Motherwell 3, Edinburgh City 0: Well see off Citizens comfortably in cup win

Motherwell bagged a comfortable win in their Premier Sports Cup Group G opener against Edinburgh City.

Goals from Kofi Balmer and Dan Casey - both set up by Andy Halliday - had Motherwell home and dry by the hour-mark, with Stephen O'Donnell adding a third in 61 minutes from good set-up play by Ewan Wilson.

The League Two side had looked well organised and defensively sound as they frustrated their Premiership hosts in the first half.

Andy Halliday was again pulling the strings for the Steelmen, while Kofi Balmer was doing all the running, sending a shot whistling past and heading off the post from Halliday's set-ups.

But a bullet header from a Halliday corner gave Balmer his first Motherwell goal and broke the deadlock in what had otherwise been a pretty uneventful first half.

Halliday was again the provider for Casey's back-post header in 56 minutes, and a well-worked move resulted in O'Donnell getting off the mark.

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell gave competitive debuts to goalkeeper Krisztian Hegyi and Kofi Balmer, and academy graduates Ewan Wilson and Dylan Wells. New signings Liam Gordon, Tom Sparrow, Zach Robinson and Filip Stuparevic were on the bench. O'Donnell was captain.

Edinburgh City boss Michael McIndoe handed an immediate signing to new signing Jake Rennie, while Robbie Walker was on the bench. Former Clyde striker Connor Young started up front.

Motherwell carved out the first chance in five minutes when Andy Halliday tried to feed Moses Ebiye in the Edinburgh box, but it was well read and booted clear for a corner.

Davor Zdravkovski crossed for Moses Ebiye in 14 minutes, but his header was saved by Mark Weir in the City's goal.

Balmer was short with a pass-back in 17 minutes that nearly let Young