Mark McGhee has revealed that the decision to move the midweek fixture from its scheduled date to transfer deadline day cost the club the chance to sign Celtic forward Nadir Ciftci.

The game was originally scheduled to take place the following night, but according to the SPFL, it was brought forward to Tuesday night at the request of both clubs.

That decision backfired on Motherwell, as they failed to beat the clock to force the Ciftci deal through on their way back from Dingwall on the team coach.

“I certainly think that we would have got the Ciftci deal over the line if we hadn’t had the game against County to contend with,” admitted McGhee.

“It made it difficult for us because Alan Burrows, our managing director, was with us at the game in Dingwall on Tuesday.

“We were still trying to make a bid to sign the lad from up north but we just ran out of time and that was nothing to do with Celtic playing silly games or anything.

“It was partly down to our side of things – with Scott McDonald’s move to Sydney being on then off and then again – but I think if we’d been sitting here in the office instead of travelling up the road we could have saved a few hours and got the deal done.

"If the decks were cleared and there were no games then it would make it better for everyone.

“The authorities might say that clubs have had a whole month to get their business done but clubs themselves tend to wait and wait to see who becomes available so everything always goes down to the wire.

“In the circumstances, you could do with that time being clear. Of course, one of the problems that the administrators at Hampden face is fixture congestion because there are not that many dates for them to fit games in to, allowing for cup replays and postponements.

“So it’s difficult for them but they need to give it a bit more thought about and appreciation of what we go through in this situation."

Despite the failure to force the Ciftci deal through, McGhee was content with his business in the transfer window, and his mood was improved further by the return of Stephen Pearson to the club yesterday.

His third spell at Fir Park will last initially until the summer, but just as heartening for McGhee was the fact that he kept star strike duo Louis Moult and Scott McDonald at the club.

“That’s a positive. After all the uncertainty that Scott had to deal with in the last couple of weeks, his head was boiled – and he’s an unpredictable character at the best of times,” he said.

“He’s been through a traumatic time but he was still able to turn out for us on Tuesday and turn in a fully focused performance, which is testimony to his professionalism.

“Given a choice between living in Sydney or here, I’d bite your hand off! But seriously, Scotty has good things going for him here.

“His family are settled here and he also enjoys the media work he does and possibly sees a future for himself in that field. It wasn’t just a simple choice between rain or sunshine; there was more to it than that.

“[Pearson] gives you an option in there, we’ve been using Craig Clay in that kind of role and he’s a right-sider who can do that, but I think he will become more comfortable on the right side of a three.

“Pearo can go in there and play on the left of a three, and in particular with nobody outside him, he’s quite comfortable being tucked in or being slightly wide.

“And of course, he’s got a goal in him.”