Tawanda Maswanhise’s second-half goal proved enough for Motherwell as they moved into the fifth round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup with a deserved 1-0 victory over Ross County at Fir Park.
The much-changed Steelmen laboured in the first half but were better after the break as Zimbabwe international Maswanhise – who could have had a hat-trick – flicked home the opener just after the hour mark.
Motherwell passed up a number of opportunities to extend their lead, while they had goalkeeper Matty Connelly to thank as he saved from Kieran Phillips in the closing moments as County mustered a rare chance.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou had shuffled his pack for the cup tie, making six changes to bring in Connelly, Liam Gordon, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Johnny Koutroumbis and Luca Ross.
Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell, returning to the club he left just under a year ago, also made six changes from the defeat to St Johnstone in midweek, drafting in Trevor Carson, Jay Henderson, Ross Docherty, Jordan White, Ryan Duncan and Jamie Lindsay.
It was County who had the first opportunity of the match in the third minute, as Jordan White nodded narrowly wide of goal from a threatening Duncan corner.
The hosts then looked certain to take the lead in the 18th minute as Maswanhise capitalised on some poor County defending to race through on goal, but his goal-bound effort cannoned off the face of Alex Iacovitti who was covering on the line.
It was a game of few chances in the first half, but Duncan did manage to test home goalkeeper Connelly with a low shot in the 37th minute, and the goalkeeper also reacted well to block the rebound from Henderson – though the offside flag had gone up at that point anyway.
Maswanhise was looking the most likely and he fired a dipping shot narrowly over the bar just before half-time after County failed to clear a corner.
Zimbabwe international Maswanhise had the first chance of the second half in the 54th minute as he collected a ball at the far post and fired goalwards but it was well blocked.
Carson had enjoyed a quiet first half in the County goal but he was called into action twice just before the hour mark, tipping Tom Sparrow’s long-range half-volley over the bar before clawing away Ibrahim Said’s effort from a tight angle from the resulting corner.
It was beginning to become an onslaught from the hosts and Carson produced an even better stop in the 61st minute to deny Maswanhise who looked to reverse a low shot in at the near post after a neatly worked corner.
Maswanhise did not have to wait long for another chance though and he finally got the goal he had been threatening moments later, expertly turning Lukas Fadinger’s low centre beyond Carson and into the bottom left hand corner to give Well a deserved lead.
Substitute Elijah Just could have made the game safe with 15 minutes remaining as he ran onto a ball over the top but Carson made another superb save with his feet to keep Ross County in it.
Motherwell’s failure to kill off the game almost came back to haunt them in the 87th minute as County sub Phillips swivelled to shoot at the back post but home goalkeeper Connolly made a brilliant one-handed save to tip the effort round the post.
