Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough is relishing Saturday’s Ladbrokes Premiership curtain-raiser at Inverness because he feels his side are hitting form just at the right time.

He watched his men lose 2-1 against Preston, but the performance gave him plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

“The result doesn’t bother me whatsoever,” he said. “I thought that was our best performance in pre-season against really strong opposition.

“I knew it would be a really good test and I think, barring a three minute period where we lost concentration and got punished for it, I thought we acquitted ourselves very well.

“We had a lot of confidence and we moved the ball with purpose. We weren’t just moving it from side to side, we were looking for the positive pass.

“Some of our one and two-touch interplay was good to watch, and hopefully we can work on it a little bit more throughout the week and take that into the new season.

“We’re getting there. There’s still a little way to go and we can certainly improve in some areas, but we were a threat going forward, our shape was good and we were difficult to break down, so overall I’m really pleased.

“We definitely need another keeper in because we’ve only got one senior keeper, but we’re not too far away on that.

“We could still do a little bit more business, but I won’t jump into it, I’ll wait for the right one.”

With the addition of Scott McDonald to the squad, competition for attacking places is fierce at Fir Park, and Baraclough has been delighted with what he has seen from his frontmen.

New boys Wes Fletcher and Louis Moult have looked lively, with Fletcher grabbing two goals during the summer and Moult hitting his first against Preston.

Baraclough added: “The two goals for Wes and that goal for Louis will do them the world of good.

“It’s going to take time, they’re raw in terms of coming into the Scottish Premiership and not knowing what type of game they’re coming into or the opposition. But they’ve fitted in really well and they’ll get better.

“We’ve got real good options up top with those two, David Clarkson and Scott McDonald coming in.”

Striker Moult expressed his relief at getting off the mark for the club after missing a few chances to break his duck in previous friendlies.

“It was a real relief when that hit the back of the net,” he admitted. “I felt it’s been coming, I’ve been getting fitter and stronger as each game goes by, so I’m really pleased to get my first goal.

“It just hadn’t been falling for me. Last week I hit the bar and it just wasn’t going in, but thankfully against Preston it hit the back of the net.

“Hopefully that gives me a bit of momentum and the aim is to take that into the first game of the season and hopefully keep scoring.”