STUART McCALL today drew a line under the Michael Higdon ban controversy as Motherwell face up to taking on St Johnstone without skipper Stephen Craigan.

The Fir Park side yesterday failed in its bid to overturn striker Higdon’s one-game suspension for making an offensive gesture against Dundee United last weekend.

The club’s appeal against the punishment dished out by SFA compliance officer Vincent Lunny was thrown out by a three-man fast-track appeal tribunal.

That means Well will now be without top scorer Higdon and captain Craigan, who was given a straight red for violent conduct against Dunfermline in midweek for tomorrow’s clash against the Perth outfit.

McCall said: “It is a subjective thing in terms of what is deemed offensive and what is not and we just felt that the gesture Michael made was not particularly offensive.

“On top of that, it was made six yards from the centre circle and to no one and at no one in particular. But the appeal committee have upheld the original ban and we will now move on.

“Obviously the timing is not good with us also losing our captain Stephen after his dismissal against Dunfermline.

“So we are now without our top scorer and our captain and for such an important game and that is a tough one. But our focus must be on the game now, the rest has been dealt with.”

With Saints having recorded a three-goal success at Fir Park and Well having returned the compliment at McDiarmid Park, McCall is hoping he has the strength in depth to handle the double suspension blow.The Well boss added: “Tim Clancy has come on to cover for Craggs’ dismissal against Dunfermline and done really well.

“Whenever we have needed Tim he has done a great job and I have no fears over him against St Johnstone.

“By the same token, we gave young Henrik Ojamaa his first start in midweek and he repaid us with a goal and a fine overall performance.

“Henrik gave us something that bit more different in terms of his directness, so it is pleasing we have a bit of cover to cope with both losses.”

Tomorrow’s Fir Park showdown pitches third place against fifth place in the SPL.

And McCall is keeping his fingers crossed that the win over the Pars will spark an upturn in Well’s home form.

He said: We have given ourselves a platform to really turn around our home form.

“It is vital that we make the most of that and damage one of our closest competitors for third spot.”