PLAYED four, won four, 13 goals scored, conceded none and top of their group. July has been good for Motherwell.

Their Betfred Cup group opponents haven’t been great but you can’t argue with these results and the supporters would have been encouraged by how their team have played so far.

Stephen Robinson’s team side won this at a canter and look in decent shape ahead of next week's Premiership opener at Livingston.

The Motherwell manager said: "We've brought a lot of new players in, probably more than the season before last. We got 12 players in.

"Our forwards are exciting, workrate-wise we still need to get them up to speed but there's lots to be positive about.

"“Donnelly has had a bright start. People questioned why I signed him but he’s a very good footballer if we can keep him fit. It took him a while to get up to the intensity of our play and build his fitness and strength levels.

“He’s learning how to play in midfield and he can get better still but he played a lot of international football as a No.6. He reads the game well, he’s quick, he has two good feet and now he’s added goals to his game.”

Motherwell dominated this, as you would expect, and that it took them 20 minutes to score was the only slight surprise of the afternoon.

Liam Donnelly’s good form continued when his first touch inside the six-yard box killed the ball, crossed from the right by Christopher Long, and before any Annan player could react, the ball was in the roof of the net.

Annan on this evidence a team not adverse to the dark acts. Referee Alan Newlands was extremely lenient in the first-half in particular when some fouls were worthy of a yellow card which remained in his pocket.

Not that it hugely mattered. Motherwell doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. Jamie Semple’s excellent pass split Annan’s defence, Long should have scored but slipped at the vital moment when confronted by Annan keeper Lyle Avci, the ball fell kindly for Liam Polworth who side-footed the ball into the empty net.

James Scott, Jermain Hylton and Semple all went close in the second-half but it wasn’t until the final few minutes when a third was scored.

Donnelly made it four in three games with a quite superb shot with his right foot from the edge of the box which found the top right corner. His foot then was described as a traction engine by the Fir Park tannoy announcer.

Nope, me neither.

Donnelly has been moved into a more attacking role and it's working.

Robinson revealed: "I worked with Liam since he was 16 and there was lots of high thoughts of him at Fulham, they thought he would go and be a top footballer but he lost his way a little bit, like most of the players we pick up, and we have galvanised him again, he's playing with confidence and he'll get better in that role.

“Donnelly has had a bright start. People questioned why I signed him but he’s a very good footballer if we can keep him fit. It took him a while to get up to the intensity of our play and build his fitness and strength levels.

“He’s learning how to play in midfield and he can get better still but he played a lot of international football as a No.6. He reads the game well, he’s quick, he has two good feet and now he’s added goals to his game.”

Not to be outdone, Scott scored a similar goal to Donnelly's second in injury time, shifting the ball onto his right and getting some power into a curling shot which gave Annan keeper Avci no chance.