Motherwell boss warns that Viaplay Cup exit can't derail season as they await Killie visit

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Stuart Kettlewell has told his Motherwell side not to let their Viaplay Cup defeat at St Mirren derail their season, and expects them to come back with a bang against Kilmarnock on Saturday.And the Fir Park gaffer has pleaded for fans not to have a knee-jerk reaction to what is a third defeat in 21 games, following a run of 12 games unbeaten.A strangely toothless Motherwell lost 1-0 in Paisley to Caolan Boyd-Munce’s eighth-minute stunner that sent the Saints through to the quarter-finals.But Kettlewell says they will respond to that, when Derek McInnes’ Killie – who have beaten both Rangers and Celtic 1-0 this month – visit Fir Park on Saturday.He said: “I’ve said to the players that it can’t derail what has been a fantastic run.“I keep speaking about not being knee-jerk; we win games, lose games and draw games, but I think you need to have that intelligence as a player, manager or coach, not to start jumping about or getting yourself irate in situations that a calm head will be a better solution in, and that’s my message to everybody.“We’ve lost a game of football, and it’s not to be blasé about it in any way, shape or form, but it can happen.“I knew it could happen, coming here.

For me this was one of the toughest draws, against a team that are so good at home, that are firing on all cylinders, and they came out on top.“You wish them all the best, but we certainly wish it was ourselves in the next round of the cup.”Motherwell will look for back-to-back home wins and two out of three in the Premiership when Killie visit.Kettlewell said: “It’s important to get a reaction from this when we play Kilmarnock.