Motherwell’s Luke Armstrong determined to show fighting spirit in top-six battle

Motherwell striker Luke Armstrong is determined to show their fighting spirit as they bid to take their battle for a top-six place to the final weekend.

Victory at Kilmarnock on Saturday would ensure Motherwell go into a home game against Hearts with everything to play for ahead of the William Hill Premiership split.

Armstrong and his team-mates have an added motivation after manager Michael Wimmer claimed they “gave up” in the final 15 minutes against Aberdeen last weekend after losing a third goal in a 4-1 defeat.

“We just want to show the gaffer and everyone that we’ll keep fighting to the end and that’s not the case of us, that’s not a thing that he needs to worry about or anyone needs to worry about,” the on-loan striker said.

“We’ll always fight to the end. No matter how the game’s going, we’re going to try our best to keep pushing for a goal, to stop conceding any more.

“It’s definitely not a criticism you want to be involved with. We want to be known as someone who fights to the end.

“All we can do is put that right by proving it wrong and making sure that if we’re in a situation like that again, we keep pushing.”

The Steelmen are a point behind Hearts and level with St Mirren, although they are at a distinct disadvantage in the goal difference stakes if the Buddies were to win both of their games.

On the top-six quest, Armstrong said: “It’s massive for the club, the fans and all the players. We want to get top six.

“It’s a big achievement in all of our careers and we want to make sure we do that. It starts this weekend with a big game.

“It’s an old cliché but it’s two cup finals. We have to win them. We’ve still got to hope for results to go our way but we’ve just got to control what we can and win the next two games.

“It’s a great goal to have and to be in there with a chance is brilliant. It’s really motivating us to get the two wins.”

Armstrong has been a regular starter since joining on loan from Carlisle and has scored against both Rangers and Celtic.

And the 28-year-old is very open to extending his stay in Scotland.

“I’d love to if that was a possibility but there’s a lot of factors,” he said. “I’ve still got time on my contract at Carlisle and the situation there, there’s many factors, but it would be a good one to come back here if that was possible.

“I’ve just got to concentrate on the games at hand at the minute. The summer could be anything for me so I’ve just got to try and do as well as I can in the next few games that we’ve got and assess it after really.”