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In the third instalment of the monthly Motherwell Inside feature, MFC TV catches up with Goalkeeper Coach Jim Hollman.

The expert talks about his numerous responsibilities; including video analysis, overseeing the youth academies and he sheds some light on his top of the range techniques and equipment too.

For exclusive content, subscribe to MFC TV’s You Tube channel.

Extended highlights from the Superseal Stadium where a Ross MacLean double gave the Under 20s a 1-2 win over Hamilton Accies.

Images from today’s 1-2 win over Hamilton Accies U20s  in the Development League.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix

[svgallery name=”acciesU20s190916″]

Under 20s boss Stephen Craigan said his players deserve credit after a Lanarkshire Derby win away to Hamilton Accies.

Speaking to MFC TV after his side recorded a 2-1 win over Hamilton Accies in the Development League, the former ‘Well skipper talked of a good spell for the club after both the first-team and U20s overcame their close rivals in the space of a few days.

He said: “There’s different ways of winning games, I felt last week it was our forward players who won us the game with the way they created chances in the final third, but I feel this week at times we had to defend.

“In the first half it felt like they had ten or twelve corners that we had to defend and we did it. I thought David Ferguson was terrific and Barry Maguire, who had a tough game a few weeks ago against Hibs and then came in last week at left back and was solid, but today he grew as the game went on and tonight our defenders can take great plaudits tonight for their performance.”

“We’re disappointed to concede the goal because we all feel we did enough to keep the clean sheet, but overall I’m delighted.”

A brace from Ross MacLean either side of Ronan Hughes goal was enough to claim three points and move up to second in the development league.

Craigan added: “Coming to play Hamilton is tough, you know when you come here that you’re in for a real challenge and you have to go and compete.

“It probably took us ten to fifteen minutes to get a hold of the ball and it was a tough opening spell for us to get through.”

[pullquote]It’s been a good week and I think a lot of people deserve plaudits and credit, the players work hard and put the effort in, so three points is great and I think well deserved.[/pullquote]

The Northern-Irishman felt his players have deserved the results after putting in the hard work on the training ground.

He said: “The boys come in everyday and work hard, they have to have a target of what they’re going for and there has to be an appetite and an aim in football to keep players going so to be up the top of the table at this stage of the season is nice, I’m not saying we’ll stay there, but it’s a nice reward for the players efforts.”

The win was made sweeter due to the rivalry between the clubs – something Craigan admits is rewarding for his team.

He said: “It’s not the biggest rivalry in the world or not the most important in some people’s eyes, but I always think it’s nice. Sometimes you play in games and it adds a little bit of extra spice to it.

“The first-team were excellent on Saturday – Louis Moult was great and the manager said to the young players after the game on Saturday that he saw his first-team paying the way we did last week against Dundee United and I think the first half on Saturday is the way I would say our U20s try to play – moving the ball, creating chances and being good on the ball.”

He added: “It’s been a good week and I think a lot of people deserve plaudits and credit, the players work hard and put the effort in, so three points is great and I think well deserved.”

The Under 20s followed in the footsteps of the first-team counterparts, recording a well-deserved win over Hamilton tonight.

A Ross MacLean brace either side of a goal from Ronan Hughes was enough for Stephen Craigan’s side, who claimed their second consecutive league win after overcoming Dundee United 3-0 last week and moved into second in the Development League table.

It was ultimately a moment of class from MacLean that secured the win, during a quiet encounter at the SuperSeal stadium.

Luka Belić made his first appearance in Claret and Amber since his summer loan switch from West Ham. Lee Lucas was also in the starting line-up for Stephen Craigan, who was looking to build consistency from his side’s victory over Dundee United last week.

The Welsh midfielder replaced David Turnbull who was one of the two changes from the side that won 3-0 at the Excelsior stadium six days ago.

In-form forward Dylan Mackin led the line and midway through the first half the game came alive thanks to the striker.

A long ball over the top looked certain to run through to Hamilton keeper Robbie Thomson, but he retreated back in to goal allowing Mackin the opportunity to rush on to collect. Keeping his composure, the big centre-forward looked up and fed a perfect ball across goal for MacLean to rush in and tap home.

