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[tab:Match report]

Motherwell claimed three points with a convincing win over Lowland League opponents East Stirlingshire.

An up tempo second half, inspired by Marvin Johnson’s goal after 52 minutes, with Scott McDonald and Chris Cadden adding two more late in the half eventually gave the Fir Park men a comfortable scoreline but they failed to over-run a ‘Shire side which was demoted from the SFL last season.

Mark McGhee resisted any temptation to weaken his line-up for the visit of non-league East Stirlingshire, in the knowledge that a resounding victory was required if ‘Well are to progress beyond the group stages of the Betfred Cup.

And the players sensed the need for a positive start as ‘Well could have been two up within the first minute.

Marvin Johnston dragged the ball in from the wing and after drifting pass a handful of opponents his firm drive was palmed away by Darren Dolan at full stretch.

The ‘Shire ‘keeper was the saviour again when Scott McDonald burst through the middle but his delicate lob was palmed high by Dolan before a defender booted the ball away as it bounced towards goal.

The Fir Park men, in their denim blue kit, looked intent on getting an early goal and after five minutes McDonald’s angled toe poke forced another fine save from Dolan.

However, after that furious start ‘Well’s play became over elaborate and as the Lowland League side became organised and more confident the visitor’s ‘keeper was less troubled.

Some smarter moves around the box createda couple of openings. The first fell for Cadden but from 10 yards he fired straight at the ‘keeper. The midfielder then set up Johnson with a cushioned header but his volley drifted past the post.

At the other end Craig Samson was a virtual spectator until six minutes from half time when Derek Ure’s 25 yard drive gave him his first save.

By the half time whistle the only cheers that could be heard came from the band of 82 ‘Shire  fans in the main stand.

Johnson was again  first to threaten the visitor’s goal three minutes into the second half but his glancing header was comfortably held by Dolan.

Three minutes later the ‘keeper was helpless as Johnson swivelled at the edge of the box before drilling a low drive into the net.

Before play restarted Lionel Ainsworth and Joe Chalmers replaced Dom Thomas and Stevie Hammell.

However, before  either of them got a touch it took a twisting reflex save from Samson to push away Graeme McGregor’s deflected shot and keep ‘Well in front.

At the other end Dolan had to react smartly to Ainworth’s clever free kick from wide left which was curling under the cross bar.

Suddenly the game had a feeling of being a cup tie and another net bound effort from Ainsworth was headed wide by Ross Fisher.

After 64 minutes and with  Motherwell much more lively about the visitor’s box Johnston’s cut back set up Craig Clay but the Welsh midfielder’s measured shot was blocked in the centre of goal by Andrew Grant.

His near namesake David Grant then brought gasps of relief from the home fans as his curled shot bounced narrowly past Samson’s left hand post.

With 14 minutes remaining McDonald eased the nerves nonchalantly nodding Cadden’s cross home from a couple of yards for his first goal of the season.

The favour was reciprocated two minutes later when McDonald teed up Cadden but his strike at goal was blocked by a couple of defenders.

The young midfielder finally got  his name on the scoresheet four minutes from time when he swept Richard Tait’s cut back into the corner of the net.

With another three points in the bag though Motherwell head for Stranraer on Saturday knowing that another win would probably be enough to see them into the last sixteen of the cup.

[tab:As it happened]

 Alastair Reilly at Fir Park

FT: Motherwell 3 – 0 East Stirlingshire

87′ | 3-0

Tait does brilliantly to get down the right and pull it back into a great area for CADDEN to slot into the bottom corner. 3-0!

GOALL!!

84′ | 2-0

Great ball by Johnson to Ainsworth who takes on the shot from 20 yards. Dolan dives low to his left and tips it away to safety

81′ | 2-0

Johnson curls in a deep ball which Dolan can only parry to Ainsworth but from a tight angle, he fires just over the bar.

