MOTHERWELL captain Keith Lasley expects Celtic to comfortably see off the challenge of FC Stjarnan in their Champions League qualifying tie because he is still kicking himself for conceding a hat-trick of penalties that saw the Icelandic minnows overcome the Fir Park side in the Europa League last season.
Stuart McCall's side were 2-0 up in the first leg before being pegged back in injury time, and it was a similar story as the Fir Park side led twice more on the Astroturf of the tiny Stjornuvollur stadium before crashing out 5-4 on aggregate.
"We should have beaten them," said Lasley. "We were ahead both home and away and it was our fault. We should certainly have won the home game. We were really comfortable in the game, it could have been 3-0. Then two penalties totally change the tie.
"Giving away three penalties to contribute to your team being knocked out is certainly not a career highlight. Unfortunately for us it set a downward momentum that we carried on to our league campaign.
"I thought they were all dodgy. There were gripes on both nights. We felt as if we were the better side and should have progressed so I'd expect Celtic to do that. While the fact their season is under way is a slight advantage in terms of preparation, I still think Celtic will be more than capable of progressing."
Motherwell's newest signing Wes Fletcher checked into Fir Park yesterday with the bold promise that he will score for fun in Scotland.
The 24-year-old striker penned a one-year deal with a further one-year option after leaving York City and has demanded the No 9 shirt just vacated by St Johnstone's John Sutton.
"I'm a player who will work hard and I know where the goal is," he said. "If I get the service, I hope to score as many as I can. I've asked for the No 9 jersey."
The club also hope to retain striker Scott McDonald in the face of interest from League One side Wigan Athletic and are looking to re-sign more of last season's stars, including in Louis Lang and George Long.
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