| 3 | Rangers | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 23 |
| 4 | Dundee United | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 19 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | -4 | 18 |
| 7 | Dundee | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 15 |
Liam Grimshaw, Ryan Bowman and Curtis Main react after the 4-2 quarter final defeat against Hearts.
Despite a resilient showing in the capital, the Steelmen were knocked out of the competition they finished runners-up in last term.
Grimshaw said: “Coming to a place like Tynecastle and going up against a team in the form Hearts are in was going to be tough. We took them all the way though, but it just wasn’t to be.”
Stephen Robinson praised the spirit of his side as they fell just short of another trip to Hampden.
The Steelmen produced a solid display against an in-form Hearts side, but were stung late on in Edinburgh as they pushed for a winning goal.
And the manager, despite being dejected in defeat, made sure to praise his team and their efforts as he suffered just his third loss in cup competition.
“I asked for a performance tonight,” he said. “We showed resolve but we need to cut out the individual mistakes.
“Hearts are a good side and they are clinical up front.”
Motherwell put in a fighting performance against Hearts in the quarter-final of the Betfred Cup but were stung by a late, late show.
Curtis Main and Ryan Bowman scored for the Steelmen but came unstuck as Steven MacLean, Peter Haring, Olly Lee and Steven Naismith netted for the Jam Tarts.
Motherwell started with ferocious intent, harassing their opponents and snapping into challenges with an intensity that was the hallmark of their cup performances last campaign.
They got their reward with just 10 minutes on the clock. Bigirimana’s drilled free-kick from left to right was met by the head of McHugh at the back stick. But his ball across goal was handballed by Dunne, leaving Willie Collum with no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
After a short spell out the team injured, it fell to Main to mark his return to the team by sending Zlamal the wrong way with an assured penalty to fire the Steelmen into the lead.
The game roared from end to end, as both sides flew through the midfield at pace to build attacks.
Hearts had the next biggest chance to get on the scoresheet on the half hour mark. Smith’s dangerous low cross from the right fizzed across goal, but MacLean’s poked effort at the near post spun over.
Motherwell immediately went up the other end. Main found room inside the box wide on the left, deciding to shoot instead of squaring to Bowman. That sent the goalkeeper sprawling and he just clawed it away, before Bowman went down after claiming to be pushed in the back as he tried to nod home the second.
It would be a concentration lapse that would cause the equaliser. Bigirimana tried to play his way out in his own box and surrendered the ball, allowing Smith the chance to cross.
Djoum met the header at the left post, nodding it back across goal for MacLean to steer home the equaliser from close range.
Motherwell were seeing plenty of the ball but the hosts were looking deadly on the counter, pounding the area with cross balls for the strikers to get on the end of. Naismith was the next beneficiary as the first half wore to a close, his header from close range sailing thankfully over the crossbar.
Spurred on again, the visitors raced up the other end and Cadden put a ball in from the right for Main, who just steered his header past the post.
After a pause for breath, the second half got off in similar fashion, with Hearts having a succession of headed chances and Motherwell looking to press their opponents off the ball high up the pitch to engineer an opportunity.
The resistance would finally break. After being bombarded with cross balls, Souttar’s volleyed drive across goal from right to left was met by Haring at the back post to slide in Hearts’ second.
Motherwell threw on Frear and Johnson as they tried to fight their way back into the game, effectively playing a front four alongside Main and Bowman.
Then, in a moment of magic, Stephen Robinson’s men found the leveller.
Chasing the ball into the channel, Bowman unleashed a spectacular half volley from 25 yards which dipped into the far left corner of the net to spark wild scenes in the away end.
As the Steelmen pushed and pushed for the winner, the sucker punch came with two minutes to spare. Another cross from the right was met by the free Olly Lee to steer the ball into the left side of the net.
Throwing everything forward Motherwell had a succession of corners as Hearts desperately clung onto the lead but Naismith would then net on the counter to put the game beyond doubt.
Stephen Robinson has praised his players’ commitment ahead of Wednesday’s quarter final clash with Hearts in the Betfred Cup.
Following Saturday’s defeat against Aberdeen, the manager is calling on his side to respond in style at Tynecastle.
“I have 100% commitment from my players every single game,” he said. “They give me everything and they’re a positive bunch of boys.”
Tom Aldred is hoping to make more cup memories with Motherwell ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Tynecastle.
After experiencing the highs and lows of last season’s run to two cup finals, the defender is hoping to go one step further in 2018/19.
“Any cup game that I’ve been involved in here has mostly been successful,” he said. “So I’m excited for another massive game for the club.”
