MOTHERWELL will need to play a lot better than this if they are to reach the Scottish Cup Final.

Their Hampden opponents in ten days time, Aberdeen, were far superior at Fir Park and the only consolation for the Steelmen was that Kenny McLean, man of the match by a distance, is one of the Dons players who are suspended.

There had remained the slightest chance of Motherwell pushing Hearts aside before the Premiership split in two after this weekend even if the goal-difference would have been against the Lanarkshire men should they have won.

“That’s us in the bottom six and we know why," said 'Well boss Stephen Robinson. "It wasn’t because of tonight, let’s be honest. It was because of the run we had in November and December.

"We had players limping off tonight such as Alan Campbell who has an ankle knock, and that’s what happened in those two months.

“When you have a squad this size then it’s difficult to compete when you have so many injuries. That’s what we are not in the top six.

“The semi-final is a different game. It has nothing to do with this but we have to rectify losing goals from set-pieces. It was young players who made the mistakes and they have to learn.

“All in all we have to be better than this.

“Aberdeen’s back three dominated our strikers so there are lessons to be learned. We can be a lot better, be more aggressive and better on the ball.”

It was all Aberdeen to be honest. Greg Stewart and McLean twice could have scored early goals.

The home side did a lot of blocking and clearing; however, they did get up the park after 39 minutes when Richard Tait picked out Ryan Bowman at the back post, and while his header wasn’t going in, Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis still had to palm the ball away.

Motherwell almost took what would at this stage have been a surprise lead 90 seconds into the second-half.

Chris Cadden bent the ball from a corner onto the edge of the six-yard box, Tom Aldred got to it first and while his header had power, it lacked precision.

Motherwell had come to life. Curtis Main, who had been quiet, made Kari Arnason look like a small child as he turned him, and his fierce left foot shot was saved by Lewis at the second attempt.

Aberdeen, however, were not to be denied and on 66 minutes broke the deadlock.

From a McLean corner, which seemed to hang in the air, Arnason got above everyone and gave Carson no chance with as powerful a header as you could hope to see.

It was all over minutes later. Stewart laid off the ball to McLean on the edge of the box and the moment the ball left his left foot you just knew it was beating Carson.