Hamilton’s Sean McKirdy was forced to leave the field after suffering a painful knock, he was replaced by Jamie Boyd.

In an otherwise quiet half, the Fir Parkers went close to doubling their lead with a couple of minutes left in the opening 45. From a free-kick in a dangerous position, won after Accies trialist handled the ball, Dom Thomas curled an effort agonisingly wide of the far post.

The second half started brightly for the youngsters, with Lucas playing a brilliant through ball in to the path of Mackin, who looked to replicate his pass for the first goal, but it was just narrowly beyond Tom Fry at the back post.

Looking to add to his first, MacLean then cut in from the right flank and attempted to strike at goal from outside the box, but his left footed effort rose over the bar.

A few minutes later, Hamilton’s Lewis Ferguson struck narrowly over the bar from range and down the opposite end the Steelmen won a corner. From the resulting delivery, Mackin headed narrowly wide from eight yards. It was a great chance for the striker to double his sides lead.

The home side did eventually level through Ronan Hughes who got the faintest of touches on a delivery into the box to head bundle home from close range..

However, with just under fifteen minutes remaining, the game changed as the hosts were reduced to ten men. Lewis Ferguson was shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge on Fry, with the player having few complaints as he was given his marching orders.

Sub Turnbull tested Thomson in the 80^th minute, curling a left-footed shot towards the bottom corner after being played in by MacLean, but the keeper gathered comfortably after the youngster couldn’t get quite enough behind it.

Craigan’s side could smell blood and thought they had the second when Mackin’s low shot was somehow blocked off the line before being gathered gratefully by Thomson.

However, with seven minutes left, Hamilton’s resistance was shattered thanks to some brilliant play from MacLean.

The number seven rushed down the right-wing, playing a neat one-two with Turnbull before curling a beautiful shot into the far corner; a real moment of brilliance which looked set to gift Craigan’s side with all three points.

The manager then made a couple of changes over the minutes that followed, with Mackin being replaced by Falconer and Hastie coming on for Lucas.

And it didn’t take long for young Falconer to get involved, beating two men down the left before being hacked to the ground to win a free-kick. The delivery from Fry was just over-hit and went out for a goal kick.

It was the last real action of the game, as the Steelmen Under 20s ran out victors for the second consecutive match in South Lanarkshire.

Motherwell: Morrison, Lucas (Hastie – 84mins), McMillan, Maguire, Ferguson, Campbell, MacLean, Belić (Turnbull – 46mins), Mackin (Falconer – 83mins), Thomas, Fry

Subs Not Used: Trialist, Scott, Livingstone

Motherwell fans have the unique opportunity to engrave their name in the history of the club.

With the tunnel walls of Fir Park filling up with white tiles of support and memory, there aren’t many spaces left to get your name up on the stadium walls.

In the final few moments before a crucial game, footballers face a tense wait as they psyche themselves up for the 90 minutes of battle ahead.

Now the Steelmen have some extra help achieving a winning frame of mind – with a wall of support and memory to inspire players in the tunnel at Fir Park Stadium.

The walls of the current passage leading from the dressing room to the pitch transformed in to a motivational tile mosaic featuring messages of support or memories of fans past and present.

Each white tile is 25x20cm in size and carries a personal message or memory (a maximum of four rows, with a 16 character limit per row) and the Motherwell logo, carved in claret for all time.

You’ll receive your official certificate of authenticity at the point of sale, followed by a letter offering a choice of dates for you to come along and visit the tunnel to see your special message in place.

The price for this memento is just £25.

If you want to be among those who have a special mention in the tunnel and give the players that little bit of extra motivation, buy now!

To buy, click here  or call 01698 338068.

Extended highlights from Fir Park where Louis Moult bags four goals as the Steelmen beat Hamilton Accies 4-2 .

Star striker Louis Moult admitted he is “buzzing” after putting in an incredible four-goal haul in the Lanarkshire derby today.

In his first league start of the season since coming back from injury, the English forward bagged a first-half hat-trick in the space of 12 minutes.

Speaking to MFCTV after the match, the 24-year-old expressed his delight for the four goals and the three points.

