Kofi Balmer says Motherwell are determined to put on a top performance against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup – and show their own fans what they can do.
A hectic December and January schedule ended with the Steelmen struggling to a 0-0 draw at Kilmarnock before crashing to a 3-1 defeat at on-form Hibs on Saturday, which was clearly a game too far.
With a week without a midweek fixture for the first time in over a month, Balmer says everybody should be ready to go in the fourth-round clash, and have no excuses.
Balmer said: “I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a massive game for us. Everyone in the changing room is really relishing it.
“We know the performances from us in the last couple of games haven’t been up to standard, so I think we’re all looking forward to making a point and showing what we’re all about.
“The fans have been huge for us in the whole season, they travel home and away in their numbers and for us we owe it to them to put in a good performance, because they have followed us everywhere, and are noisy throughout the games.
“On Saturday we’ve got to put things right and show supporters what we can do.”
Balmer has been pleased with the week ‘off’ and reckons it will help the entire squad.
He said: “It has been brilliant, we were able to get a day or two off just to recover.
“We’ve got to take the responsibility to recover right ourselves when maybe we don’t have the time-frame to do it.
“You can’t really make excuses for recovery because the other teams are in the same position as us, so we have to take it as it comes.
“It has been a busy schedule, but as a player you do just want to be playing games,and that’s your job.
“Not having the midweek game gives us more of an opportunity to prepare and put things right in training sessions, to bring it into the game, recover even more than what you have been, and it is good for us.
“We’ve got no excuses, we’ll all be going into the game fresh and ready to go.”
Balmer, 24, was a losing finalist in the Northern Ireland Football League Cup while at Ballymena, and won the County Antrim Shield while at Larne.
The defender would love a run to the Hampden showpiece in May.
He said: “That would be the longest cup run I’ve had. I think it was a couple of years that we got to the final, and it is massive for the club when you get to a final.
“Unfortunately I haven’t got the winner’s medal yet, but hopefully that can happen one day.
“One of the finals was behind closed doors during Covid and it was different not having fans, but at the same time it was still a great experience for me.
“When I was back home, if you won that cup it gave you the opportunity to play in Europe. I’m not sure if it’s the same here, it possibly is, but for clubs that don’t get to the top of the league often, that gives you great motivation, and you really push on for.
“For the younger players, me included, you don’t get the opportunity often, so if you get the chance to play at Hampden it’s massive.
“Just having that motivation, that’s where you can end up if you get through the rounds, is massive.
“We’re not looking that far ahead now, we’ll take each game as it comes, but just having that in the back of your head, that it’s where you could end up playing, is massive and great motivation for everyone in the team.”