If it’s good for Barcelona, then it’s certainly not bad for Motherwell.

The ‘trident’ attacking line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have been terrorising defences across the continent for two years now.

Just ask Celtic, who conceded seven to the Catalan giants last week as the trio grabbed six goals between them, or the poor Leganes defence that allowed the trio to hit the target on Saturday night.

From the Nou Camp to the stadium along the road from the New Century bar, there was a bit of Barca bounce to what the Motherwell support witnessed at the weekend.

Going into the Lanarkshire derby with Hamilton Accies at Fir Park, Mark McGhee deployed Scott McDonald, new man Ryan Bowman and the returning Louis Moult in a three-pronged attack.

The end result was devastating.

Not only did Moult grab four goals, Bowman grabbed two assists and McDonald claimed one as the Steelmen ran riot in a 4-2 win.

For Bowman it’s a dream combination that has perhaps been an unexpected yet pleasant surprise just a couple of weeks after joining from Gateshead on deadline day.

“I thought myself that I’d have to be patient,” said the 24-year-old. “If I started the first game I was going to give 110 per cent but if didn’t play and it was those two I’d just have to be patient and work had in training.

“But the three of us played off each other very well today. We ran off defenders and held up play to bring other players in. It showed that it worked. Hopefully we can carry on.

“The good thing about being a three is that if you are not on it, there are two other players who can chip in with a goal or bring others into play.

“But today, I think all three of us did our jobs – especially Moulty with his goals.”

Moult’s landmark fourth – which made him the first Well player to grab a quartet of goals since Stevie Kirk – could easily have been Bowman’s first in claret and amber.

It was his darting run into the box that drew a foul from Darren Lyon and his confidence that saw the hat-trick hero hand him the ball for the chance to score from the spot on only his second appearance.

Yet an intervention from Motherwell manager Mark McGhee resulted in a last-ditch switch.

“It’s one of those things,” admitted Bowman. “You win the penalty so you want to take it but Moulty, to be fair to him, was going to give me it until the manager shouted that he was to take it as he’s on penalties.

“It’s only fair. If it was the other way around and it was me who was on penalties I’d expect to take it. He put it away and we won the game. That was the main thing.

“The last two or three years I’ve been used to taking penalties whether I won them or not. It’s different now and I have to adapt to that.

“Moulty is on penalties so that’s the way it is.”

The win takes Motherwell up to fifth on eight points, and McGhee added: “It looked as though we were in cruise control at 3-0 and the way we got to that stage was pleasing – it was the way you hoped to play, with the quality of the goals and of Moulty’s finishing.

“For him to come back and get that quick hat-trick was fantastic. We’ve talked about how much we’ve needed him and that just proves it.”