2.40pm

Saturday's result: St Mirren 3, Motherwell 1.

I'm sorry to report that I've been ill with the 'flu for the last few days, and was unable to drag myself out of my sickbed to make it to Love Street on Saturday.  However, it doesn't sound like I missed much as we went down rather meekly to a seemingly far hungrier St Mirren side.  The home side went 1-0 early on, but we equalised through David Clarkson just a few minutes later.  Futher St Mirren goals either side of half time killed the game off, although it sounds like we had a couple of decent penalty shouts late on.

For some reason I had a feeling we were going to struggle on Saturday, even more so when I heard that Fitzpatrick would be replacing the suspended Jim Paterson.  Thankfully, Paterson is available again for the cup replay with Hears tomorrow night (assuming the game goes ahead!)

Team (4-3-3): Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Fitzpatrick, Lasley, McGarry (Murphy 63), Hughes, McCormack (Brian McLean 75), Porter (Grehan 85), Clarkson.
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Darren Smith, Maguire, Archdeacon.

Motherwell scorer: Clarkson (11).

Booked: Craigan.

Attendance: 4,291.

You can watch "highlights" of the game at the BBC website

Mark McGhee's post-match comments were as follows:
"I was concerned because there was not a lot of talk or eye contact in the dressing-room before the game.  St Mirren gave us our worst game of the season basically.  They were committed to every ball, stopped us from playing and we were well beaten." 

And the latest on the Scotland manager's position?
"I have made it absolutely clear to the four-man committee that I will not leave Motherwell at this stage of the season.  I would only leave at the end of the season.  But I was happy with the interview and I was happy to be considered.  I am still thrilled and excited to be considered, but I have had no contact following the interview."

However, in this Sunday Herald article, McGhee reveals he still has a number of questions for the SFA to answer before he would be in a position to take the job, even on a part-time basis initially.

James McFadden's transfer from Everton to Birmingham has netted us a nice little windfall believed to be in the region of £500,000 thanks to a sell-on clause (reported to be 12.5%).  Mark McGhee wants to use some of the money to offer Ross McCormack an improved contract:
"Ross has told me he wants to stay  As well as the possibility of some money coming from the McFadden deal we already have some money to spend on incoming players and I have recommended that we spend some of that on keeping some of our better players, including Ross."

Simon Mensing and Willian Kinniburgh have both signed permanent deals with Hamilton Accies and Partick Thistle respectively.