Aberdeen assistant manager Jimmy Nicholl believes his team will face a "muck and nettles" clash with Motherwell on Saturday.The resurgent Dons have given themselves a chance of taking the SPL route into the UEFA Cup but Motherwell, who must play Rangers on Wednesday before thinking about Aberdeen, are the team best placed to nail down third spot.

Severe problems with the Fir Park pitch have affected Motherwell and their visitors this season and Nicholl does not expect the weekend clash to be the most attractive game for football aesthetes.

"The pitch might not allow you to perform the way you probably want," he said.

"I can see it just being muck and nettles on Saturday, giving it everything and getting the three points that we need."

But it may not be simply the underfoot conditions which affect the way the match is played.

Nicholl told RedTV: "I can't see it being any other way than two teams going hell for leather to get those three points.

"We have to stop Motherwell playing, Motherwell have to beat us. I can't see it being any other way and there's nothing wrong with that, two teams fully committed to getting three points for their own reasons."

He added: "This is a must-win game for us. It doesn't matter what the performance is. We have to win this game."

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