Motherwell exited the SPFL Trust Trophy at the first hurdle on Tuesday night, losing out on penalties to East Stirlingshire at Fir Park.
With the tie level at 0-0 after 90 minutes, it was the Lowland League side who won the shootout 8-7, with 18 penalties taken.
It didn’t take long for the first chance of the match to arrive. In the opening minute, Mikey Booth dinked a lovely ball over the top for Luca Ross, he squared for Mark Ferrie who scored however the linesman adjudged L.Ross to be offside.
From then on, Motherwell controlled most of the possession. Ferrie went closest next on seven minutes when, on the swivel, he volleyed wide of the mark. In the build up to the chance, L.Ross clashed heads with the East Stirlingshire defender. As a result, he had to come off for treatment and was subsequently substituted ten minutes later for Nathan Lawson.
Lawson, who sprung straight into the action, was involved with Dylan Wells who got in behind the backline and played back to Lawson who seen his shot from the tight angle saved.
Only minutes later, defender Zack Flatman turned defence into attack. He tracked his runner all the way back before playing a flighted ball up the line for Ferrie, he cut the ball back for Booth whose shot flashed wide from the right-edge of the box.
Just 60 seconds later, Wells registered a shot on target after he beat his man on the edge of the box. Exrepont was equal to the effort and it remained goalless.
Skipper Paul McGinn connected well with a corner but his header landed on the roof of the net on 39 minutes.
Four minutes later, East Stirlingshire had their first chance of the night, when Spence picked up the ball 20 yards out and had a go, but his effort was curling away from the goal and Jack McConnell seen the ball wide.
With neither side making any changes at the halfway stage, Motherwell started brightly in the second period. Wells picked up the ball and drove into the box before finding Tom Sparrow who seen his low effort tipped away, Lawson got in on the follow up but was offside.
Three minutes later, East Stirlingshire had their best chance of the match when Ynry Liddell blazed over the bar from a well worked cutback. A let off for the ‘Well.
However, with that scare behind them, Motherwell got back on the front foot. Max Ross chipped a perfect ball over the top of the East Stirlingshire defence to find a sprinting Lawson, who beat the offside trap, but he could only stab the ball marginally past the post.
McGinn went close again on 52 minutes when defender Flatman found himself playing on the wing from the second phase of a corner, he delivered and McGinn could only force the keeper into a save.
Four youngsters were introduced into the action by Richard Foster as they began to settle into the game on the hour mark.
On 70 minutes, some good work from Ferrie on the halfway line seen him get away from his marker, he drove to the byline and squared to Lawson who again, couldn’t find the target.
It was the same combination three minutes later that setup the next chance, but Lawson’s ball across to Booth was intercepted before he could get a shot away.
Another ball in behind caused the visitors problems, this time from Scott Williamson. Ferrie got on the end of it and got a powerful shot away but the keeper was a match. Flatman got on the end of the resulting corner as he was left free at the back post, but his header was guided over the bar.
The chances kept coming for the hosts, with Ross Nelson next to go agonisingly close. He curled one from the edge of the ‘D’, his shot beat the keeper but not the crossbar and the ‘Well were denied once again.
Continuing to knock on the door until the end, Nelson got on the end of a cross into the area, he knocked it down to Lawson who showed perfect technique to side foot the ball towards goal, but it was just wide of the mark. No goals after 90 minutes and the match would be decided on penalties.
Shooting towards the Davie Cooper stand, it was Greig Spence for East Stirlingshire who stepped up first. And it was a horror start as McConnell got a strong hand to the penalty and made the save.
Mikey Booth went next and made no mistake to give his side the early advantage.
Ferrie, M.Ross and Nelson all scored the next three, as did East Stirlingshire meaning at 3-4, Lawson had the first match point. Ecrepont guessed the right way and the shootout continued.
Tomany and Flatman dispatched their efforts having watched their opponents do the same. With the shootout at 6-6, former Motherwell player Sam Campbell’s penalty was beaten away by McConnell and it would be a second match point for Motherwell.
Brannan McDermott stepped up, he went bottom left but so did the keeper and it still wasn’t to be for Motherwell.
Derin Marshall squeezed his penalty past the keeper, with Liddel also scoring just prior.
At 7-7, East Stirlingshire’s Shaun Brown beat the keeper and Williamson knew he had to score. In the cruelest way, he seen his penalty saved and East Stirlingshire confirmed their place in round two of the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Motherwell B: McConnell (GK), McGinn (62), Flatman, M.Ross, Kaleta (62), Sparrow (62), Booth, McDermott, L.Ross (17), Wells (62), Ferrie.
Substitutes: Marshall (62), Gillies, Williamson (62), Arnott, Nelson (62), McAllister, Lawson (17), Tomany (62), McLean.
