Five things we spotted as Motherwell down Clyde with an emerging star and another injury concern

Motherwell emerged 3-1 winners against Clyde in their penultimate Premier Sports Cup group stage match as they look to nail down top spot.

The Bully Wee defence was lost at sea early doors as errors at the back allowed Motherwell free hits at goal. Zach Robinson came closest with the second gift, rounding keeper Brian Kinnear off a loose ball but his shot didn't find the target.

Motherwell then went to sleep at the back off a free-kick routine and only a block on the line prevented Martin Rennie from tapping the League Two hosts ahead. Good work on the left from Ewan Wilson eventually did grant Motherwell the lead, bursting up his flank and squaring the ball to Moses Ebiye for a tap-in.

Wilson almost added the second after great trickery from Lennon Miller allowed Harry Paton to slip him behind the defence. Kinnear's palms were stung as Motherwell pressed for comfort. It should have been 2-0 before the half was out when Ebiye was slotted through on goal but he opted for a cutback that Robinson didn’t connect with.

Andy Halliday - subbed on for Paton who was withdrawn with injury - was next to hunt the second goal but he dragged his effort narrowly wide. Ebiye, Miller and Robinson then had chances come and go as the next ‘Well strike seemed a case of when not if. But just like midweek when they had Montrose pinned back at 1-0, Clyde came up the park after an error in possession by the visitors, and Lee Hamilton buried a deflected shot low into the corner.

Miller made sure that parity didn’t last long, latching onto the ball inside the box and forcing Kinnear to foul him, before he blasted the spot-kick home. Then in the last few minutes, Filip Stuparevic rose off the bench to blast home a brilliant effort from outside the box, with three points clinched.

It moves the Steelmen onto eight points from a possible nine in this section. Next up is the final group stage clash in this competition against Partick Thistle, who they’ll need to beat to take top spot unless the Jags drop points versus Clyde midweek.. Here are five things we spotted from the clash at New Douglas Park.

One or two?

In a call for more cutting edge after a midweek draw with Montrose, Motherwell changed from 3-5-1-1 to a 3-5-2 with Zach Robinson joined from the start by Moses Ebiye up top. The latter got on the score sheet in a boost for him but overall, the workhorse-type performance Robinson put in seemed to marry up nicely to Ebiye’s poacher qualities. The two seemed to provide more attacking impetus, and Stuparevic provided something to think about with his effort.

Injury bug

Kettlewell can’t catch a break when it comes to injuries and in creative midfield options he looks particularly stretched. Paton was subbed off midway through the first half after an apparent blow to the ankle, as alternatives Ross Callachan and Sam Nicholson watched on from the stands. He wants to add in the final third and with Blair Spittal gone, it’s becoming an area of growing need.

Wilson development

Considering he was loaned out at Beith Juniors in the WOSFL last season, the young left-back has stepped right through the gears to make himself look like a worthy member in a Premiership squad. A good group stage campaign last season didn’t prompt too many first team games after that but has he done enough to show he can compete with Steve Seddon for the left-wing-back role on Premiership business? He’s certainly at least earned a chance to try and do so, with another strong showing here going forward and back.

Bair’s back

The Canadian international made a seven-figure move to Ligue 1 side Auxerre this week from Motherwell, but was an attendee here in South Lanarkshire. He greeted some of his former teammates in the Main Stand before being spotted by the away support, who greeted him with a chant of ‘One Theo Bair.’

Hitting when it counts

There were parallels in this game to the one played against Montrose midweek. The big one was that for all the Motherwell dominance of the ball and chances, they couldn’t kill the game off and their lower league opposition punished them for it. Kettlewell wants his side to be clinical and being that both in defence and attack could be something to tidy up.