Motherwell boss: Whether Rangers, Celtic or St Johnstone are our opponents, we will always go for the win

The Steelmen are in Premkier Sports Cup action in Perth on Saturday

Jens Berthel Askou says Motherwell will do everything they can to dump St Johnstone out of the Premier Sports Cup – but expects a tough test.

The Lanarkshire side head to McDiarmid Park in Perth in the last 16 of the competition, looking to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Motherwell are still searching for their first league win, while Simo Valakari’s men are sitting top of the Scottish Championship with two straight wins.

But Askou says Motherwell will go for the win, regardless of their opponent. He said: “It’s always important to do well in a competition. It’s important to put a performance out where we show ourselves and everyone that we go for the win, and it doesn’t matter if we play Rangers, Celtic, or St Johnstone in the cup, or Clyde, or whoever it is.

“We will go to win the game. We will put as strong a team as we can on the pitch, with a good group on the bench, ready to come in and finish off the game, and we will have a go.

“We know it’s a team with confidence, who have had a good start. It’s a team that is brave and has a similar approach to the game as we do, which will make it possibly an open game, and we have to be alert.”

Motherwell battled out a 0-0 draw against St Mirren in Paisley on Saturday, and took their second point, having drawn 1-1 at home to Rangers last weekend, but Askou says a win will come in time.

He said: “I don’t know if I have frustration. We played Rangers, who we know is a very tough, very big team, and we played a team that were in the top six in the last two years, and are very difficult to beat.

“We kept a clean sheet, we’re happy with that, so I won’t say I’m frustrated – that’s a big word to use – but we are doing our best to get three points.

“We know we have things to improve, but in general I am very happy with our performance again. I think it was directly in line with what we’ve been doing for the last couple of weeks. I trust the players to get that last bit of effectiveness that we lacked.

Johnny Koutroumbis went off injured in Paisley on Saturday, and Askou hopes the defender will recover in time for the trip to Perth.

He said: “I hope it’s not too bad. He was not on a stretcher, he could walk and seems to be okay but we will have to assess that this week.”