80′ | 2-0

East Stirlingshire sub, McGuigan off for Peddie

78′ | 2-0

Great chance as Ainsworth plays McDonald clean through. The Aussie cuts back and squares Cadden whose shot is well blocked 🙁

76′ | 2-0

Cadden puts the ball on a plate for McDONALD who nods home from 6 yards! 2-0!

GOOALL!

73′ | 1-0

East Stirlingshire sub, Hogg is off for Comrie

73′ | 1-0

Chalmes advances to support McDonald and receives the ball just inside the box. HIs curled shot is saved by Dolan.

67′ | 1-0

East Stirlngshire sub, Sludden on for Murray

66′ | 1-0

D. Grant comes close for East Stirlngshire, his shot from 18 yards curling just wide of the post. Had Sammy worried.

64′ | 1-0

Johnson wins the ball back in a great area and squares it to Clay 12 yards out but a defender bravely gets in front of it!

60′ | 1-0

Bit of head tennis inside the box as frustratingly the ball just wont drop for someone. Finally falls to Heneghan who volleys wide

59′ | 1-0

Ainsworth goes close again, with a shot from the left but the defender gets his head in the way. Corner…

59′ | 1-0

Close! Ainsworth’s deep free-kick forces Dolan to shift quickly and tip it over the bar.

56′ | 1-0

Chance for East Stirlingshire, Ure with a shot through bodies. Takes a deflection but Samson is alert to it and saves.

54′ | 1-0

2 Motherwell subs, Ainsworth on for Thomas and Chalmers on for Hammell.

53′ | 1-0

JOHNSON finally breaks the deadlock, turning his man on the edge of the box and powerfully firing past Dolan

GOOAALL!!

49′ | 0-0

McDonald gets down the outside of the box and crosses to the head of Johnson but he can’t get enough power in it to test Dolan

Lasley gets the second 45 underway. COYW!!

HT: Motherwell 0 – 0 East Stirlingshire

44′ | 0-0

…falls to McDonald but his shot is deflected wide for a corner.

44′ | 0-0

Late chance here for ‘Well, a free-kick wide on the left….

40′ | 0-0

Ure with the first effort that troubles Samson. Thankfully the goalie deals well with the bounce in front of him

33′ | 0-0

Cadden shows good skill and gets past his man but Dolan reads his cross well and gets down low to gather

30′ | 0-0

Johnson jinks through the middle and gets a shot away which is travelling in but for Fisher’s foot, who then sweeps it out

27′ | 0-0

Another chance goes! This time the ball is whipped in and Heneghan stoops low to head but it is just wide of the post.

21′ | 0-0

Inches away! Great play again, Cadden nods the ball down to Johnson on the edge of the box but his volley flies just past.

16′ | 0-0

Lovely build-up play frees up Cadden inside the box but his shot is straight at Dolan.

14′ | 0-0

East Stirlingshire have a corner…..but the low ball in is swept clear by McDonald

2′ | 0-0

Close again! McDonald this time who goes for the chip but Dolan gets enough on it and gets back to clear his lines

1′ | 0-0

CLOSE! Johnson twists, turns and gets a low shot away from 15 yards which Dolan has to put around the post!

Out come both sides, the Steelmen showing off their new denim blue away kit, East Stirlingshire in yellow and blue.

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee:

“I would’ve liked to get more but all credit to them they made it difficult for us.

“It was 0-0 at half time but we could’ve been ahead – we could’ve been 3-0 up at half-time – but we didn’t take our chances and we didn’t create clear enough chances.

“In the second half we did and we took three of them which was pleasing.”

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

Marvin Johnson

[poll id=”277″]

Motherwell FC is today delighted to confirm the appointment of James McFadden as Assistant Manager.

Following Stephen Robinson’s move to Oldham Athletic a few weeks ago, the club has been looking for a replacement.

And ‘Well boss Mark McGhee has made his mind up, appointing the 33-year old former Scotland legend, who is currently progressing through his coaching badges with the Scottish FA.

