fbpx
News

Latest News

  • Archive

    Celtic: A closer look

  • Archive

    U20s face Celtic in Youth Cup semi final

  • Archive

    McFadden: We’re ready to fight

  • Archive

    Moult: We must have belief

  • Archive

    Robertson in charge vs Celtic

  • Archive

    ‘Well stars attend half term camps

  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Pittodrie

  • Archive

    Aberdeen loss in pictures

  • Archive

    McGhee: Bad start led to heavy loss

  • Archive

    Aberdeen 7 – 2 Motherwell

  • Archive

    Celtic: A closer look

    Motherwell make the short trip to Glasgow tomorrow to take on league leaders Celtic in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

    And after Wednesday night’s heavy defeat to Aberdeen, the Steelmen will be hungry to get back to action quickly, but face a tough test.

    Under Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have gone undefeated in the league and have only dropped points in an away game against Inverness CT back in September.

    But for ‘Well assistant manager James McFadden, that adds incentive for the Steelmen to not only bounce back, but also put an end to the Hoops winning run.

    The Fir Park number two said: “We’ve done well against Celtic this season, albeit we’ve lost but especially the last home game we felt we did well, we came up with a game plan that almost worked.

    “Everybody expects Celtic to roll over the top of us but we don’t. We’re going to go there and fight, we’re going to show everybody that we’re up for it and we want to go and be the team that stops the run that Celtic are on.”

    In terms of league fixtures, Celtic head in to Saturday’s 3pm kick off on the back of a 5-2 victory over St Johnstone.

    On the face of things, it was a dominant result for the Champions, but in truth, Rodgers men had to work hard after going in to the break 2-1 behind.

    Motherwell face a mental battle to bounce back from what was undoubtedly the worst result of the season, yet after 24 games, the Fir Parkers are only one point behind sixth placed Kilmarnock and will arrive at Parkhead full of desire.

    Mark McGhee will be without the suspended duo of Carl McHugh and Richard Tait, while Celtic will have Leigh Griffiths and Tom Rogic out through injury.

     

    He scored a brace when Celtic arrived at Fir Park back at the start of December and is the last player to score a winning goal at Parkhead in the league, so Louis Moult is undoubtedly one to watch tomorrow.

    And ahead of the match at Parkhead, the forward insisted that the Fir Parkers must have belief.

    The 24-year-old believes it is key to preparations following Wednesday nights “horrible” defeat away to Aberdeen.

    He said: “It’s obviously going to be difficult but we’ve got to go there with belief and believe we can cause an upset.

    It’s obviously going to be difficult but we’ve got to go there with belief and believe we can cause an upset.

    “We did it last season, we were 2-0 up at half time earlier this season too so we’ve got to go there believing we can do something.”

    He added: “To get beat 7-2 is horrible. I didn’t get much sleep that night and I’m sure the lads didn’t either.

    [pullquote]Myself and the boys will most likely have the result on Wednesday in the back of our minds, but we’ll also be thinking about the time that we went there and beat them.[/pullquote]

    “We have to move on from that it was a horrible night but we need to forget about that and try and cause an upset.”

    Moult scored one of the contenders for goal of the season when he lobbed Craig Gordon inside three minutes and the forward admitted that previous performances against the runaway league leaders can give the Steelmen confidence.

    He said: “That goal is definitely one of my favourites that I’ve scored but things obviously didn’t turn out how we would’ve liked.

    “Myself and the boys will most likely have the result on Wednesday in the back of our minds, but we’ll also be thinking about the time that we went there and beat them.”

     

    The prospect of facing Celtic in their current form is a daunting one for every side in the league as they remain unbeaten under Brendan Rodgers.

    And tomorrow presents the Hoops with a chance to rack up their 20th straight victory in the Premiership.

    Summer signings Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele are obvious threats for tomorrow’s hosts, with the two contributing directly to 54 goals in all competitions this season.

    However, one of the main strengths Celtic have is depth, with the likes of James Forrest, Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Tom Rogic, Patrick Roberts, Kris Commons and Callum McGregor competing for spots in midfield.

    The absence of Tom Rogic could have been a big loss for the Champions, but with other stars like Liam Henderson coming in to form, the depth at Rodgers disposal is evident.

    Goals haven’t been an issue for the Glaswegians, and when both Dembele and Sinclair were out of action recently, important goals came from other areas of the pitch.

    Dedryck Boyata popped up with two crucial winning goals against both Aberdeen and St Johnstone and is one of the numerous examples of players rediscovering or even finding their best form under their Northern Irish manager.

