Lanarkshire dentists could be in for some unexpected overtime if Mark McGhee�s pre-match war cry is to be realised on Thursday night.

Lanarkshire dentists could be in for some unexpected overtime if Mark McGhee's pre-match war cry is to be realised on Thursday night.

The Motherwell manager, usually a calm, genial figure, chose his Sunday newspaper column to outline his dis-appointment and disgust with the inhospitable way he felt he had been received as a guest of AS Nancy a fortnight ago.

While the primary objective of his visit to north-eastern France had been to help guide his team to a positive first-leg result in the first round of the UEFA Cup, McGhee had also hoped to use the experience to swop coaching methods and contact details with Pablo Correa, his opposite number in the Nancy dug-out.

Instead of reciprocal bonhomie, however, all McGhee received was the equivalent of a custard pie to the face, leaving him feeling both frustrated and furious.

"When Nancy are here on Thursday we will show them respect, then we will try to kick their teeth in," he wrote with surprising venom, adding extra spice to the teams' return leg at Fir Park later this week. Motherwell require to overturn a single-goal deficit to proceed to the group stage of the competition and motivation, you suspect, will not be in short supply.

"They Nancy have an arrogance about them, but I think, as the first game went on, their respect grew for us," said Graeme Smith, the Motherwell goalkeeper.

"To be honest, I really couldn't care what their players think of me. I'm there to win a game for Motherwell and I'll do anything I can to get a result.

"If that's kicking them, then I'll be kicking them. I hope they underestimate us again, as we will be a different side in the home game. A lot of their players will have experienced hostile atmospheres before so they won't be fazed by that, but they won't have played on a slope. I don't think they will enjoy Fir Park as a stadium.

"Hopefully, the fans will fill it and make it a right horrible place for Nancy to come and play. Let's get it on."

Both Motherwell and Nancy enter the tie on the back of some indifferent domestic form. Motherwell's 2-1 victory over St Mirren on Saturday was only their second league win of the season, while Nancy's 2-1 loss to Olympique Lyonnais caused them to slump to 14th place in the 20-team French Ligue 1. Smith believes, though, that current form is not a true reflection of either side's capabilities.

"At the start of the season it sometimes takes you time to get into your stride," he said. "Look at us - we've not played particularly well as a team this year so far. We know we've still to hit top form and are fully focused on getting back to where we were last year.

"Nancy are a good side. If they were to play in the SPL they'd be at the top of the league alongside the Old Firm. They are that calibre of side. Although they are not doing all that great in their own league just now, you expect them to kick on up the table. We will need to raise our game to get the result we all want on Thursday night."

Smith was the undoubted hero of the first leg. The former Rangers trainee made three spectacular saves from open play as Nancy threatened to rack up a sizeable first-leg advantage, before capping a fine individual performance by stopping Issiar Dia's penalty kick.

A clean sheet in the return match would bolster Motherwell's chances of going through but, given their commitment to attacking football, Smith feels it is not a necessity.

"The first leg was pleasing personally, but I feel I need to be doing that more often. If I'm in that position again I have to show I have the consistency to do it every time and that it wasn't just a one-off. I've watched the game again and, although the penalty was a bonus, I'm more happy with the rest of my game.

"Penalties are just a guessing game and you need a bit of luck, too. The most important thing now is getting a result that takes us through the tie. A clean sheet would help, but we're the kind of team that can win 4-2 or some other crazy scoreline. If they score, we'll just have to go and score three."