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    Celtic game moved to Sunday

  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Newtongrange

  • Archive

    TV: Johansson hails best yet

  • Archive

    Hearts U20s 2 – 5 Motherwell U20s

  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Fir Park

  • Archive

    St Johnstone defeat in pictures

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    TV: McCall bemoans low confidence

  • Archive

    Motherwell 0 – 1 St Johnstone

  • Archive

    TV: O’Brien desperate for a fresh start

  • Archive

    TV: Hard work is the key for McCall

  • Archive

    Celtic game moved to Sunday

    Motherwell’s match with Celtic later this moved has been put back 24 hours, to Sunday 21st September.

    The Parkhead side are in Europa League action on Thursday 18th, meaning the match was always likely to be moved although the kick-off time remains at 3pm.

    Tickets will go on sale as soon as they arrive from Celtic (confirmation will be posted on this website when they arrive), priced at:

    ADULTS:    £26 / £23 
    CONCESSIONS:                        £17 / £14
    JUVENILE:    £10
    • Concessions are listed as Over 65s and Under 16s.
    • Juveniles are listed as Under 13s.
    • The cheaper priced ticket is for restricted view only.
    • If you plan on making the trip to Glasgow, check our our ‘Guide to Celtic’.
    • Fans who require wheelchair access should contact Sharon or John McCaskie on 07745494631 / 07711 992161 or email disabledfans@motherwellfc.co.uk.
  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Newtongrange

     Highlights from Newtongrange as Motherwell turn in an excellent performance to beat Hearts 5-2.

    MFC TV

  • Archive

    TV: Johansson hails best yet

    Jonatan Johansson hailed his side’s 5-2 win over Hearts as one of the best performances of his tenure at Fir Park.

    The Finn has been in post as Under 20s boss for over two years, but rarely have they dominated a much so much, scoring five and perhaps could’ve had more.

    There was a dogged, steely determination evident from the first minute and the work rate without the ball was fantastic to watch.

    Although Dylan Mackin and Steven Higgins both bagged braces, every ‘Well player would head back west to Lanarkshire satisfied with an excellent night’s work.

    [pullquote]The way we worked as a team was excellent, probably the best since I’ve been at the club[/pullquote]

    Johansson was delighted with his young side, who didn’t field a single over-age player in the squad.

    “It was really, really good and very pleasing to see,” he told MFC TV after the match.

    “The way we worked as a team was excellent, probably the best since I’ve been at the club.

    “You want that from your young players; you accept mistakes will happen but the energy and work-ethic we had throughout the match, particularly the first-half, was really excellent.

    “We were in their faces, aggressive with our pressing to win the ball back and played really well on the counter. We probably could’ve scored more, but the hunger and the desire was the real pleasing aspect of the game.”

    MFC TV

  • Archive

    Hearts U20s 2 – 5 Motherwell U20s

    The Under 20s recorded their first win of the season in some style, beating Hearts 5-2 at Newtongrange this evening.

    The young Steelmen were right at it from their first whistle and roared into a two-goal lead thanks to Dylan Mackin and David Ferguson.

    Hearts pulled one back but Steven Higgins restored the advantage seconds before the interval.

    Mackin added a fourth shortly after the restart and Higgins a fifth as ‘Well threatened to run riot.

    Hearts did pull one back late on, but it couldn’t take the gloss off what was one of the young Steelmen’s best performances in quite some time.

    Jonatan Johansson made six changes to the team that lost at home to Aberdeen two weeks ago: O’Brien, Leitch, Ainsworth, Lawson, McHugh and Ojamaa dropped out, replaced by youngsters McMillan, Hall, McCall, Mackin, Higgins and McLean.

    Motherwell started fantastically well and Mackin fired a warning shot after just six minutes before putting the visitors ahead just sixty seconds later.

    Chris Cadden found space inside the eighteen-yard box and he fired across the face where Mackin was on hand to slide the ball home at the far post.

    It was ‘Well who were setting the pace of the game, taking the match to their opponents, working ever so hard, particularly when not in possession.

    That was evident with the next attack of note when after heavy pressure on the Hearts defence, ‘Well won the ball back in a good area and when Mackin helped it on to Cadden, his lobbed effort landed just the wrong side of the crossbar.

    It looked as if it was only a matter of time before Motherwell extended their advantage and they did just that on the half-hour mark. A succession of corners eventually lead to Thomas’ cross ball landing at Ferguson on the edge of the area and he smashed home a volley through a ruck of bodies.

    It took Hearts until the 32nd minute to register a chance when Soufian El Hassnaoui snatched a shot, drilling it high over the bar, quickly followed by a good run by Alistair Roy, only to be halted by a heavy touch as he set himself to shoot.

