-based supporters can watch via their usual subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

Tale of the tape

Motherwell are unbeaten from their two trips to Easter Road this campaign.

A 0-0 draw at the start of the season was followed by an emphatic 2-0 victory in February.

Form guide

Motherwell have won six of their last eight matches, drawing one and losing just once.

Hibernian have won four in the same time period, drawing once and losing to Motherwell, St Johnstone and Rangers.

Motherwell claimed an important win over Hearts to lift themselves off the bottom of SWPL1 at the expense of their opponents.

Goals from Claire Adams and Nicole Pullar gave the women of steel their second victory against the Edinburgh club in the 2020/21 campaign in a 2-1 success.

A heated, hearty home performance saw a high intensity first half, in which Motherwell dominated most of the possession and attacks in the first 30 minutes.

Adams opened the scoring with 17 minutes on the lock. A well-worked move saw her get on the end of a cut back, which she dispatched cleanly into the top corner of the Hearts net.

Six minutes later, Motherwell doubled their lead. Lori Gardner pressed the Hearts defender high up the park and, after winning possession, she then drove into the box and cut the ball back for Pullar to finish into an empty net.

Motherwell then kept the pressure on Hearts and had several opportunities to extend their lead, only to find former Motherwell goalkeeper Ailey Tebbett on fine form and making several expert saves.

The second half saw Hearts start the quicker and on the front foot.

A change of shape and tempo saw them draw one back through a cross which came off the knee of Kirstie Macintosh and roll helplessly by Lauren McGregor in the Motherwell goal.

After that, the game became very even, with both sides limiting each other to longer distance efforts with neither goalkeeper being tested properly.

The game stayed on a knife-edge right until the last 15 minutes, with Motherwell pinned back in their own defensive third until the referee blew the final whistle to seal a big three points.

Motherwell: McGregor, Connor, C Watson, Adams, Inglis, J Gallon, Gardner, Pullar (McDonald-Nguah), Skelton (Callaghan), L Gallon.

Subs: Pollard, K Watson, G Crooks, Sinclair, M Crooks.

“That win is for the supporters. We’re delighted to beat our rivals.”

Motherwell made the short journey home in the knowledge that their first win of the season over Hamilton guaranteed they would be safe from the automatic relegation spot.

Mark O’Hara’s goal late in the first half also meant the Steelmen are all but safe from the relegation battle this season with what should be a safe total of 41 points with three games remaining.

On Hamilton’s artificial surface it was a challenging 90 minutes for both teams but ‘Well dictated most of the play and with a watertight defence never looked conceding a goal or the crucial three points.

After limping off with cramp towards the end of last Friday’s cup tie with Morton, Allan Campbell was fit for a place in a Motherwell side showing two changes. Tyler Magloire returned to form a back three alongside Declan Gallagher and Ricki Lamie. And with O’Hara fit to make his first start in midfield, that allowed Stephen O’Donnell and Nathan McGinley the freedom to press forward and make it five across the middle of the park.

Desperate to take their first point of the season from their Lanarkshire rivals and subsequently ensure they would be clear of the automatic relegation spot, the Fir Park men were on the front foot from the start.

Hamilton’s desire for the points and their own top-flight survival was evident and within a minute Hakeem Odoffin had the chance to open the scoring but pulled his volley across the goal.

After that, though, ‘Well pretty much bossed the first half.

In the first of four rehearsed corners in the opening 12 minutes, Christopher Long’s short pass allowed O’Hara to whip the ball to the back of the six-yard box where Lamie’s powerful header was blocked.

With 10 minutes played Long popped up on the other wing to set up Devante Cole and his curling shot from the corner of the box forced Kyle Gourlay to push the ball behind his left-hand post.

As Liam Kelly regularly pinpointed either O’Donnell or McGinley deep in the Accies half, the home side seldom offered any threat on the ‘Well ‘keeper’s goal.

Just as the game became rather sterile, the Fir Park men produced the best move of the game and the opening goal shortly after Ronan Hughes was dismissed for a reckless challenge for the hosts.

Stephen O’Donnell and Long combined to work the ball across the field to McGinley who moved the ball back across the box to the unmarked O’Hara.

He had time to turn and pick his spot guiding the ball across the Gourlay and inside the ‘keeper’s right-hand post to make it 1-0 and put the visitors in the driving seat.

A minute before the interval the lead was almost doubled. Again O’Donnell was involved wide on the right and when the ball found Cole at the corner of the six-yard box he quickly swivelled before firing the ball just over the bar.

Not surprisingly, with three points on their home pitch absolutely essential, Accies started the second half more determined but from a free kick and then a corner into the six yard area, Kelly remain untroubled.

To be fair at the other end Gourlay was pretty much a spectator and even from a promising position O’Hara’s free kick failed to test the Accies defence.

Twenty minutes into the half Graham Alexander made his first substitution at the expense of Long. 

In a tactical change Barry Maguire came into the midfield allowing O’Hara to move further upfield and support Cole.

A minute later Kelly made his first save. A long ball upfield found Bruce Anderson in the centre of the penalty area but his shot was straight into the arms of the ‘Well ‘keeper.

After that the Steelmen largely controlled play towards the home goal.

Despite having plenty of possession in and around the Accies box Gourlay was seldom tested until the 76th minute when Cole’s drive from 18 yards gave the ‘keeper a comfortable save.

With three minutes remaining and Accies pushing everyone forward ‘Well had a great opportunity to kill the game on the break.

After winning a couple of challenges at the edge of his own box Campbell carried the ball towards Accies’ sole defender. With O’Hara and Cole on either side of him, Campbell picked out the latter but the striker found his path to goal blocked and the chance was gone.

As nothing emerged from the four minutes added time, Motherwell comfortably protected their lead to gain a 12-point advantage over second-bottom Kilmarnock. 

“The past is the past. It’s important for the fans that we get them the win on Wednesday night.”

Chris Lucketti looks ahead to Wednesday night’s Lanarkshire derby at Hamilton Academical.

Motherwell host Hearts in the latest round of SWPL1 fixtures on Wednesday.

Kick off at the Penny Cars Stadium in Airdrie is at 7.30pm.

The game is closed to supporters but is available to watch live online.

Tale of the tape

Motherwell were victorious in the opening meeting between the two sides earlier in the campaign.

The 3-0 win at Oriam brought the team’s only points of the season so far, with ‘Well looking to do an early double to get back up the SWPL1 table.

Form guide

An 8-0 loss to Glasgow City on Sunday sent the champions back to the top of the table.

Prior to the weekend, ‘Well lost their two matches after the restart by the odd goal in five, going down 3-2 to both Forfar Farmington and Hibernian.

Paired with Hearts’ draw with Forfar Farmington, the women of steel dropped to bottom spot, a point behind the Gorgie side.

Hearts had also lost their first two games back, going down 6-0 to Rangers and 3-0 to Celtic.