Faddy, who has signed a deal until the end of the current season, will also still register as a player.

Speaking of his new assistant, McGhee said: “I am delighted James has taken the role as I think he has fabulous qualities to be an Assistant.

“He has played at the highest level, worked with some tremendous coaches and any time you speak to him, you can appreciate he has a deep understanding of the game.

[pullquote]Not only that, he is an extremely determined individual, he’s young, ambitious and has very high standards. He will demand from players and other staff at the club, including myself, and that’s exactly the type of individual I wanted.[/pullquote]

“He also has an in-depth knowledge of Scottish football, both club and individual players, and will add significantly to the coaching staff at the club. We’re absolutely thrilled to have him.”

McFadden added: “When I spoke with the manager about taking the role, I started to get excited about what we could achieve.

“Everyone knows I love the club and will work as hard as I possibly can to make a success of things.

“It’s something new and it’ll be a change for me, but it’s an exciting one and one I think I can handle.

“I look forward to working with Mark McGhee and with the players. I want to work with and develop individuals, particularly the younger guys, and hopefully pass on helpful information that will make them better players.”

By: Lewis Irons

The Steelmen play host to East Stirlingshire in the BetFred League Cup on Tuesday night, looking to record a second consecutive victory in the competition.

Mark McGhee’s men go in to the third Group F fixture on the back of a convincing 3-1 win away to Annan Athletic.

Despite the Shire’s recent fall to non-league football; McGhee is not taking the fixture lightly, as his side strive to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.

One of the major boosts for the ‘Well boss is the recent form of striker Louis Moult, who is set to undergo surgery on an injury.

The Englishman featured against Annan and bagged a brace and lasted the entire 90 minutes.

And with Tuesday’s visitors under new management in John Sludden, the Fir Parkers will hope for a similar result to take their points tally to 6.

Lee Lucas, who featured as a trialist against Annan, will hope to recover from the knock that saw him leave the field after half an hour.

Star attacker Marvin Johnson, who dazzled against the League Two side on Saturday, will look to continue his fine form after registering two assists and scoring a wonder goal.

Defensively, the Steelmen looked solid against Annan, with new signing Ben Heneghan the player to watch as his game goes from strength to strength with every passing match day.

With the Shire yet to pick up a point in Group F, it hasn’t been an easy start for their new manager.

But with the clubs sights aimed at returning to the competitive leagues, the underdogs will be out to prove themselves against Mark McGhee’s side, in what is set to be an interesting League Cup clash.

 

Having impressed already during his short time with the Fir Parkers, centre-back Ben Heneghan will be hoping to continue his fine form under Mark McGhee’s tutelage.

The 22-year-old, who joined from National League side Chester, has slotted seamlessly alongside Stephen McManus at the heart of the ‘Well defence.

Standing at 6ft 4in, the Englishman has demonstrated natural aerial dominance, as well as a relaxed, confident presence with the ball at his feet.

The defender, who has represented England at youth level, is not only a coup for this season, but for the future of the club.

At just 22, Heneghan admits he is learning from the experience of McManus and the challenge of sides like Rangers.

He said: “I’ve played in the two cup games so far – the Rangers game was a very good tempo which was a step-up for me and then against Annan the other day was another good game.

“It’s good just to get the minutes under my belt and get used to the tempo of the game really.”

He added: “[McManus is] helping me massively and with all of his experience I can learn so much from him – so hopefully I can keep doing what I’m doing and get picked and learn more.”

As well as his performances on the pitch, Heneghan added that he has settled well off it too.

He said: “Off the pitch has been a total change, but I’m comfortable and I’ve settled in quicker than I thought I would.”

 

East Stirlingshire travel to Fir Park on the back of a 3-0 defeat at home to Rangers.

That result came following a 3-1 defeat to Stranraer, leaving the club at the foot of Group F.

But the Shire, like Motherwell, have played one game fewer than table toppers Rangers and will be looking to kick-start their League Cup campaign with their first victory tomorrow night.

