Dundee are Saturday’s visitors to Fir Park as the league campaign enters the final stage. Four fixtures remain and Motherwell enjoy a comfortable eleven point margin from the play-off spot. Can we enjoy a stress free afternoon?
All the talk from Stephen Robinson and his players suggests that they will fight for every point but that does not mean that the upcoming cup final will be ignored. The priority will be to ensure that our strongest team will be fit on May 19 and to that end we will see a few changes this weekend.
To that end a safety first policy would seem to be in order. Rose, Tanner and Newell will miss out and they may have the company of Main on the sidelines unless some heavy strapping can guarantee support for the wrist damaged in Dingwall.
1-1 in December
Ciftci cannot face his parent club at Hampden and it may be that he will partner Bowman in attack if his ankle knock allows. James Scott will be keen to build on the few minutes of first team action last week and the remaining games of the season will be an ideal time to test him.
The visitors were delighted to record their first win in seven tries when a late Moussa header against St Johnstone let them leapfrog Hamilton and move up to ninth place. Meekings and Deacon missed that match but they may be available on Saturday if McCann decides to change his winning line-up.
In the four meetings between the teams this season Motherwell have won all three at Dens while the sole game at Fir Park in December ended in a 1-1 draw. But those results ignore current form. We have not won a league game since Tanner’s goal gave us three points in Dundee in February, four draws and two losses ago.
A share of the spoils may be the best bet, 1-1.