'Amazingly enough the opportunity is still there' - Motherwell boss Graham Alexander sounds disbelieving that his stuttering side can still achieve high league finish

Eighth placed ’Well – who could only draw 1-1 at home to Covid-hit basement boys Dundee on Saturday – haven’t won in the league since Boxing Day yet only trail fourth placed Hibs by a point with three games until the split.

Alexander said: “We have had a cracking first two thirds of the season where we have raised expectations and hopes and shown what a good team we are, and found the last two months difficult.

“But the last two games have been a big disappointment for us.

“We got into this spell after the Rangers game and felt we could pick up some big points which we knew would put us in a really good position and we have sort of wasted that opportunity.

“Amazingly enough, that opportunity is still there for us because of results elsewhere, and that's what we have got to focus on.

“This isn't my first rough patch and it won't be my last, it won't be my players' last rough patch, so you have to find the answers to come through it, because we have good players and good characters. But they are having a difficult moment and we have to help them.

“I think every club outside the top two have had a similar spell. We were flying pre-Christmas and there were other clubs who hadn't won for nine or 10 games.

“Every team has been affected but most of the teams have come out of it. We will come out of it but we have to come out of it right now if we want to give ourselves a chance of making this season count.”

Stephen O’Donnell’s early mistake led to Paul McMullan’s goal for Dundee, before Joe Efford’s first goal in claret and amber earned the Steelmen a point.

Alexander added: “We gave a terrible goal away which just opened it up for the opposition to have a really positive start and feel good about themselves. But we responded well and got a good equaliser.

“We should have then really stamped our authority on the game but I don't think we did that.”

’Well get a break from the league this Sunday as they host Hibs in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with kick-off at 12.30pm.