Motherwell head for Darlington this Saturday on back of 7-0 win at Gretna

The Steelmen go into the match against the National League North outfit on the back of an emphatic 7-0 friendly victory at Gretna on Tuesday night.

Danny Johnson scored a hat-trick for the visitors, with further strikes by Jermaine Hylton, Richard Tait, Barry Maguire and a trialist.

Despite the size of the scoreline, Lowland League side Gretna made life tough for their Scottish Premiership opponents in the first half, frustrating Stephen Robinson’s side and keeping them a distance from their goal.

That resistance was broken just before half-time, though. Hylton was first to score, cottoning onto a through ball down the left before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home from close range.

Within a minute, it was 2-0. Johnson, on as a first-half substitute, capitalised on a goalkeeper error to lob the ball into an empty net from the edge of the box.

After a raft of changes at the break, Tait played a one-two down the left with Allan Campbell, before surging into the box and firing home with his left foot.

Johnson got his second when he dispossessed the keeper after he failed to clear and stroked the ball in.

With 65 minutes gone, it was five. Hylton’s cut inside from the left led to a shot crashing against the crossbar, and Maguire reacted quickest to prod it home.

The biggest cheer of the night fell to the goal from the Motherwell trialist. From Tait’s cross from the right with 10 to go, he timed his run to perfection to score an overhead kick at pace from 15 yards.

Johnson then got his hat-trick as the game wore to a close, brilliantly steering home on his left foot after the trialist’s bursting run down the left.

Motherwell first half: Carson, Grimshaw, Gallagher, Hartley, Carroll, Donnelly, Sloth, Polworth, Hylton, Long (Johnson), Scott.

Motherwell second half: Carson, Tait, Devine, Dunne, Livingston, Maguire, Campbell, McAlear, Hylton (Cole), Trialist, Johnson.