    Against the general run of play, Hearts did pull one back ten minutes from the interval. El Hassnaoui flicked on a corner from the right forcing Stewart to parry, but Roy was on hand to poke home the rebound from close range.

    However, it wouldn’t deter the young Steelmen who went immediately on the attack and in search of more goals.

    Dom Thomas went close with a curling strike, Higgins fired straight at Robbie Brown before hitting the post after racing clear one v one. Mackin was also hungry for another, bringing about an excellent one-handed stop from the Hearts keeper.

    However, the pressure finally told as ‘Well deservedly extended their advantage just seconds before the interval. Hearts didn’t properly deal with a corner and when Ferguson jumped with the keeper, the ball spun loose, eventually landed back at the feet of the defender who teed up Higgins to slot home from close range.

    It was a fitting end to a super first half from the Fir Parkers and the picked up the second where they left off, adding a fourth after just six minutes.

    After twice defending Dom Thomas corners, the third was a superbly drilled ball that begged Dylan Mackin to head home, and he did just that, powering a bullet past the stranded Brown and into the net.

    Higgins saw a close range headed land just the wrong side of the post before adding Motherwell’s fifth on the 75th minute. It was a real counter attacking goal too, as ‘Well hit quickly on the break, Thomas eventually collecting inside the area from a Cadden pass, before squaring it across goal for Higgins who tapped home from a few yards out.

    At that stage, it looked as if ‘Well could run a mock but, to their credit, Hearts regrouped and finished the game stronger. They forced Stewart into a fabulous double save, blocking a shot from Jamie Walker then up like a flash to also stop the rebound from sub Ian Smith.

    However, the ‘Well stopper was helpless when Walker did beat him two minutes later. Neill conceded a free-kick 20 yards out and the midfielder’s effort was a beauty, curling high over the wall and into the top corner.

    Hearts had a few more half-chances in the closing ten minutes, but little to trouble the visitor’s keeper.

    It was a welcome three points for the young Steelmen who will now look to build on that when Dunfermline visit Fir Park next week.

    Motherwell: Stewart, McMillan, Ferguson, Hall, Neill, McCall, Mackin, Cadden (R.Leitch – 88mins), Higgins, Thomas, McLean

    Subs Not Used: Currie, Watt, Campbell, Watters

  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Fir Park

    Highlights from Fir Park as St Johnstone nick all three points with a late goal from substitute Brian Graham.

    MFC TV

  • Archive

    St Johnstone defeat in pictures

    Action pictures from this afternoon’s frustrating 0-1 defeat by St Johnstone at Fir Park in the SPFL Premiership.

    Snaps courtesy of SNSPix.

    [svgallery name=”stjohnstone300814″]

  • Archive

    TV: McCall bemoans low confidence

    Stuart McCall felt his side lacked confidence in the frustrating 0-1 home defeat to St Johnstone.

    The Steelmen were improved from previous outings, but still below the high standards they’ve set themselves in previous seasons.

    A point was probably fair over the piece but a late sickner by substitute Brian Graham gave Tommy Wright’s men the victory.

    It was a real kick in the teeth in a hugely frustrating start to the new campaign, but the Fir Park boss is hopeful the two-week break has came at the perfect time.

    “There’s a lack of confidence running through the side as a whole at the moment,” McCall admitted to MFC TV after the match.

    [pullquote]We had one knocked off the line, they’ve had a couple of great blocks and we just needed something to fall for us. In saying that, it was a struggle. Even if we had came in with a point, which I felt we merited over the piece, we still need to improve a lot.[/pullquote]

    “I thought they [St Johnstone] were better than us early on, but as the game went on, I thought we came more and more into it. We made an adjustment at half time and as the game reached its conclusion, if a team were going to score, it looked like it was going to be us.

    “We had one knocked off the line, they’ve had a couple of great blocks and we just needed something to fall for us. In saying that, it was a struggle. Even if we had came in with a point, which I felt we merited over the piece, we still need to improve a lot.

    “There are things going against us – we set-up the team yesterday and then I get a call this morning to say Stuart Carswell has been rushed to hospital in the middle of the night with an illness and that forces us to switch things with Paul Lawson, who hasn’t started a first-team game for almost nine months, get thrown straight in there. Others are in the same boat.

    “The break comes at a good time for us and hopefully we’ll be in much better shape come Ross County in two weeks time.”

    MFC TV

  • Archive

    Motherwell 0 – 1 St Johnstone

    [tab:Match report]

    Phil McGhee at Fir Park

    Motherwell slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat when a solitary strike from Brian Graham handing Saints all three points.

    It was tough on the home side, who merited at least a point. And in a spirited second half performance the Fir park side could easily have pinched the winner, particularly when John Sutton’s downward header was somehow blocked on the line by Alan Mannus’ legs from point-blank range.

