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Motherwell Reserves produced an assured display as they defeated Dundee 3-1 in group D of the Reserve Cup on Tuesday afternoon.

Stephen Craigan made a late change to his team, replacing Akeal Rehman with Neil McLaughlin in the starting eleven. The Northern Irishman also named Conor Sammon in his side due to the forward being ineligible to play against parent club Hearts on Saturday, and the experienced striker nearly made an immediate impact.

Charging down Dee stopper Samuel Jackson inside the opening five minutes, the Irishman’s lunging block looked set to turn the ball home, but some wicked spin denied the opener and allowed the keeper to gather without too much trouble.

He had a lot more to do in the 20th minute though, producing a fine stop to keep the scoreline level at Forthbank Stadium. James Scott, partnering Sammon up front, showed fine composure to shift the ball on to his left foot before firing an effort towards the roof of the net, only to see it tipped on to the crossbar.

Shortly after though, the Colts took the lead. Captain Barry Maguire burst in to the box, but instead of going for goal, showed terrific composure to turn and tee up the more central Neil McLaughlin, who slid the ball home from just inside the box with a very neat finish.

Despite controlling much of the first half, the second got off to a poor start when an aimless cross was sent in to the box and looked set to be gathered by Rohan Ferguson. However, the keeper made a rare mistake by his high standards, allowing the ball to slip from his grasp before seeing it be prodded in to an empty net by Dee striker Matthew Henvey.

Just after the hour mark, Colts boss Craigan made his first change of the afternoon, calling on Jamie Semple to replace goalcorer McLaughlin. And within minutes, the decision paid off as Semple put the Fir Park side 2-1 up.

Ghosting in at the back post, the youngster turned home a terrific cross towards the back post with his knee after the flight of the ball was misjudged by the Dundee defence. Semple showed terrific reactions to get enough on the ball to turn it inside the post and regain control of the Reserve Cup tie.

With just minutes remaining of the group D fixture, Alfredo Agyeman did terrifically well to beat his man in the box before being bundled to the deck. The referee had no doubts, pointing to the spot immediately. Sammon stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot kick, sending Jackson the wrong way and wrapping up proceedings in Stirling.

Motherwell’s colts side will play Sligo Rovers in the third round of the 2018/19 IRN-BRU Cup.

Stephen Craigan’s young team will take on the Irish opponents at home on the weekend of 13 and 14 October.

The youngsters have already defeated East Stirlingshire and Dundee Colts in this season’s competition, becoming only the second-ever colts team to reach the third round stage.

Sligo Rovers defeated Livingston’s colts team 4-1 in their second round match last weekend.

A confirmed date, kick off time and venue will be announced in due course.

Stephen Craigan’s reserve side are back in action on Tuesday as they come face to face with Dundee again.

With the two clubs’ Colts teams having faced last week in the IRN-BRU Cup, a clash in the newly-formed SPFL Reserve Cup lies in wait next.

Kick off at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling is at 2pm.

How the Reserve Cup works

Motherwell are in a five-team group with Queen of the South, Dundee, Dunfermline Athletic and Morton. There are three other groups, all consisting of four teams.

The four group winners progress to the semi finals, which will be played on 25 February 2019.

As is the case in the Betfred Cup, group games which finish in a draw will go to penalties, with a bonus point on offer for the winners.

Young goalkeeper Peter Morrison has joined Albion Rovers on loan.

The reserve team keeper moves to Cliftonhill until January, as he looks to pick up more first team minutes.

The 20-year-old will continue to remain part of Stephen Craigan’s side and can play for Motherwell in the Reserve League and IRN-BRU Cup.

Morrison joins Ross MacLean, Neil McLaughlin, Shea Gordon and Jake Hastie out on loan, with the quartet at Morton, Stirling Albion, Partick Thistle and Alloa Athletic respectively.

Kyle MacDonald and Broque Watson netted for the young Steelmen as they advanced to the third round of the IRN-BRU Cup.

Having defeated East Stirlingshire in the opening match, Dundee’s Colts side were defeated 2-1 at Dens on Thursday night.

Stephen Craigan says his young Motherwell side showed “commitment and desire” as they bagged a deserved 2-1 win at Dundee in the IRN-Bru Cup.

Goals from Kyle MacDonald and Broque Watson ensured passage to the third round of the competition for the first time.

Goal scorers Kyle MacDonald and Broque Watson were joined by goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson after the Colts won 2-1 at Dundee.

The trio were influential in the victory in the IRN-BRU Cup, which put Motherwell through to the third round of the competition for the first time.

Motherwell Colts became only the second-ever young side to reach the third round of the IRN-BRU Cup with a 2-1 win over Dundee.

Goals from Kyle MacDonald and Broque Watson, either side of a Jordan Armstrong own goal, ensured the youngsters are in next week’s draw.

Manager Stephen Craigan rang the changes from the side which defeated Hibernian Reserves on Monday.

Rohan Ferguson, Akeel Rehman, Jake Hastie, Armstrong and MacDonald were all recalled, as the young Steelmen looked to follow up on the first team’s recent victory at Dens.

It would be the visitors who would make the breakthrough. With the wingbacks getting forward plenty, it would be MacDonald who would open the scoring.

Holding the ball up centrally and looking for options, the right wing back instead elected to unleash a left-footed drive which fizzed into the top left corner of the net.

It was almost instantly two. George Newell worked space on the edge of the area and got away a low drive which was beaten out of the bottom right corner by the goalkeeper.

From the resulting corner, Turnbull’s downward header was hacked off the line.

Motherwell continued to dominate. MacDonald again tried his luck with a surging run into the box, before his shot was knocked behind by a busy Dundee keeper.

Against the run of play, the hosts would level just before the interval. A whipped cross into the box just needed a touch to guide it goalwards, but it would come from the unfortunate head of Armstrong, who left goalkeeper Ferguson helpless as the ball hit the net.

Motherwell continued to dominate in the second half but it took 20 minutes for their first real chance to fall.

Chasing down a long through ball, Hastie burst past two Dundee defenders to bear down on goal. Stepping inside onto his left one-on-one with the goalkeeper, his shot was blocked by the stopper’s feet.

As the latter stages of the game progressed, things started to open up. Lambert’s snap shot from close range was thankfully straight at Ferguson, while up the other end an acrobatic effort from Krones was well gathered by Jackson.

With five minutes remaining, Dundee should have wrapped things up. Scott found himself room in the box and, having taken Armstrong out of the game, had a left-footed attempt from 10 yards which somehow bent past the post.

That jolted the young Steelmen and immediately they went up the other end and won it. Turnbull made room and cut the ball to Watson inside the box, who curled the ball past the goalkeeper to put Motherwell 2-1 ahead.

Ferguson then had to pull out the heroics late on to keep the hosts out on several occasions, ensuring his side progressed.

Motherwell’s youngsters are back in action on Thursday night as they take on Dundee Colts in the second round of the IRN-BRU Cup.

Having won against East Stirlingshire in the opening match, Stephen Craigan’s team head to Dens Park as they bid to reach the next stage.

Kick off is at 7pm. Adults can get in for £5 at the gate, while concessions go for £2.

A David Turnbull double and an opening strike from Adam Livingstone secured a 3-1 win for the Reserves over Hibernian on Monday.

Stephen Craigan’s young side are undefeated so far this term, winning three matches and drawing once.