KEITH LASLEY has revealed that he has no hard feelings towards Celtic hitman Anthony Stokes.

The Motherwell skipper was cleaned out by the Hoops striker in the 80th minute of Celtic's 3-0 win over Well at Parkhead on Saturday, with Stokes immediately shown a straight red by referee Bobby Madden for his crude tackle.

Yet while admitting his relief that he was not on the end of a serious injury, Las says that Stokes' challenge goes with the territory and the Well midfielder accepts that he has also got it wrong in the hurly-burly of life in the SPFL Premiership boiler room.

The Motherwell captain said: "Football is a physical game and challenges are there to be made and if you take that out of the game what do you have left? I have no problem with Anthony Stokes' challenge, he went for the ball and mistimed it and that is that.

"Obviously I am relieved that I just have some bruising to show for it. I'm also relieved that I am not going to be out for a good while, because that is always the worry when you know you are on the end of a sore one.

"But at the same time I have made plenty of these and it goes with the territory when you are in the midfield. So there are certainly no problems on my behalf and it is on to the Aberdeen game."

But Las admits that he has been stung by some of the comments made by TV pundits who have suggested that Stokes' shocker was retribution for a challenge he made on Celtic defender Adam Matthews, back in October, that resulted in the Welsh international sustaining a fractured collarbone.

Las said: "I think my tackle on Adam Matthews was a totally different thing, so I was a bit disappointed to hear some of the suggestions being made on TV over the weekend that the two were related.

"It is very disappointing when you hear comparisons being drawn like that and I don't think for one minute that was the case. Comments like that on TV don't help things. But that is football for you. It is a game full of talking points and without that the game would be a lot less colourful."

Despite the fact Well have now played the Hoops three times this term and conceded 10 goals without reply, en route to three heavy defeats, Las reckons there were positives that can be taken from this latest bout of purgatory in Paradise.

The Fir Park ace said: "I think the two big positives for us were that we created clear-cut chances against Celtic and that we did not capitulate in the second half after going in 2-0. In fact, we had a chance to pull one back at two down and if that had gone in then it is adifferent match.

"So we move on and with Aberdeen next at Fir Park we have a huge game to look forward to."