Three games in and Motherwell’s season is already following a similar pattern.

In the hat-trick of games the Lanarkshire club have played in the Betfred Cup so far, they have found themselves dominating in the early period and potentially should have been a couple of goals to the good within the first 10 minutes.

Against East Stirlingshire at Fir Park last night, there were more than a few murmurs of discontent among the home support as a glut of chances went untaken that would have seen them out of sight of their Lowland League opponents.

As it transpired, the majority of the soggy 2503 observing this Group F tie had to wait until eight minutes into the second half before the apprehension was dispersed by the same man that performed the feat on Saturday.

In that game at Galabank, Motherwell were tied 1-1 with Annan Athletic with Marvin Johnson scoring for the visitors, but it was his ingenuity in the second period that provided two assists to give Motherwell their first win of the new League Cup.

Three days later and it was his strike that settled the Ladbrokes Premiership side against Lowland League East Stirling as he scudded the ball under goalkeeper Darren Dolan to send Motherwell into the last game with Stranraer still with a solid chance of advancing into the last 16 thanks to a 3-0 win.

In a familiar fashion to the first game against Mark Warburton’s Rangers, Well had a handful of clear chances and arguably could have netted twice in the first two minutes. Instead, they were frustrated by a disciplined and hard-working team already eliminated from the competition.

In the end, it was the creativity and ability of that man Johnson that proved the difference.

Played predominantly on the left, the winger stated his intent immediately. With less than 50 seconds on the clock, Johnson picked the ball out on the right, used full-back Richard Tait as a decoy before going on a wandering run beyond six defenders and into the centre edge of the area before his shot was snuffed out. He went even closer just 20 minutes with a spectacular volley from a Chris Cadden knock down that flew just wide from 15 yards out.

It seemed inevitable that a goal would eventually come with Scott McDonald twice going close, but it seemed destined that it would be Johnson who would be the man to get it. It came on 53 minutes with the ball played sharply into his feet on the edge of the box. With his back to goal and centre-half Andrew Grant breathing down his neck, a quick drop of the shoulder to his right and a swift kick dispatched the ball under Dolan.

East Stirling tried their best to claw their way back into it and forward David Grant almost hauled his team back in but his swivel and shot ghosted just wide.

Instead, it was left to Motherwell to grasp this game and charge towards Stair Park with a clear objective and a healthy goal difference. A great Cadden cross on the right picked out the unmarked McDonald on 76 minutes as he nodded in from six yards, while youngster Cadden grabbed his own goal as Tait’s driving cross and cutback was swept into the bottom left corner by last season’s Youth Cup winning captain.