Recent defeats to Stenhousemuir and Berwick, along with disappointing draws against Albion Rovers and Montrose have dampened the high spirits in the Queen's camp which came to surface after the stunning Aberdeen win at Firhill nearly a month ago.
Well's form hasn't lived up to pre-season expectations in coach Malpas' first season in charge. They sit bottom of the Premier League after 7 games, with their only three points so far coming at Falkirk on 26th August. Their other six games have ended in defeat, most recently to Hearts at Fir Park on Sunday by 1-0.
Well's main dangerman to the Queen's defence will be Aussie hitman Scott McDonald. The striker has scored 3 times this season already and will be looking to help propel his side into the 4th Round draw.
LAST MEETING
Queen's Park 0
Motherwell 3 (Greg Strong 13, Paul Harvey 70, Lee McCulloch 90)
22nd August 2000 - CIS Cup 2nd Round - Hampden Park
Graeme Smith, Danny Ferry, Stephen Marshall, Graham Duncan, Denis Conaghan, Richard Sinclair, Kevin Finlayson, Graeme Connell, Mark Gallagher (Wale Kwik-Ajet), Jim Brown (Greg Miller), Frankie Carroll, Craig Flannigan
TEAM NEWS
Defenders Stephen Reilly (groin), Richard Sinclair (calf) and Damiano Agostini (hamstring) leave Queen's in a defensive crisis going into the clash with Well. Jonny Whelan will return after family commitments ruled him out on Saturday and Mark Cairns could return, though that would be harsh on David Crawford who put on a good show agains Montrose.
LIKELY LINE UP
XI: David Crawford, Paul Paton, Shaun Molloy, Mick Dunlop, Jonny Whelan, Steven Canning, Stuart Kettlewell, Tony Quinn, Frankie Carroll, David Weatherston, Mark Ferry
SUBS: Mark Cairns, Jamie Dailly, Alan Trouten, Paul Ronald, Robert Dunn