Motherwell facing tough weekend in the race for sixth place

Apr 15 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

STEVEN McGarry is desperate for Motherwell to secure a place in the top six of the SPL this weekend so that the club’s supporters continue to back them for the remainder of the season.

Failure to overtake Hibernian will see the Steelmen with very little to play for in the final five games of the campaign.

But McGarry says the team is fully focussed on beating St Mirren on Saturday – a result that would pile enormous pressure on Hibs who would then have to beat title-chasing Rangers on Sunday to pip them to sixth spot.

The Easter Road side could have virtually sealed Motherwell’s fate on Monday night with victory over St Mirren but only picked up a solitary point in Paisley that leaves the door very much open for Mark McGhee’s side.

However this Saturday lunchtime, the Fir Parkers will have to do something they have not done since May 22, 2005 – win a live televised league fixture.

“It is still in Hibs hands but hopefully results will go right for us,” McGarry told the Wishaw Press this week.

“We just have to concentrate 100 per cent on our game and it is a massive one for us.”

The 29-year-old continued: “If we were not to make it, the bottom six would be low-key.

“I think if we did play there the season would fizzle out.

“Mathematically we could get caught but I don’t think that would happen.

“The fans would not want to come and watch these games. They would want to come and see exciting games with good players and watch us when there is something to play for.”

The stakes could not be higher for both Hibernian and Motherwell.

Whoever lands the remaining top-six place will have a realistic shot at claiming fourth position, which this season secures entry into the Europa League, a revamped version of the UEFA Cup.

After Motherwell’s rather meek efforts against AS Nancy in the UEFA Cup last September, the club are determined to prove their worth against European opposition again.

With star midfielder Stephen Hughes, who excelled against his old club Rangers last Saturday, and ’keeper Graeme Smith both out of contract in the summer, the carrot of European football could yet see them pen new deals.

“You want to be in the top six and be involved in the games where you are challenging for Europe and have a say in the title race,” McGarry acknowledged.

“That’s where all the media exposure is.

“Everybody is watching and all eyes are on you.”

In possible reference to Scott McDonald’s dramatic brace against Celtic in 2005 that thwarted Celtic’s title ambitions on the final day of the season, he added: “You can also make a bit of a name for yourself.”

St Mirren will be the opposition for Motherwell on Saturday at Fir Park, a side that lie just four points off the drop zone.

When the Claret and Amber were joint bottom of the SPL just before Christmas, boss Mark McGhee would have been delighted if he knew his side would be going into the final game before the split with a realistic shot at claiming a top six place.

But former Saints player and fan McGarry is wary of the threat posed by the Buddies who were unfortunate not to claim all three points against Hibernian on Monday.

He said: “They have found themselves in a relegation battle yet I have seen them about three or four times this season as well as playing against them and I think it is one of the best St Mirren teams I have seen in a good while.

“They went on a decent run and were looking good but for some reason they haven’t being picking up as many points as they should be.

“They are a hard team who work all over the park so we know it will be a difficult match.”