    With Fraser Kerr suspended, Mark O’Brien joined Stephen McManus at the heart of the ‘Well defence. The Derby County player had a solid debut in a defence that was rarely threatened or breached until the late winner.

    ‘Well’s route to goal was blocked by some heroic Saints defending, who seemed to charge down shot after shot.

    ‘Well made four changes from the side which started at Kilmarnock, Paul Lawson made an impressive return in his first start for eight months. Lionel Ainsworth and Zaine Francis-Angol were also fit enough to make the starting eleven, although the latter had to come off before the end and significantly before the Saints goal which came from his side of the pitch.

    Saints probably had the better of the first half and after only seven minutes, Chris Millar whipped in a cross which Scott Brown met on the volley just outside the six yard box, but his shot was bravely blocked by Craig Reid.

    A minute later Dan Twardzik made the first save of the game when Millar tried his luck from 20 yards, but his drive was straight at the home ‘keeper who again comfortably saved.

    The ‘Well keeper was again in the right place when Lee Croft’s cross evaded the home defence, only for Gary McDonald to head the ball into Twardzik’s hands.

    Motherwell then had a series of shots on the visitor’s goal but a long range efforts from Henrik Ojamma and Paul Lawson trundled harmlessly through to Alan Mannus.

    Lawson, then broke into the visitors box only to watch his low drive blocked by Tam Scobbie, who made a couple of goal saving challenges.

    While there was plenty of play towards both goals there was little to worry either ‘keeper. On the half hour mark Twardzik was tested, but this time Scott Brown’s drive was easily saved.

    Just before half-time Ainsworth curled in an inviting cross which found Sutton but his header drifted away from goal.

    By comparison Motherwell probably edged the second half and within minutes of the break, Sutton had a chance but from an angle he shot tamely at Mannus.

    The home side then exerted some sustained pressure and ten minutes into the half the Saints goal had a double escape. Firstly Ainsworth’s cut back was cleared only as far as Reid whose drive cannoned off Scobbie, with the full back screaming for handball. From Ainsworth’s corner Sutton’s downward header was net bound until the grounded Mannus cleared the ball with his feet.

    Chasing a breakthrough Stuart McCall sent on Lee Erwin for Josh Law before Bob McHugh replaced the tiring Henrik Ojamma

    But just when Motherwell were having to settle for a point they deserved, Saints’ substitute Graham claimed the only goal when he got in front of the home defence to powerfully head Gary McDonald’s cross from the right down and past the helpless Twardzik.

    [tab:As it happened]

     Alastair Reilly at Fir Park

    FT: Motherwell 0 – 1 St Johnstone #MFCvSJFC

    3 minutes left to salvage a point..

    86mins: GOAL! Graham makes it 1-0 to Saints with a close range header #MFCvSJFC

    80mins: Final ‘Well change, Ramsden returns from injury to replace Francis-Angol #MFCvSJFC

    76mins: Ainsworth does well to force a corner down the right…but again the delivery is easily dealt with by Saints #MFCvSJFC

    And a ‘Well sub, Ojamaa off for McHugh #MFCvSJFC

    75mins: St Johnstone sub, Graham on for MacLean #MFCvSJFC

    71mins: Corner to St J…..Lappin’s delivery is well overhit. #MFCvSJFC

    68mins: O’Hallaron hits the post! Looked like a cross that caught Twardzik out. Strangely never really looked like going in. #MFCvSJFC

    68mins: St Johnstone sub, Brown off for Lappin #MFCvSJFC

    66mins: Motherwell sub, Erwin on for Law #MFCvSJFC

    61mins: St Johnstone sub, Croft off for O’Halloran #MFCvSJFC

    58mins: Half a chance for Law there! Broke though on the edge of the box but had little to aim at from the angle. Curls it over #MFCvSJFC

    55mins: Croft concedes a corner…Sutton’s header from 6 yards is beaten away by Mannus! Great chance #MFCvSJFC

    51mins: Scobbie booked for kicking the ball away. Looked like ref only acted after Lasley pointed out he booked Reid for similar #MFCvSJFC

    48mins:Great chance for Sutton! Falls kindly to him inside the box but he opts to shoot on his left foot when maybe Law was a better option

    Second half underway!! #COYW #MFCvSJFC

    HT: Motherwell 0 – 0 St Johnstone #MFCvSJFC

    43mins: Free-kick to ‘Well from the right hand side. Good area, and a decent delivery. Millar has to slide in to block Law’s shot.#MFCvSJFC

    41mins: Another shot from distance, this time Lawson tries his luck from 30 yards but it is well over #MFCvSJFC

    30mins: Decent effort from range by Brown but Twardzik deals with it comfortabley #MFCvSJFC

