MOTHERWELL’S impressive achievement of reaching both cup finals last season was one of the most compelling reasons for Danny Johnson to join the Steelmen in the summer.

Now the English striker wants to help Motherwell go to the next level and become winners.

Johnson was the man who made the difference on Livingston’s wretched synthetic surface with the goal that has taken Stephen Robinson’s side into the last eight of the Betfred Cup where they will face Hearts at Tynecastle.

Now he has ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Louis Moult and Ryan Bowman who came from lower league football down south and flourished at Fir Park.

Johnson said: “This is why I came here. Motherwell is a club which is growing – they reached two finals last year but we want to get back there and we want to win one this time.

“When the manager first called me, he mentioned how well Louis Moult and Ryan Bowman had done and I want to be the next English striker who comes up here and gets those goals.”

Johnson has a great pedigree from the National League – England’s fifth tier – and while the former Gateshead striker accepts that Scottish football is a step up he believes he can provide the goals Motherwell need.

He has made mid-teens or more in each of the last three seasons. Johnson even scored an incredible 59 goals in 2013/14 when he played a couple of levels below with Guisborough United.

That might be a ludicrous thought, but the 25-year-old is determined to seize this chance and has the confidence that he and Curtis Main can combine to great effect while Bowman recovers from an ankle injury.

He said: “The goals don’t move, no matter what level you’re playing in so I know that if the ball is going to drop for me in the box then I’m going to have a chance of scoring and I’ll stick it away. I believe I’m going to get those goals.

“That was my first start and I’m absolutely delighted to have got the goal to go with it.

“There are signs of a partnership there with Curtis Main and when he gets his head on the ball I’ve got to take a gamble.

“It didn’t always come off but the movements were there and it’s a good start for us.

“I always aim for double figures every season but I don’t think I’m going to reach 50 – if I did I’ll have done very well! I believe 15 is a reasonable target for me.”

Johnson’s decisive strike came in 23 minutes when he converted Main’s cut-back and Motherwell were worthy winners from that point having been vulnerable in the early part of the game.

If it was not for Liam Kelly they would have won more emphatically and the former Rangers youth goalkeeper is relishing the opportunity of being a top-flight No.1.

Kelly said: “It was a hard decision to leave Rangers after being there for 14 years.

“The last year at Rangers did improve me even although I wasn’t playing games.

“I was training with top quality players and was on the bench for Old Firm games.

“Those are experiences that set you up to play games and makes you want to play games.

“I knew for my own sake I had to leave and play games.

“I was just disappointed I didn’t get to the ball that led to their goal - but they had chance after chance and they probably merited the win.”