    Currently 24 points clear of second placed Aberdeen, Celtic could potentially wrap up the title by mid March.

    But Brendan Rodgers and his team will be well aware that the last team to beat them at Parkhead was Mark McGhee’s Motherwell last season.

    Ahead of tomorrow’s clash, both sides will be full of desire for different reasons, but it makes for an interesting encounter.

  • Archive

    U20s face Celtic in Youth Cup semi final

    Stephen Craigan’s youngsters will face Celtic under 20s in the semi final of the Scottish FA Youth Cup.

    Following their 1-0 victory over Hibernian in the quarter final today, the Glasgow based side will be the next challenge for the young Steelmen who are looking to defend the trophy they lifted last season.

    For Motherwell, it means another clash with the Hoops following their recent 3-2 loss in the Development League.

    So far, Motherwell have had to overcome Cumbernauld Colts, Greenock Morton and Partick Thistle to reach the final four in the competition.

    Further details, including fixture date, will be confirmed soon.

  • Archive

    McFadden: We’re ready to fight

    ‘Well assistant James McFadden believes that the Steelmen are ready to go and fight against Celtic tomorrow.

    After suffering a painful defeat on Wednesday night, McGhee’s number two revealed the players desire to bounce back to action tomorrow.

    Speaking to the press this morning, McFadden admitted that the mood was low after Wednesday night, but it was time to look forward.

    He said: “We were obviously pretty low yesterday, but we stayed up after the game and we had a cool down.

    “Straight after the game I think yesterday was the day to feel down but now we look to the game tomorrow.”

    He added: “The biggest thing here is that we lost the game, we were nowhere near it and we never turned up in terms of making it easy for Aberdeen.

    [pullquote]Everybody expects Celtic to roll over the top of us but we don’t. We’re going to go there and fight, we’re going to show everybody that we’re up for it and we want to go and be the team that stops the run that Celtic are on.[/pullquote]

    “We’re bitterly disappointed with the result and the performance moreso. It was a hard one to take.”

    With Celtic up next, the assistant manager revealed the teams desire to put an end to the fantastic run they are currently on.

    He said: “We’ve done well against Celtic this season, albeit we’ve lost but especially the last home game we felt we did well, we came up with a game plan that almost worked.

    “Everybody expects Celtic to roll over the top of us but we don’t. We’re going to go there and fight, we’re going to show everybody that we’re up for it and we want to go and be the team that stops the run that Celtic are on.”

  • Archive

    Moult: We must have belief

    Striker Louis Moult insists Motherwell must have belief as they head in to tomorrow’s league clash with Celtic at Parkhead.

    The 24-year-old believes it is key to preparations following Wednesday nights “horrible” defeat away to Aberdeen.

    Speaking to the press this morning, Moult was keen to look ahead and put the midweek loss out of his mind.

    He said: “It’s obviously going to be difficult but we’ve got to go there with belief and believe we can cause an upset.

    [pullquote]It’s obviously going to be difficult but we’ve got to go there with belief and believe we can cause an upset.[/pullquote]

    “We did it last season, we were 2-0 up at half time earlier this season too so we’ve got to go there believing we can do something.”

    He added: “To get beat 7-2 is horrible. I didn’t get much sleep that night and I’m sure the lads didn’t either.

    “We have to move on from that it was a horrible night but we need to forget about that and try and cause an upset.”

    To watch Louis’s full interview and for more exclusive content, subscribe to MFC TV’s YouTube channel.

  • Archive

    Robertson in charge vs Celtic

    Referee for Saturday’s Ladbrokes Premiership match against Celtic at Parkhead is Don Robertson.

    It will be Don’s third ‘Well appointment of the 2016/17 season and his seventh Motherwell fixture during his six seasons as a senior official.

    His first appointment this season was the Steelmen’s 3-0 victory over Stranraer in the Betfred League Cup back in July.

    Goals from Chris Cadden, Scott McDonald and Marvin Johnson secured the three points in the group stage.

    But the officials most recent ‘Well match was against Inverness CT back in October, when the Steelmen slumped to a 3-0 home loss.

    Before this season, most of Don’s Motherwell appointments came last season – the first being a 1-1 draw with Ross County at Fir Park back in early September when a last-minute Louis Moult leveler earned the Steelmen a point.

    Then, just three weeks late, he was the man in the middle for the 2-1 defeat at Dens Park when Stephen Pearson’s goal was not enough to earn his side anything during Stephen Craigan’s temporary tenure.