    23mins: Ojamaa creates some space for himself on the edge of the box but his left-footed shot lacks the power to trouble Mannus #MFCvSJFC

    22mins: Saints break and the cross finds McDonald at the back post. His header isn’t powerful enough to test Twardzik #MFCvSJFC

    20mins: Reid booked, presumably for throwing the ball away as St Johnstone had won a throw-in #MFCvSJFC

    17mins: Good cross in from Ainsworth but it just eludes Sutton at the back post. Good spell for ‘Well. #MFCvSJFC

    16mins: Nice bit of passing football created some space for Law inside the box but he couldn’t get a shot away and Anderson sweeps clear

    11mins: Ainsworth wins ‘Well a corner…but his delivery is headed clear by Anderson #MFCvSJFC

    9mins: First save of the game for Twardzik who has to beat away MacLean’s low curler from distance. #MFCvSJFC

    8mins: Wotherspoon gets on the end of a deep cross but Reid is there and gets his body in the way of his shot #MFCvSJFC

    3mins: Early in the game and Brown has already been caled over by the ref. Looked a clumsy challenge on Lasley deep in ‘Well half. #MFCvSJFC

    Millar and McDonald get the game underway. COYW!! #MFCvSJFC

    [tab:Reaction]

    Motherwell manager Stuart McCall:

    “It was a struggle for us towards the end.

    “We had three guys missing from last week through injury and illness, and the ones that came in for them were not fully fit. And although we couldn’t take much out of the game I thought at 0-0 we deserved a draw.

    “Both keepers have not had much to do, although Alan Mannus has made a good stop from John Sutton. They put on fresh legs and some pace and we know Brian Graham can score goals at this level.”

    St Johnstone assistant manager Tommy Wright:

    “It was a good team performance especially in the first half. In the second half it was much closer, but one bit of quality was enough.

    “It was a great cross from Gary McDonald and a good header from Brian Graham. He is a confident lad and just needs to get games and goals, and I’m sure that goal will help his confidence.”

    [tab:Man-of-the-match]

    [poll id=”199″]

  • Archive

    TV: O’Brien desperate for a fresh start

    Mark O’Brien will take eighteen months of frustration out on the SPFL as he aims to rebuild his career at Fir Park.

    The 21-year old Irishman, known to his teammates as ‘OB’, has been incredibly unlucky with injuries at his parent club Derby County.

    After becoming a first-team regular with The English Championship side on two separate occasions, the youngster saw his season cut short through knee injuries.

    Now back fit, the Republic of Ireland U21 cap is just desperate to get back playing and hopes to be in contention for Saturday’s big match against St Johnstone at Fir Park.

    [pullquote]Now I am free from injury, I want to try and really progress. I hope this loan will help me learn, build and get new experiences and also help Motherwell along the way.[/pullquote]

    “My aim is to try and resurrect my career, which has almost plateaued in recent years through injuries,” he told MFC TV.

    “Now I am free from them, I want to try and really progress. I hope this loan will help me learn, build and get new experiences and also help Motherwell along the way.

    “The manager showed a lot of interest in me, both at the tail end of last season and again during the close season and that gave me the confidence to make the move.

    “I’ll guarantee 100% commitment both in training and games and I really can’t wait to get started. Training has gone well this week so if I am selected tomorrow, I am absolutely ready to play.”

    MFC TV

  • Archive

    TV: Hard work is the key for McCall

    Stuart McCall insists hard work and desire is the key to getting Motherwell off their poor run of recent form.

    The Steelmen have lost three in the bounce in the league – the last time they did so was back in September/October 2012, when a similar run of defeats to Celtic, Hearts and Hibs eventually came to an end with a 3-1 win over the Perth Saints.

    There is no doubt McCall would take a repeat tomorrow against what is a very tough opponent in St Johnstone, bossed by the shrewd Tommy Wright.

    Speaking directly to MFC TV via the Official You Tube channel, the Motherwell manager admitted: “There’s no magic formula; I’ve already told the lads it is a case of us digging deep and battling away.

    [pullquote]There’s no magic formula; I’ve already told the lads it is a case of us digging deep and battling away.[/pullquote]

    “People will talk about tactics and formations, and from my point of view, picking the right side, but when we got out there and that whistle goes, we’ve got to try and ensure things go our way.

    “There are never any guarantees around results or even good performances, but what you should always be able to say is that you’ve won your personal battles, even if you’ve not played well.

    “We will need to be more ‘up at at ‘em’ against St Johnstone if we want to create more chances and score more goals.

    “That won’t be easy given they are a determined, dogged, well-organised side who are flush with good professionals and come into the match off the back of an excellent win against Aberdeen.

    “But as I’ve said, there’s no magic formula. You go out and work your hardest, get that little bit of luck you need and hopefully the confidence and the quality will come through.”

    MFC TV