A bright winter sun smiled on Motherwell's claret and amber when Dundee offered little resistance as Robinson's team progressed to round six of the Scottish Cup. Fingers are now crossed for a home draw.
Lucky boy!
The team was backed by an impressive 1,500 travellers who were delighted at the stress free afternoon delivered by the team. The cup tie atmosphere was, in part, helped by the agreement between the clubs that allowed early ticket purchases a significant discount. All teams have a core travelling support but there is little doubt that a wider audience can be captured if the price is right.
The manager was fulsome in his praise of the players as he talked of "a complete away performance". And he was right to pick out Dunne and Carson for their contributions.
Dunne's steady improvement since his uncertain early days now has him as a fixture in the team. Gone are the dodgy red cards and now we see a strong quick defender who seems to be enjoying his football. An contract extension would appear to be a priority.
Carson underlined the valuation we placed on him when Celtic's advances were rebuffed. His save from Moussa early in the second half was a turning point. Dundee had their best spell of the afternoon just after the break and we were pinned back defending our one goal lead. Had Moussa scored the home side would then be chasing a win instead they were knocked out two minutes later when Main's threat and the 'keeper's error doubled our lead.
If we can maintain the new year's momentum and win on Saturday when Kilmarnock visit Fir Park then we will be close to ensuring a successful season. League safety, decent cup runs and profitable dealings in the transfer market are the measures that we set and all could be achieved in the next few weeks.