IAN BARACLOUGH could never be accused of leaving anything to chance.

His main priority remains guiding Motherwell out of the SPFL Premiership play-off place, and a victory at home to Kilmarnock this evening would greatly enhance those prospects, drawing the Rugby Park side within three points with two matches of the season remaining.

Baraclough, however, has not neglected the bigger picture. Tomorrow he will head to Palmerston to take in Queen of the South versus Rangers in case Motherwell ends up playing either in the play-off final. And on Wednesday night, while the rest of the football world was cooing over Barcelona versus Bayern Munich, Baraclough was instead at Glebe Park, watching Brechin City joust with Alloa Athletic. It paints a picture of a man devoted to the job.

"What's more relevant - watching players in Scotland to see what you might find out or watching Barcelona versus Bayern Munich? I had never been to Brechin before and I heard it was a nice city so I wanted to see that! Plus I've got a player on loan at Alloa. So it was good.

"I'll probably take in Queen of the South against Rangers on Saturday, while my staff will be elsewhere. I've been watching games since I came up here because there are players I'm unaware of and places I've not been to. The other night I chose Brechin over Forfar. I have to take in as much as possible. And if we end up in the play-offs you've got to have seen as much of the teams as you can. You plan for every eventuality."

There was an acknowledgement that this evening's match is definitely Motherwell's last chance to avoid the play-offs. Their confidence will be bolstered by the fact they are taking on a Kilmarnock side who have lost their last six matches and are in danger of being drawn into the relegation picture themselves.

"It's very clear now," added Baraclough. "There are no different equations. We must win or we're pretty much in the play-offs. But there's no reason why we can't go and win the next three games. Knowing the effect it could have on Kilmarnock if they don't pick up the point they're after, then that puts massive pressure on them knowing they have two games to follow.

"One win could flip the whole situation around which is why it's good that you're playing teams around you. It can drag others into it. That must be on Kilmarnock's mind."

The visitors' form mirrors Hibernian's slide down to the table and into the play-offs last season, something that has not gone unnoticed among the Motherwell players.

'You saw what happened with Hibs last season and I think that is still in a lot of people's minds," said Josh Law. "Kilmarnock have been on a bit of a dodgy run so hopefully we can beat them and drag them right into it. Nerves will be times one hundred, really, if we can get it down to three points with two games to go. We have to concentrate on ourselves first and win the game. Then we can see where we go from there."