Motherwell make the trip to Edinburgh on Wednesday to take on Hearts in the quarter-final of the Betfred Cup.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
It is important you pre-purchase your ticket for the trip to Tynecastle, as it is highly unlikely a cash gate will be in operation at the ground.
Ticket sales and collections are available at Fir Park on Tuesday and Wednesday between 9am and 5pm. You can purchase your online now and collect it from Fir Park.
Both teams have won two of the last five fixtures between the two sides, with a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle coming in the middle of the matches.
Ten goals have been evenly shared between the two across those matches, although Motherwell have only scored one in two games in Gorgie.
Conor Sammon is ineligible to play against his parent club. Curtis Main, Alex Rodriguez Gorrín, Peter Hartley, Andy Rose and Liam Donnelly are all fitness doubts. Charles Dunne and Craig Tanner remain on the sidelines.
If you live outside the UK or Ireland, you can watch Motherwell’s Betfred Cup clash with Hearts live online.
Thanks to our live streaming service, users can see the game from Tynecastle as it happens on Wednesday night.
Priced at £12 a month or £120 for the year, all of our home games and the majority of our away matches are available.
Just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk, scroll down and select your package to subscribe. Kick off on Wednesday is at 7.45pm BST.
Hearts are the league’s table topping side but it’s a break from Premiership action on Tuesday night, as Motherwell travel to Tynecastle in the quarter final of the Betfred Cup.
Here’s the game previewed in numbers.
The number of days between consecutive fixtures between the two sides.
Hearts, of course, were at Fir Park on league duty a short while ago and in a tight game, the Gorgie club took all three points with a controversial Steven Naismith goal.
Having played six games on the road this campaign, 15 goals have been scored in Motherwell matches away from home.
The Steelmen have a scoring rate of 1.33 per game on their travels and a conceding rate of 1.17.
The number of years since Motherwell lost a cup match at the hands of the Jam Tarts.
You have to go back February 1990 in the Scottish Cup for Hearts’ last cup win against the Steelmen, as they ran out 4-0 winners.
Since then, Motherwell have won four cup matches and drawn one.
The number of days, come matchday, Hearts have gone without losing a competitive match.
Their last defeat came to Kilmarnock on May 13, losing 1-0 at Rugby Park. Craig Levein’s side are unbeaten in 11 games in the 2018/19 season, winning nine and drawing two, and keeping seven clean sheets along the way.
Motherwell face a trip to take on Hearts in the quarter final of the Betfred Cup on Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know about the Steelmen’s opponents in the last eight.
The Edinburgh outfit have enjoyed a near-perfect start to the campaign, and are the only unbeaten side in the last eight.
In eleven fixtures so far this term, the Jam Tarts have won nine and drawn twice, one of which was a stalemate with Raith Rovers in the group stages.
The other draw was against Livingston on Saturday, and Craig Levein’s men will be eager to return to winning ways.
No top flight side has conceded fewer goals than Hearts in 2018/19.
Whilst bagging an impressive 25 goals in eleven games, the Jambos have conceded just four goals in all competitions.
Their total of seven clean sheets is also the best domestically of the Premiership sides remaining in the Betfred Cup.
Wednesday’s clash in Edinburgh falls just eleven days after Hearts took all three points against the Steelmen at Fir Park.
On the day, it was a tightly contested affair, decided by a goal which could have been ruled out for a foul on Trevor Carson.
With the ‘Well ready to take to Tynecastle, Levein’s side could take some encouragement from their previous encounter.
A second clash with Hearts in the space of eleven days awaits Stephen Robinson’s men on Wednesday night.
Here, we set the scene for the quarter final clash between the two in the Betfred Cup.
Craig Levein’s side scraped a narrow 1-0 win at Fir Park earlier this month.
The goal, finished off by Steven Naismith, was a controversial moment in the match and one which ultimately decided the encounter.
There was very little between the two teams, and will contribute to an interesting clash in the capital on Wednesday.
Last season, Motherwell and Hearts were drawn to play one another in the quarter final of the Scottish Cup, and it was certainly a memorable occasion for the Fir Park side.
Tied at 1-1 and with just minutes remaining, Carl McHugh produced a moment of magic to win the game and send the Steelmen to Hampden.
Controlling the ball on his chest, McHugh thundered a stunning volley in to the top corner during an incredible match in Lanarkshire.
Whoever comes out on top in Wednesday’s encounter will be heading for the national stadium.
The Steelmen are no strangers of course, having played there five times last term, four of which were in the latter stages of both cup competitions.
For Hearts, they’d be heading to Hampden for the first time since 2014.
For both sides, its huge incentive to get that all-important win in the quarter final clash at Tynecastle.
