MOTHERWELL midfield ace Keith Lasley has singled out a clean sheet as the key to the Steelmen claiming a hat-trick of victories over Inverness.

The two sides have met twice already this term with Well handing Terry Butcher's boys a 3-0 defeat at Fir Park on the opening day of the campaign.

That was followed by a 3-2 win at the Caledonian Stadium back on October 29, with Lasley scoring in both meetings with the Highlanders.

But the 32-year-old knows Well must try and post their first unblemished SPL score- card since a 3-0 stroll at St Johnstone, on December 10 if they want to get back to winning ways in the league and retain their position in third place ahead of a resurgent Hearts.

He said: "Defensively, we have to be a lot tighter than we have been of late in the SPL.

"That meanst we have to defend better as a unit from front to back than we have been doing.

"It is not just down to the boys in the defence.

"It was definitely a plus that we kept a clean sheet against Queen's Park in the cup last week and the fact that we were really solid with it.

"Although we have won both our matches with Inverness this season, they will be determined to take something this time and we have got to make sure we match their desire."

Lasley was rested for last week's Scottish Cup fourth round despatch of the Amateurs, but he is hungry to continue his goal run against Caley Thistle.

The Fir Park favourite said: "I have managed to get four goals this term and two of these have been against Inverness.

"In fact, I think my last goal was against them up the road. So it would be great to make it a hat-trick.

"After the two defeats in the SPL at Hearts and Rangers, it was vital we stopped the negative momentum developing any further against QP and we did a decent job there.

"Now we are going to have to lift things another level against Caley Thistle.

"We have worked hard to start the New Year in third and it is vital that in 2012 we start to make the most of home advantage."