| 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 |
Stephen Robinson was pleased his team bounced back from their weekend disappointment with a win over Queen of the South.
The manager made five changes for the 2-0 win, which puts qualification for the Betfred Cup knockout stages back in their own hands.
A first half double from Conor Sammon and a good solid performance from Motherwell saw off the challenge of Group G leaders Queen of the South.
Only three games into the Betfred Cup, ‘Well faced a win-or-bust tie if they wanted to progress from the group and emulate last season’s terrific cup run.
And although the win was comfortable in the end, it took terrific saves from Trevor Carson at crucial stages to keep ‘Well on course to top the section.
The ‘Well ‘keeper had to produce a hat-trick of saves to prevent Queens taking the lead inside the first six minutes. Twice the ‘Well ‘keeper was at full stretch to deny the prolific Stephen Dobbie who looked certain to add to his impressive haul of seven cup goals.
An instinctive block from Carson then parried Callum Semple’s header from eight yards, as the Fir Park defenders struggled to cope with the lively Dumfries side.
Then, after Carl McHugh had steered Elliot Frear’s free kick wide of goal Motherwell, nicked the lead to settle the nerves.
Chris Cadden set off on a powerful run from his own half before sliding a pass in front of Sammon. Turning onto the pass the on-loan striker then cut the ball between the ‘keeper and his left hand post to open his Motherwell account.
As ‘Well began to dominate possession, Sammon might have grabbed a second after 26 minutes when his drive across goal was beyond the far post and Frear’s lunge.
However, Sammon was hungry for more and eight minutes from the break he doubled ‘Well’s advantage.
Richard Tait launched a long clearance downfield, which Ryan Bowman chased before heading the ball into Sammon’s path. One touch took him beyond the defender before he calmly side footed the ball beyond former ‘Well ‘keeper Alan Martin and low inside the post.
Sammon had an early chance to grab his hat-trick two minutes after the break but from a tight angle he lashed the ball over the bar.
A rash challenge on Bowman ended his participation but allowed Danny Johnson 30 minutes to make an impression.
However, the acclaim of both sets of fans came at the other end after 68 minutes when Carson produced a sensational save.
Dobbie’s header from six yards had the 447 Queen’s fans celebrating a goal, until the ‘Well ‘keeper leapt to his right and clawed the ball off his goal line to preserve his side’s two goal advantage.
And that save served to remind the ‘Well players that the game was still to be won, as they stepped up the play towards the visitors’ goal.
A great cut back from Alan Campbell set up Sammon but after his effort was blocked at the edge of the six yard box, Johnson’s attempt to force home the loose ball met a similar fate.
Nine minutes from time, Liam Grimshaw came within inches of a third goal when he met Cadden’s infield pass and his strike with the outside of his boot raced narrowly past.
Sammon was denied a hat-trick three minutes from time when Martin could only parry Cadden’s shot but the ‘keeper quickly reacted to block Sammon’s thumping effort from six yards.
The victory was enough to give Motherwell control of the section, in the knowledge that a win at Broadwood on Saturday would see them progress to the knockout stages.
Motherwell host Queen of the South in a must-win clash if the 2017/18 Betfred Cup finalists want to claim top spot in the group.
Here’s all the important information you need if you’re coming to the match.
If you haven’t bought your ticket online in advance, don’t worry. You can pay at the gate for £12 for adults and £6 for concessions.
The Cooper Bar and the Centenary Suite will be open for pre-match food and drink from 5.30pm.
Our usual pre-match hospitality will not be in operation. Food can be purchased before the game and access to the bars will be available before and after the match, as well as at half time.
Opposition fans are also welcome.
If you plan to collect your season card in the hours before the match with Queen of the South, you can get it from the Centenary Suite from 5.30pm right up until kick off.
The ticket office will be open only for match ticket sales or for season ticket purchases.
Charles Dunne is to have scans on a groin injury but is likely to face four to six weeks on the sidelines. Craig Tanner remains on the sidelines long term.
Stephen Robinson is well aware of what is at stake when Queen of the South arrive at Fir Park on Tuesday.
Nothing less than three points will do for the Steelmen in their bid to top Group G in the Betfred Cup, with the Doonhamers enjoying a perfect start in their opening three games.
And the ‘Well boss said: “It’s a game we want to win and need to win after Saturday’s result. Our decision making was poor and we didn’t look like ourselves.”
Motherwell host Queen of the South in a must-win clash for top spot in Group G of the Betfred Cup on Tuesday.
It is the first competitive meeting between the two sides since the Scottish Cup clash in 2004, where ‘Well won 3-2.
And in Gary Naysmith’s Doonhamers, the Steelmen face a tough task against the free-scoring side from the borders.
The Dumfries outfit currently sit at the summit of Group G after the Steelmen slipped to a 1-1 draw and shootout defeat against Stranraer.
