It was a nervous and unconvincing win but the fact is that Motherwell will be in Thursday's draw for the next round of the League Cup. East Fife will get lots of praise and will feel unlucky to be out of the competition. If we give a repeat performance there will be no further progress.
We made four changes against the Fifers; Hammell, McManus, McDonald and Taylor stepped aside to make room for Kennedy, Chalmers, Leitch and Clarkson. There was a family link at the start of the game as the teams were led out by Clarkson's son who also happened to be the nephew of home team's centre half, our former player Jonathan Page.
The spectacle began with the air of a pre-season affair. Bayview has a perfect surface but the open aspect with three bare sides and a view of the North Sea provided an unusual setting.
Overambitious defensive play from Laing cost possession and East Fife earned a corner after twenty minutes, we had yet to produce anything close to a shot on target, but we survived. There was another scare five minutes later when Austin had Laing chasing shadows but the striker failed to keep the ball inside the dead ball line.
Johnson and Ainsworth provided what little penetration we had in the early stages but it was Cllarkson who provided a telling pass to set up a fine chance. Moult gathered and fed Ainsworth who had only the 'keeper to beat, the ball spun toward the goal but a clearance off the line kept the game goalless.
The visiting fans showed more appreciation for the pipe band at the break than for the team's showing in the first half.
The manager's plan for the second period saw the introduction of Thomas with Johnson taking an early shower. The substitute immediately showed his close skills and suddenly we looked like an attacking force. He followed up with a well placed corner kick but Laing failed to hit the target with an unchallenged header.
Our optimism was short lived. Just after the hour Law failed to win his tackle and the ball was swept in to Austin. His well placed shot found the net and our fears were realised. Clarkson was pulled and McDonald was sent on to try to recover the game. The scorer was substituted late in the game and received a round of applause from the away support.
The goal provided a spur to East Fife and they seemed a yard quicker. Our frustration grew and pushed on with ever more frantic attacks. Another Thomas corner found Moult's head then the striker had a shot well saved. His persistence paid off and we equalised in 82 minutes. Pressure inside the box eventually gave Moult another chance and he smashed a powerful shot home.
We might have snatched it with the last kick in normal time but Moult's free kick from 25 yards hit the wall.
Ripley produced an excellent save at full stretch to deny Wilkie a few minutes into the extended game then we missed a sitter at the other end. Skippy set Moult off down the left wing and was in the box to sky the cross over the bar when it looked easier to score. But he made no mistake two minutes before the break as he shot home from the right side of the box.
Ainsworth sealed the win as the Fifers sagged toward the end of the game and McDonald came close to a hat-trick when he fired a free kick off the post in the dying minutes.
We're in the next round, arguably that's all that matters
East Fife 1 Motherwell 3 aet
Team: Ripley, Law (Watt), Chalmers, Kennedy, Laing, Lasley, Leitch, Moult, Clarkson (McDonald 64), Johnson (Thomas 45), Ainsworth