THE situation may be unfamiliar for Motherwell but it is one Scott McDonald can recall all too clearly.

For the last few years, there have been no relegation fears, no nerve-shredding fights for survival at Fir Park. Battles at the other end of the table have been far more enjoyable to be involved in.

This time it is different, though. With five games left this season, the first of which is at Hamilton this evening, Ian Baraclough's side are six points from safety. There is potential for the campaign to come to a close on the lowest note of all but McDonald only has to look back twelve months to know the tale can have a happy ending.

That was the case for Millwall last season. Bottom of the table after 38 games, the Lions roared to four wins and four draws in eight matches to end the season 19th and four points clear of the relegation zone. If Motherwell can come close to matching that rate of accumulating points, they will have a fighting chance of avoiding a play-off against the side that emerges through the two rounds of action in Championship next month.

Before McDonald went south of the border to join Middlesbrough five years ago, the Australian helped Celtic to the Scottish Premier League title in 2008 and the League Cup the following season. Since returning to Scotland, he has been crucial to Motherwell's cause as he has scored three goals in his seven appearances and McDonald hopes he will have another reason to celebrate and breathe a sigh of relief this term.

"There is a totally different type of pressure when you are trying to win leagues and avoid relegation," he said. "The aim is the same in that you are trying to win football matches.

"I have been in a similar situation last year with Millwall and nobody expected us to stay in the Championship. We went on a fantastic run and went eight unbeaten before the end of the season to get out of it.

"We ended up [four] points off the relegation zone. What I learned at Millwall is that it is important to concentrate on yourself first and foremost as there is nothing you can do to affect the other games apart from win your own."

The focus for Motherwell may well be solely on themselves as they take an introverted view of the situation at the bottom of the Premiership standings but all eyes will be on them from different parts of the country this evening. With St Mirren seemingly doomed, the fight to avoid the play-off position is a four-way affair and it is Ross County that are in Motherwell's immediate sights.

Defeat to Partick Thistle last time out was a tough blow for Motherwell to take, particularly coming off the back of a three-game winning run that saw them collect maximum points from Hamilton, Kilmarnock and St Mirren. They will encounter an Accies outfit that have not won in 13 matches under manager Martin Canning at New Douglas Park and McDonald knows Baraclough's side must get their post-split schedule off to quick start.

"Here's hoping there is a reaction as the loss and manner of the defeat to Partick was disappointing," he said. "We let them off the hook as we missed a chance to bring them closer to us.

"It is a huge task ahead of us for the next five games and all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and winning and let other results take care of themselves. If Motherwell win all five games and that is a tall order then I reckon we should be safe.

"We'll just take it one game at a time and this is a Lanarkshire derby against Hamilton in their home turf and our last two results there have not been great."

The arrival of McDonald in February has coincided with a much-needed return to form for Motherwell, who started brightly under Baraclough and then picked up just one point in almost two months of Premiership action.

The next five games are huge for the club and the Englishman, and they will be approached in an upbeat manner as they look to lift the cloud over Fir Park.

"I've been involved in relegation tussles as a player and a coach and it's about being positive about things and accentuating the positives," Baraclough said. "There's a lot to be pleased with here and there are five games now that are massive.

"You certainly can't get involved with anything that's going on - what people are saying, what's in the media and social media. If you have your head in those things 24 hours then you mix your mind up.

"It's exciting for everybody that's a neutral and one of those things that will make you stronger when you come through it. I had some success in the past and when you do come through it, it certainly makes you stronger as an individual and as a group when you move forward the following season."