10.55pm

Tonight's result: Motherwell 1, Dundee 2 (Scottish Cup 5th Round).

I don't know why I'm surprised any more.  Whenever I start looking ahead and thinking we've got a favourable route to the semi-finals, you can always rely on Motherwell to completely feck things up - especially when we're facing a lower-league side at home.

This was a shambles from start to finish.  The first half was completely dire, with virtually zero goalmouth action at either end.  However, Dundee took the lead shortly after half time when Smith failed to deal with a cross ball and McHale took full advantage.  The visitors doubled their lead shortly afterwards when an unmarked Robertson slid in from close range with the Motherwell defence in disarray.  Mark McGhee's response was to bring on Simon Lappin and Darren Smith, and it was Smith who brought Motherwell back into the game when he headed home a Hammell corner on the hour mark.  However, the expected onslaught on the Dundee goal never materialised, in fact the visitors came close to extending their lead on a couple of occasions courtesy of some embarrassing defending and goalkeeping.  In the closing stages, Dundee were reduced to nine men when both McDonald and MacKenzie received second bookings as Motherwell finally began to exert some sort of pressure, but it was too little too late as the First Division side deservedly held on to go through.

What a disaster.  And it's not as if Dundee were any good, it was simply their good fortune to be up against a side which lacked any basic footballing ability, resorted to long balls and basically didn't seem interested for the vast majority of the game.  Not good enough.

While no-one in the team came anywhere near to earning pass marks, Brian McLean in particular had an absolute nightmare and is unlikely to be seen in a Motherwell jersey again for a long time.  The likes of Craigan, Hughes, McGarry and McCormack were rank rotten tonight, and to be honest have been so since the turn of the year.  At least Lasley battled away in midfield, although unbelievably his reward was to be substituted in the second half.  Darren Smith looked lively when he came on, but I think that's about it as far as plus points go.

This was just as bad as anything we saw last season under Malpas.  Bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

Team (4-3-3): Graeme Smith, Brian McLean, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell (Jamie Murphy 88), Lasley (Darren Smith 58), Hughes, Fitzpatrick, McCormack, McGarry (Lappin 58), Clarkson.
Subs not used: Daniels, Danny Murphy.

Motherwell scorer: Darren Smith (61).

Booked: Graeme Smith, McLean

Attendance: 5,733

Mark McGhee's post-match comments were as follows:
"It was hugely disappointing because we harboured ambitions of getting to the semi-final.  But it was easily our poorest performance of the season.  We weren't at the races, we didn't compete, we didn't cope with the physical challenges and all quality deserted us.  It was a collective thing, nobody was innocent. I maybe should have asked the players to play in a different way.  At half-time I was thinking about a replay and I would have settled for that at 2-0 down.  At 2-1 down there was still about 20 minutes to go but we didn't look like getting another. But well done Dundee."