Despite the result, Luke Armstrong’s first start for Motherwell was a memorable one for the big striker. And particularly as he well remembers where he came from.

The industrious forward, who is on loan at Fir Park from Carlisle, bagged his side’s equaliser in the eventual 3-1 defeat to Celtic on Sunday, but it wasn’t his first taste of Scottish football.

The 28-year-old had a short spell at Cowdenbeath when he was first starting out a decade ago, making eight appearances for the Blue Brazil in League One, and driving three and a half hours each way from his Durham home for the privilege.

So, it is easy to understand why he is so grateful to have been handed the sort of platform that he has by Motherwell at this stage in his career, and as he showed against Celtic, why he is so determined to make the most of it.

“It's chalk and cheese, isn't it?” Armstrong said.

“It's so different. It was a long time ago at Cowdenbeath and it's unbelievable to make your home debut against Celtic. To get a goal just makes it even better.

(Image: Robert Perry - PA) “There's not too many memories from Cowdenbeath. It was only part-time, I used to travel up a couple of times a week to train.

“I think it was costing me more to actually get there and play than what I was getting paid.

“I didn't even play that much. The manager was Colin Nish and he was playing himself instead!

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“It only lasted a few months. I saw the stock cars at the end and I was just thinking, ‘what is going on here?!’

“It was a great experience and stuff like that builds you and gets you ready for men's football when you're a young kid.

“Back then it was three and a half hours up there and three and a half hours back. Sometimes training on a night, so I was getting in at 2 or 3 in the morning.

“It was a tough time. Sometimes training was driving up. Normally game day it was get the train and get the train back.

“I had another lad, Sam Orritt, who I used to travel up with which was rare that anyone else was willing to do that. Then he left me and went to Bishop Auckland, so I was stuck by myself!

“It was costing us a fortune but that's how that panned out.

“I was Durham, he was in Thirsk. That was the drive we had.”

Armstrong’s short time at Motherwell hasn’t been without its drama either, playing just half an hour or so of football under the manager who brought him to the club before Stuart Kettlewell promptly resigned his position.

The forward doesn’t hold any grudges though, and is determined not to allow the turmoil at the club derail his loan spell in Lanarkshire.

“I don't feel let down,” he said.

“At the end of the day it's his decision and if it's affecting his family, it's up to him what he does. I just came here to play games and that's all I've got to focus on.

“It's obviously been a bit all over the place. I signed based off conversations with the old gaffer and obviously he's decided to leave his role. It's just one of those where I'm in the same boat as probably everyone else.

“We don't know what's going to happen, I don't know who's going to come in, but all we can do is put everything into it and the lads have been absolutely brilliant.

“It's probably one of the best dressing rooms I've ever seen, I've ever been involved with.

“I instantly feel a part of it, so I'm sure we'll all get together and we'll be absolutely fine.”

After a decent start on the pitch, then, Armstrong is hoping that he may do enough over the next few months to earn a permanent move to Motherwell.

“Yes, I'd love to,” he said.

“Obviously I've only played a couple of games so far but that experience [on Sunday] was unbelievable.

(Image: PA) “You don't get that in League Two or League One, no teams playing against Celtic. That experience and the exposure that the Scottish Premiership brings, you want to be involved in that.

“I want to come here, do well and probably try to stay up here if it keeps going well.

“We thought about it massively. This was a really important decision on where to go.

“I couldn't stay at Carlisle and not be playing football. You have to be playing.

“Obviously there were conversations with a few teams and this one really stood out as the one I wanted to come.

“The last couple of seasons haven't been ideal. Sometimes you just go to a club and it just doesn't work out.

“That's been the case at Carlisle so far. I want to try and get back going and I think this is the perfect opportunity here to do it at this club.”