Lasley came on as a 56th-minute substitute for only his third Scottish Premier League run-out of the season, all from the bench.

The 30-year-old, who has made more than 200 appearances in two spells at Fir Park, lost his starting place during the club's Europa League run.

"It's obviously a frustrating time for any player when you are not playing," Lasley said. "When you do get an opportunity you need to do as well as you can to try to force your way into the team.

"It's up to me to try to get in the team, I just have to train away and when I do get opportunities try to make the most of them."

The former Plymouth player is still optimistic he can regain a starting place.

"I've got to be, I'm here and just have to work hard every day," he added.

"I've been at the club a long time, on and off, and it's not as if, when I'm not playing, I will throw my toys out the pram. It's not the way I am.

"I will work hard and hopefully keep giving the manager something to think about."

Lasley may have lacked first-team action in recent months but he was in the thick of it on Saturday.

The midfielder set up Lukas Jutkiewicz to slot home a goal that would have given Well a 3-1 lead but was flagged offside, a decision that looked harsh on television footage.

He was the victim of the foul that earned Danny Swanson a straight red card, but said he was too busy "eating the grass" to see how bad it looked.

"I just wanted to get on with it as quickly as possible," he added. "I've got a little knock but that's it."

Lasley then nearly snatched an injury-time winner but Nicky Weaver stuck out a hand to divert his strike from the edge of the area to leave him frustrated that Motherwell could not beat a side that finished with nine men following Prince Buaben's earlier red card.

"I think maybe the final pass, it's a fine margin where we could maybe have gone on and got the third goal," he said.

"Unfortunately, I felt as if I played a part in their equalising goal.

"Being involved in the build-up play, they nicked it and broke on us. So I was disappointed personally with that.

"But we're at home and our impetus is always going to be to go forward and I think that's the way we're going to play."