He said: “The main thing today is that I got through it on the fitness side and a personal note, but as a team we were fantastic, we’ve gone and beat our rivals 4-2 and I’ve got four goals.

[pullquote]I’m absolutely buzzing, it’s sank in now with all the boys congratulating me and all the fans saying well done.[/pullquote]

“I’m absolutely buzzing, it’s sank in now with all the boys congratulating me and all the fans saying well done.

“It means a great deal to me, I’ve just got to try and beat that record now.”

A fans favourite at Fir Park, Moult admitted the response from the crowd is one of the things that spurs him on as a player.

[pullquote]It means so much to myself and that’s what makes me put in so much effort and I appreciate that support and I’ll be honest I get a massive buzz off it, and long may it continue.[/pullquote]

He said: “It’s brilliant, I was just saying earlier that it means so much to myself and that’s what makes me put in so much effort and I appreciate that support and I’ll be honest I get a massive buzz off it, and long may it continue.”

18 goals in his debut season, the forward has now taken his tally in Claret and Amber to 25, and he hopes for an even better campaign that last.

He said: “I always want to improve and score goals so if I can score more than I did last season that’s a massive plus for myself but I’ve got to take one game at a time and work hard.”

Images from today’s 4-2 win over Hamilton Accies in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix

[svgallery name=”hamiltonaccies170916″]

‘Well boss Mark McGhee felt his team were deserving of the three points as they stormed to a convincing win over rivals Hamilton Academical.

A historic quadruple from star striker Louis Moult put the game beyond the visitors and marked the Englishman’s highly awaited return to fitness.

Speaking to MFC TV after the match, McGhee said today’s result can inspire his team going forward.

He said: “We can be encouraged after today’s result. Last week I was and I felt that in last weeks game and even the Dundee game, those are games that historically we could have ended up losing, but we’ve got draws.

“So I was looking at the positives there and thinking of those games as draws instead of defeats rather than draws instead of winning.”

[pullquote]We’ve kicked on from [our previous results] today, the first half-hour we were sensational, I thought we played ever so well.[/pullquote]

He added: “We’ve kicked on from that today, the first half-hour we were sensational, I thought we played ever so well.

“Everything you want as a coach, what you’ve worked on all week, how you want the team to play and then of course the quality of goals too.

“Louis getting four goals was a huge bonus and a reminder of what we’ve been missing.

“Overall, I’m delighted. We got a little nervous second half because they came on to us – credit to them they didn’t give it up at any stage.

“We talked about that before the game, even if we went 4-0 up they would roll up they’re sleeves and dug in.

“We had to go the distance but we did and I think we deserved it.”

The arrival of Ryan Bowman from Gateshead on deadline day has allowed the ‘Well boss to set up in his favoured 4-3-3 formation, and the new signings impact on the side is starting to show.

He said: “At home we can attack games like that, step on to teams and go 4-3-3, you have options and depth to the play and you can pass the ball.

[pullquote]At home we can attack games like that, step on to teams and go 4-3-3, you have options and depth to the play and you can pass the ball.[/pullquote]

“Away from home it’s maybe not quite the same – you have to be a little more guarded and you can’t be too open away from home, so it remains to be seen if we’ll go that way but it worked for us today and we’re grateful for that.”

Ultimately, it was Louis Moult who stole the headlines, after he scored four goals at Fir Park for the first time in 27 years, since Stevie Kirk back in 1989.

“I said that the Dundee and Ross County games, even the Rangers game, could have been different had we had Louis available” the manager said.

“It’s good to have him back, we didn’t expect him to score four, players don’t often do that, but it was great from him.

“He took the penalty as well and I felt that was right. He’d given the ball to Ryan, who won the penalty, but at the moment Louis is our designated penalty taker so as far as I’m concerned when he’s on the pitch he should be taking them.

“There’s also the situation that we were a wee bit under pressure and had Ryan missed it might have turned on Ryan and put the rest of us under pressure.”

Ultimately, the result was hugely important, but the manager feels that next week will be important to keep focussed.

He said: “It’s given us all confidence, I think that next week we start again.

“As shown in the second half they were as good as us, and Partick Thistle could be the same, so we’ve just got to roll our sleeves up and start again.”