The side also come into the fixture under new management, as well as no longer holding their competitive league status.

John Sludden was appointed as manager in the summer, following the clubs relegation to the Lowland League.

He comes in to the role alongside assistant Martin Mooney, and together the two are faced with the task of returning the club to the top tiers of the Scottish game.

Last season was one of the toughest for the fans to bear in their clubs history – being relegated from the top flights of Scottish football for the first time since 1955.

But there are some similarities between East Stirlingshire and the Steelmen.

One of the glaring similarities was the Shire’s old stadium name: Firs Park.

However, they left their ground eight years ago, and now share with Stenhousemuir; another similarity, as Motherwell have previous experience after ground sharing with Gretna in 2007.

The Shire face some rebuilding though, having lost both David McKenna and Max Wright to their Group F opponents Annan – with the two sides facing each other on Saturday.

One of the other losses for the club came in the form of young, promising right-back Ross Gilmour.

The 22-year-old made the switch to League One outfit Albion Rovers having arrived at East Stirling from the U20s set-up at Dundee United.

With a number of new faces arriving at the Shire though, the club will be hopeful of bouncing back into League Two.

Summer signing Ben Heneghan admitted he has settled in quicker than he thought he would at Fir Park.

The 6ft 4 inch centre defender signed after two successful years at National League side Chester, and has impressed manager Mark McGhee and Motherwell fans in his first appearances in Claret and Amber.

Speaking to the press today, the 22-year-old spoke of the warm-welcome he’s received from everyone at Motherwell FC.

He said: “I’ve settled in really quickly to be honest, the lads made me feel welcome since the day I got here. I’ve got my own place sorted now too so I’m happy.”

He added: “Off the pitch has been a total change, but I’m comfortable and I’ve settled in quicker than I thought I would.”

In terms of his performances, Heneghan has already gained his plaudits and has settled in to Mark McGhee’s back line extremely well.

[pullquote]It’s good just to get the minutes under my belt and get used to the tempo of the game really.[/pullquote]

He said: “I’ve played in the two cup games so far – the Rangers game was a very good tempo which was a step-up for me and then against Annan the other day was another good game.

“It’s good just to get the minutes under my belt and get used to the tempo of the game really.”

Having partnered Stephen McManus so far, the young defender feels he has gained valuable experience already.

He said: “He’s helping me massively and with all of his experience I can learn so much from him – so hopefully I can keep doing what I’m doing and get picked and learn more.”

Heneghan spoke of tomorrow night’s fixture against East Stirling, adding that the team need to carry the attitude from the Annan victory in to the third group match.

He said: “It was good to get the three points because obviously we needed the win. We’ve got to get the win tomorrow night, simple as that, we’ve got to take the professional approach and get the three points.”

‘Well boss Mark McGhee today admitted his players fitness may be affected by the League Cup ahead of the new season, as he is restricted to how hard he can work the squad.

Speaking to the press this morning at Fir Park, the manager outlined what he believed to be the impacts of summer football on his pre-season preparations.

He said: “There’s pro’s and con’s to the League Cup, and I think one of the con’s is that last Thursday when we would’ve had two sessions, we only had one because we had a competitive game coming up.

“We didn’t want to risk leaving the boys short of legs, whereas if we were playing a friendly on Saturday we would’ve worked them hard on Thursday twice.

“For me, that’s a negative because I’d like to be working them harder.”

[pullquote]What happens is you have the team who play, but then you have another ten or so who aren’t getting a match and they’re not getting the running either.[/pullquote]

He added: “What happens is you have the team who play, but then you have another ten or so who aren’t getting a match and they’re not getting the running either.”

McGhee addressed the injury concerns surrounding his squad, after trialist Lee Lucas limped off after half an hour against Annan during the 3-1 win on Saturday.

McGhee said: “I thought he started the game well and showed a little bit of what I’d seen in training that made him a little different from Lasley and McHugh.”

