Future can be bright for Motherwell, says boss Mark McGhee

Mark McGhee has challenged Motherwell's triumphant under-20 players to use their Scottish Youth Cup success to push for his first team.

Motherwell won the trophy for the first time when Stephen Craigan's side beat Hearts 5-2 at Hampden on Wednesday night.

First-team regulars Chris Cadden and Dom Thomas caught the eye, but there were other big performances from the likes of midfielder Allan Campbell, and McGhee hopes to see more young players emerge into his team.

"That's what they have got to do now, kick on," McGhee said. "Allan Campbell and people like that, (David) Ferguson and Luke Watt.

"There was a debate about whether Cadds should play or not and given the circumstances with the first team, where the games are not as critical, I allowed Cadds to play. When I told Cadds, he looked more pleased he was playing than when I told him he was playing for the first team for the first time.

"But I expected Cadds to look like a first-team player, to shine and stand out from the rest, and I thought he did. He drove the team, he bossed the team as captain, and I thought his performance was mature and showed the progress he has made."

McGhee was delighted with the humility of the young squad and feels the triumph vindicates the emphasis on youth placed by owner Les Hutchison, who is set to hand over his stake to fans.

"The fact that they have never done it before, it shouldn't be underestimated what a fantastic achievement it is for this group of boys and for Crags and Scott Leitch - nearly all those boys have come through the academy," McGhee said.

"They looked well-schooled, well-coached, they looked fit, their discipline was good. It had everything you would hope from a group of young players and they have won a cup for the club for the first time in a long, long time. They were playing for each other, there was a grounded ethic, no big-timers. "Les Hutchison, when he brought me here, spoke a lot about this sort of thing and I think that was a big tribute to Les and his philosophy that we managed to achieve that. Personally, I would dedicate that to Les because he has in a sense reminded us all of the way it should be."

Cadden will be back in first-team action on Saturday in another huge game.

Motherwell will secure the title for Celtic if the Hoops win at Hearts at lunchtime and McGhee's men get a result at Pittodrie.

"I'm disappointed for Aberdeen that we are going there and it's not still in the mix for them," McGhee said. "I expected it would be, I have to be perfectly honest, I thought they would go the distance and they have not quite managed it. They have had a fantastic season to run Celtic as closely as they have.

"I don't think it will be about our result against Aberdeen that will win the league anyway, it will be Celtic's results that will win the league."