Motherwell midfielder Liam Donnelly says the Steelmen have to take their Scottish Cup positives into a crucial Premiership match with St Johnstone this weekend.
Bevis Mugabi’s sending off inside a minute for a challenge on Josh Doig in their 2-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final loss to Hibs put Graham Alexander’s side on the backfoot straight away.
Donnelly and the rest of his teammates still competed with their visitors, however, Joe Efford’s effort wasn’t enough because of an Elias Melkersen brace.
Attentions now turn to the rest of the league season, which has faltered in recent weeks for Motherwell. They are without a win in 10, their last coming against Livingston on Boxing Day.
Sitting eighth but just one point off a European place, fourth, Donnelly says their cup character could be key in lifting form at Fir Park.
Donnelly said: “We showed a lot of bottle. It all happened so quickly on the park. The Hibs players surrounded the referee quickly. Bevis apologised. He’s gutted but we dug in.
“I don’t think it was clear that we were a man down for large parts of the game. I think the character we showed and our performance was a positive.
“I don’t think there are many negatives to come from that, especially being a man down so early on in the game. We now need to take that form into the league.
“One game can take us back to fourth. I know results haven’t been going our way since we came back from the break and we are the ones most frustrated by it.
“But there isn’t a lot between the teams. If we get a win on the weekend, then we are taking ourselves right back into the European places potentially.”
A packed Fir Park for Sunday's Scottish Cup tie has also filled Donnelly with confidence, who has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for March.
He added: "There’s plenty to play for. The crowd is massive for us. When they get behind us so vocally, it gives everyone a huge lift.
"Our aim all season has been to finish well into the top six and go for Europe. We don’t want to be in that bottom half."
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