He added: “It was a shame for the boy because when he’s been running in training he’s been right up the front, he’s a fit lad, its not like he’s went in to a game and it was too much for him.”

But there are positives for the Fir Parkers, who will be boosted by the return of star striker Scott McDonald.

The manager said: “Scott trained this morning so hopefully he’ll be fine and if he is fine he’ll obviously play tomorrow night.”

Referee for Tuesday’s Betfred Cup clash with East Stirlingshire at Fir Park is Craig Charleston.

It will be Craig’s first ‘Well match of the season and only his fourth ever appointment in charge of the Steelmen.

The last was back in September 2014, a 1-1 draw with Hamilton in the same competition, a game that Accies eventually progressed through on penalties.

Previous to that was at Fir Park, when the Claret & Amber men edged out Kilmarnock 2-1 August 2013. A Stephen McManus OG gave the Ayrshire side the lead but goals from Henri Anier and John Sutton handed the then Stuart McCall led Motherwell all three points.

The other moment of controversy was a red card for Simon Ramsden late in the game for a second bookable offence.

The only other ‘Well appointment was back in February 2012 – a dull and forgetful 0-0 draw with St Mirren in Paisley.

It was a fairly comfortable afternoon for the 43-year old with the only moment of controversy being a denied penalty when Nicky Law went tumbling in the box, but it wasn’t given.

Both Ivan Stankovic and Kevin McElhinney will assist Craig on the night.

Motherwell host East Stirlingshire at Fir Park this Tuesday, 7.45pm kick off and hospitality is available to all supporters in our Centenary Suite.

Arrival from 5.30pm, supporters can enjoy a two course Indian meal in the comfort of our Centenary Suite then take their seats in the Phil O’Donnell stand to watch the League Cup match.

An Amber package is priced at £55 which includes the meal, drinks pre & post-match match, ticket to watch the game, programme and half-time refreshments.

The Claret package, £35, provides access to a pay-bar, your meal, match ticket and half-time refreshments too.

Should you wish to take the game in, and visit the Centenary Suite only for half-time refreshments a ticket is priced £25 for adults with £20 for a concession ticket and Juvenile £10.

To book your place at the game, please call 01698 333333 or email hospitality@motherwellfc.co.uk

Highlights from Galabank Stadium as goals from Marvin Johnson and  a Louis Moult double seals a 1-3 win for the Steelmen.

Action images from today’s 1-3 win over Annan Athletic in the Betfred Cup.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix

[svgallery name=”annan230716″]

‘Well boss Mark McGhee was impressed with the performance from every player on the park today – as his side dominated in a 3-1 win over Annan Athletic.

Speaking to MFC TV, McGhee praised his squad on their work rate and team-work, in what was an extremely positive display from the Steelmen.

Last season’s top scorer Louis Moult bagged a brace, but such was the high standard of performance that it was team-mate Marvin Johnson who claimed the man of the match award.

But McGhee said: “I thought everyone was excellent today. Marvin gets that sort of attention with the way he plays, taking on players and driving forward, but defensively we were brilliant too.

“I thought Lionel worked hard for the team and did really well and Stevie Hammell pushed Marvin close for Man of the Match, in my opinion.

“Defensively, other than the one slip at the goal, we didn’t make a single mistake all afternoon really, Ben Heneghan won everything in the air.”

[pullquote]Today we’ve played well and got the three points and obviously we want to win the cup, so the points are important.[/pullquote]

The manager touched on all of his players and added: “I hope I’ve not left anybody out.”

With such a positive feeling around Mark McGhee’s squad, he spoke of the importance of the three points.

He said: “The result against Rangers was disappointing but we created the better chances. Today we’ve played well and got the three points and obviously we want to win the cup, so the points are important.”

The Fir Parkers host East Stirlingshire on Tuesday in their third match in the Betfred Cup in group F.

With three points wrapped up today, McGhee is looking ahead to the next competitive fixture with confidence as the squad’s pre-season preparations are starting to click.