Mark McGhee’s men travel down south to Stair Park for a crucial match in the BetFred League Cup.
Opponents Stranraer have so far picked up 6 points in Group F and sit one spot below the Steelmen on goal difference alone.
But Saturday’s match is even more important due to the situations in other groups across the competition.
Even if the Fir Parkers claim all three points, their progression to the knockout stages could come down to goal difference, with the four best second placed teams going through.
Confidence is high among the squad after recording a 3-0 victory at home to East Stirlingshire, boosting the clubs goal difference ahead of Saturday’s trip.
Goals from Marvin Johnson, Scott McDonald and Chris Cadden put the game beyond the visitors on what could have been a frustrating evening for Motherwell at Fir Park.
Goalless at the break despite a barrage of chances for the home side, there was nothing to celebrate as the referee blew his whistle at half-time.
But some inspired changes early in the second period brought about an exciting spark and some lethal finishing.
An up tempo second half, inspired by Marvin Johnson’s goal after 52 minutes, with Scott McDonald and Chris Cadden adding two more late in the half eventually gave the Fir Park men a comfortable scoreline.
The Steelmen have an added boost in the return of midfielder Carl McHugh who missed the East Stirlingshire game through suspension.
But key to Saturday’s fixture is the presence of veteran skipper Keith Lasley, who knows the importance of the squad’s mind-set going in to the game.
The veteran’s experience is key in such a big fixture, and he’s this weeks one to watch for that reason.
Keith Lasley has been there and done it all, performing at a high level for over a decade.
The captain goes in to Saturday’s match with over 450 appearances for the Steelmen and his knowledge of situations and must-win matches will be hugely important to Mark McGhee.
The 36-year-old missed the Rangers game due to suspension and his presence was a big loss for the Steelmen.
Returning for the trip to Annan, it was clear exactly what Lasley can bring in cup games especially, where the sides best form needs to be found early on in the season calendar.
And the skipper insists the squad must be in a good mind-set to ensure progression in the League Cup.
He said: “It’s a very meaningful game, as you see in a lot of the groups, not just ours, it’s going to come down to Saturday’s games which is great and I think the competition has been good.
“It’s been a great change and it’s been good to be involved in.”
He added: “From our point of view we go to Stranraer and we know what we have to do to have any chance of going through – we have to win the match.
“And that will be a good thing for us in terms of it being pretty clear in our minds; we won’t be thinking that a draw could do, we know we have to win to have any chance to progress.
[pullquote]From our point of view we go to Stranraer and we know what we have to do to have any chance of going through – we have to win the match.[/pullquote]
“Hopefully that’ll work in our favour and we’ll be going there in a good frame of mind.”
Speaking to the press, the 36-year-old spoke about the importance of the Fir Parkers taking their chances in important matches.
He said: “Not just for Saturday but going forward when we’re on top of games we’ve got to be ruthless and take our chances.
“When these opportunities arise, especially in a game like Saturday when we know we have to win, we have to be prepared to take them.”
Tomorrow’s hosts come in to the game on the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of table toppers Rangers.
But prior to that, the League One side bagged five goals and all six points in their opening League Cup fixtures.
The bright start to their cup campaign this season is a stark contrast to the start they had in the league last season under manager Brian Reid.
In his first campaign in charge after making the switch from Ayr United, Reid led the side to a horrendous bottom spot at Christmas, in what was a tough start to his reign.
But a miraculous turn in form drove the side to fourth and resulted in a spot in the Championship play-offs.
In a dramatic two-legged clash with Livingston, Reid’s men let their 5-2 first leg lead slip and drew 6-6 on aggregate, forcing extra-time.
The Blues scored twice to win 8-6 and progressed to the final where they would face their manager’s old team, Ayr United.
They couldn’t repeat their extra-time heroics in the final though, as it went all the way to a penalty shoot-out, where they lost 3-1.
With their spot in the second tier of Scottish football snatched away, the Stair Park outfit will be hungry to have a second bite at the cherry this time around.
And they look to mean business this season too, with a quicker jump to form already evident in the BetFred League Cup.
Both sides have a chance to progress from Group F on Saturday, with goal difference in the Steelmen’s favour.
With Stranraer and Motherwell both vying for the three points and a place in the knockout stages, Saturday makes for a very interesting encounter.