Motherwell assistant manager Keith Lasley believes his side are starting to recapture the form that saw them reach the League Cup final and says they can't be ruled out for a top six place.

Impressive form in the first half of the season saw Stephen Robinson's side claim some notable results and make their way to a showpiece final at Hampden before being beaten by Celtic in the League Cup final.

The Steelmen endured a difficult December and Lasley says the winter break looks to have rejuvenated the team.

"There has been a lot of highs and lows, particularly the early part of the season when we had a great run in the league and getting to the League Cup final," he said. "That was fantastic and then we had a tough end to the year and the build up to the (winter) break.

"But since the break we have looked hungry, we have looked fresh and we still hold high hopes of finishing the season well."

That lift in form has the assistant boss looking up the table. A midweek fixture against St Johnstone gives Motherwell the chance to leapfrog Kilmarnock into the top six, albeit having played two games more, and Lasley says his experience tells him nobody can be ruled out of a top-half finish at this stage in the season.

"It looks a real race to get into that top six now and we feel as if we are one of those teams challenging," he said.

"I think there is a little bit of a gap between Hearts and Hibs, the top five, and the rest.

"We are sitting in seventh position and Killie are in sixth but all the teams down to the bottom will have ambitions to finish sixth because we know how quickly things can change in this division.

"You play a lot of 'six pointers' and we have one tomorrow night against St Johnstone, a team that is close to us.

"I have played in this division enough years. The margins are so fine.

"It will be the team that can put three or four results together on a consistent basis who will ultimately grab that sixth position.

"It can go down to a set play or a lapse of concentration that makes the difference in games.

"We have to be really on it for every minute of every game to be there ready to make the difference."