Victories over Clyde, Stranraer and Edinburgh City mean Tuesday’s opponents would require at least a draw to finish top of the table and progress as the victors of the group.
Their midweek trip to Fir Park is their fourth and final fixture of the group stage, and the Doonhamers have a very good chance of progressing to the knockout stages regardless of Tuesday’s result.
With seven goals to his name in three games, frontman Stephen Dobbie has started the 2018/19 campaign in scintillating form, and is the top scorer in this year’s Betfred Cup so far.
Simon Murray finished the 2017/18 tournament as top scorer with eight goals, meaning Dobbie is just one short of equalling that tally in the group stage alone.
The former Swansea and Crystal Palace man has continued his fine form from last term, when he scored 27 goals in all competitions.
With an incredible return of 12 goals in their opening three fixtures, Queen of the South are far and away the leading scorers in the league cup so far.
Add to that an impressive two clean sheets, and the Championship outfit have given themselves huge momentum for their final fixture in Group G.
It is in stark contrast to their cup campaign last season, where Queens failed to make it out of their group.
Motherwell host Queen of the South on Tuesday in what is a must-win fixture for Stephen Robinson’s men in their bid to top Group G.
And with a return to Fir Park, the Steelmen will be looking to return to the sort of form that led to a convincing 5-0 victory over Edinburgh City in the group opener.
The manager made six changes for the trip to Stair Park, with Elliott Frear, Ryan Bowman, Liam Donnelly and Andy Rose dropping to the bench, and Allan Campbell being rested completely.
Despite Rose being called in to action within minutes, the manager will have some fresh options to call on for what is a difficult clash with Championship opposition.
One player who will be a loss, however, is Charles Dunne, who suffered an injury in the opening few minutes against Stranraer and is set to be out for around four weeks.
Following a below par performance, and with competition rife in the ranks at Fir Park, there will be added incentive for those selected to impress manager Stephen Robinson.
Danny Johnson is yet to make a competitive start after an impressive pre-season, and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair recorded his first 90 minutes since December, giving the manager something to ponder ahead of the visit of Queens.
Nothing less than a win will be good enough for Motherwell in their attempts to top the group.
Should the visitors pick up a point, they would have enough to finish first and could be one of the seeded sides for the draw in the knockout round.
The Steelmen, on the other hand, have two games remaining and need all three points in both fixtures to stand a chance of finishing top.
Chris Cadden hopes to see Motherwell bounce back as they prepare for a must-win clash against Queen of the South in Group G of the Betfred Cup.
The newly-capped Scotland international believes the squad have what it takes to return to winning ways following the disappointments of Saturday’s draw with Stranraer.
“We’ll bounce back full of confidence,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of lads in the dressing room and we know what we need to do.”
Queen of the South lie in wait next for Motherwell, with the Steelmen needing a win to keep pace with the Doonhamers at the top of their Betfred Cup group.
Here are some key numbers and statistics you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s fixture.
The gap in points between leaders Queen of the South and second-placed Motherwell at the top of Group G.
A Motherwell victory would put them within two points and, with Queens not in action on Saturday, it would mean Stephen Robinson’s side would also need to win at Clyde to be group winners.
A win or a draw for Tuesday’s visitors would guarantee they qualify as group winners, regardless of which side claims the bonus point in the penalty shootout in the event of a draw.
Stephen Dobbie has always been a reliable goal scorer, but his start to the 2018/19 campaign is remarkable even by his standards.
The Queen of the South forward has netted seven in his side’s opening three games of the season. A double against Stranraer in their 5-3 win was followed up by a hat-trick against Clyde, and then two against Edinburgh City in his last match.
It’s been a long time since the two sides clashed on competitive business, with 14 years passing since the last encounter.
In the 2003/04 Scottish Cup, Motherwell played host in the fourth round of the competition, and were ahead early doors through Derek Adams’ penalty.
Alex Burns then completed a double before the interval to put ‘Well 3-0 up, with Queens grabbing two back in a snowy afternoon but ultimately failing to complete the comeback.
Having reached last year’s Betfred Cup final, the competition is a relatively happy hunting ground for Motherwell. With that in mind, it’s been five games – or 450 minutes – since a goal was conceded at Fir Park in the competition. In that same time span, 16 goals have been scored by the Steelmen.
Motherwell drew in their second Betfred Cup group match of the 2018/19 season, with League One side Stranraer pegging Stephen Robinson’s side back in a 1-1 draw.
The Stair Park side then also claimed the bonus point in the penalty shootout.
Richard Tait, Trevor Carson and Peter Hartley spoke frankly after the draw with Stranraer in the Betfred Cup.
The experienced trio gave their thoughts on the result against the League One team and the need to bounce back against Queen of the South.
