No Hiding Place When Mistake Made

Last updated : 07 February 2016 By ed_ScottishFitba

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has backed distraught winger Lionel Ainsworth by telling him that: "We love you." Ainsworth was in tears after Motherwell's 1-0 loss to Partick Thistle on Monday night as he admitted culpability for Steven Lawless' deflected stoppage-time winner. The 86th-minute substitute had a momentary lapse of concentration which allowed Lawless to get in front of him and meet a half clearance, and he got back goal-side just too late as the subsequent shot flew in off Josh Law. McGhee laid the blame for the defeat at an unnamed player's lack of awareness in his post-game interviews but there had been no hiding place in the dressing room for Ainsworth, who was on the receiving end from manager and team-mates. Ainsworth admitted he was "distraught" and took responsibility for the error in an extraordinary post-game interview, during which his voice broke with emotion and he could not stop the tears from flowing. However, McGhee pledged to take responsibility himself and lift Ainsworth ahead of the fifth-round clash with Scottish Cup holders Inverness at Fir Park.

C:WindowsTempphp6E4C.tmpLionel Ainsworth (c)Danny Lawson / PA Archive/Press Association Images

The Fir Park manager said: "We love Lionel, he's a fantastic player. I take responsibility for putting Lionel on, trying to win the game. Maybe I should have put on a more defensive player and made sure we didn't lose the game, because we know Lionel can have these moments or lapses where he maybe switches off defensively. The other night it cost us and the team were upset, he was upset, we were all upset. But it's gone, there is no baggage with regards to that. Lionel is an important, important player for us and maybe what I have to do is think more about the way I deploy Lionel and take away any risk Lionel might pose in terms of those defensive situations."

Recent signing from Cambridge, Liam Hughes is convinced he will fit in well with the Inverness ethos. The midfielder joined on Monday following a successful trial period, when he immediately sensed Caley Thistle were the right club for him. And he appears to be an archetypal Inverness central midfielder - a skilful player with a physical presence in the mould of Ross Draper and Greg Tansey, and former player Owain Tudur Jones. Hughes made more than 160 appearances for Cambridge, before today's Scottish Cup game at Motherwell. He said: "From coming through a youth system you learn to be humble. Without bigging myself up too much, I'm a genuine hard-working guy. I get a lot out of working hard and putting effort in and putting my body on the line for the good of the team. And there's no hiding I'm 6ft 3in so I am a little bit of a presence in both boxes. Hopefully I can add that and a bit of quality to what they already have. I like to think of myself as a footballer. The manager doesn't hide the fact that they want to play football and I'm a big believer in that too."