Well have conceded just two goals in a 11-game unbeaten league run

Motherwell manager Craig Brown will not contemplate securing a Europa League place until Well have clinched a top six place in Scotland's top flight.

Uefa has confirmed the club finishing fifth will earn a Europa League place, providing both Scottish Cup finalists have qualified for Europe.

"The further down it goes in the table, the better it is for Motherwell," Brown told BBC Scotland.

"But we're well aware that there are teams chasing us."

Motherwell are currently in fifth place, eight points ahead of Hearts and have now gone 11 league matches without defeat, conceding only two goals in the process.

However, with Hearts visiting Fir Park on Saturday, Brown is aware how quickly Motherwell's advantage over the Tynecastle side could narrow if they slip-up.

"Hearts are next to us and they're chasing us.," said Brown.

"They come here at the weekend and, they'll be thinking like us, that top six is a priority.

"Once we get into the top six, or if we get there, we can then look beyond that. But, when we arrived here, the immediate task was to arrest the decline.

"We managed to consolidate and get towards the top six, and we're there now.

"It would be a major disappointment to the club if we did not stay there."

Brown was also quick to dismiss any notion that Motherwell can continue their unbeaten league streak, preferring to focus his attention on the immediate task at hand against Hearts.

"To beat Hearts would be a marvellous achievement here, because that would distance us from them," said Brown.

Well defender Mark Reynolds has been linked with Newcastle

"But they're always dangerous, and you're always looking over your shoulder. If they get a result against us, it will put them within touching distance of us, and we don't want that to happen.

"I don't like to think in terms of records, I just want to play the next game.

"If it emerges that it's another game unbeaten, that's great, because we have a bit of momentum in terms of not losing.

"We also have a winning mentality in the dressing room, but that can immediately evaporate."

Meanwhile, Brown, aware that Newcastle United were watching defender Mark Reynolds on Tuesday, said the club would not stand in the way of any player wishing to realise their ambitions on a bigger stage.

"We don't, as a rule, stand in the way of any of the guys moving," said Brown.

"The policy is: give them the opportunity and don't stand in the way of they want to progress.

"Mark Reynolds knows that, and I've been asked by a number of managers about him."

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