    The most recent was the memorable 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Fir Park last March when a Scott McDonald header and an opportunistic Moult goal gave Mark McGhee’s side all three points.

    The only game other came in February of the 2014/15 season when Dundee were again the opponents, and they won 0-1 in North Lanarkshire courtesy of a Paul McGinn goal after twelve minutes.

    Don will be ably assisted by Alan Mulvanny and Ivan Stankovic, with Grant Irvine on fourth official duties.

  • Archive

    ‘Well stars attend half term camps

    Over 150 local children took part in the Motherwell FC Community Trust’s half term camps this week.

    And first team stars Chris Cadden, Craig Clay and David Ferguson stopped by on Tuesday afternoon to visit the excited youngsters.

    In what was a jam packed three days, children from the ages of 5-12 were entertained with skill sessions and mini games whilst being educated in the importance of keeping fit and healthy.

    Their experience was topped off by the visit of the ‘Well stars, who took part in a Q and A session on Tuesday, which delighted not only the children, but the Community Trust General Manager Dawn Middleton too, who admitted the presence of the players brought something “unique” to the kids experiences.

    [pullquote]It was the first time we had run a camp on an in-service day and it proved to be a massive success. Every child that came to us over the three days will be invited with their families to the Dundee game so we look forward to seeing them again soon.[/pullquote]

    Dawn said: “To have the players here was brilliant and it means that we can offer something totally unique to those children and families that engage with us.

    “I would like to thank the players for coming along and for spending some invaluable time with the children where they posed for pictures, signed autographs and answered some fantastic questions from the children.”

    She added: “It was the first time we had run a camp on an in-service day and it proved to be a massive success. Every child that came to us over the three days will be invited with their families to the Dundee game so we look forward to seeing them again soon.”

    The Community Trust have more camps coming up, with the next one as near as April. To get involved and for more up to date news straight from the Trust, follow the team on Twitter and Facebook. You can also get in touch on 01698 239 926 or email community@motherwellfc.co.uk

    [svgallery name=”community160217″]

  • Archive

    TV: Highlights from Pittodrie

    All the goals from tonight’s defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

  • Archive

    Aberdeen loss in pictures

    Images from today’s 7-2 loss to Aberdeen in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Pittodrie.

    Snaps courtesy of SNSPix

    [svgallery name=”aberdeen150217″]

  • Archive

    McGhee: Bad start led to heavy loss

    ‘Well boss Mark McGhee admitted that a poor start to the match led to tonight’s heavy defeat against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

    Speaking to MFC TV at full time, the manager reflected upon a difficult 90 minutes.

    He said: “It was a bad start losing a goal in the first minute like that with people switching off at the back.

    [pullquote]It was a bad start losing a goal in the first minute like that with people switching off at the back.[/pullquote]

    “It was everything that we’d talked about that didn’t need to happen.”

    He added: “We wanted to keep it simple, we wanted to get in behind them and play our longer game, but they did it better than us.”

    You can watch the manager’s full post match interview exclusively at <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialMotherwellFC”>MFC TV’s YouTube channel</a>.

  • Archive

    Aberdeen 7 – 2 Motherwell

    [tab:Match report]

    Motherwell slumped to a heavy 7-2 defeat away to Aberdeen in the Ladbrokes Premiership tonight. 

    An extremely poor first half left the Steelmen with a four goal deficit to overcome, with Ryan Bowman’s header and Stephen Pearson’s volley in the second half acting as mere consolations on a terrible night up north.

    Mark McGhee named three changes to the side that lost to Hearts at Fir Park, bringing in Stephen Pearson and Lee Lucas, as well as handing a full debut to January signing Elliott Frear – with Zak Jules and Lionel Ainsworth dropped to the bench and Carl McHugh missing through suspension.

    But it was a disastrous start for the Steelmen, who found themselves one down inside two minutes.

    Jonny Hayes, fresh off the back of penning a contract extension, was afforded far too much time as the ball broke to him in the box, and the Dons number eleven laced a powerful low shot through a crowded six yard box and past Craig Samson.

    Motherwell did settle for the ten minutes that followed, but failed to create much going forward and were limited to a handful of corners.

    Elliott Frear swung some good balls in to the area, but Aberdeen stood strong to clear any potential danger.

    The deficit remained at just one until the 31st minute, and the fifteen minutes which followed left McGhee’s side with virtually no hope of taking away much from the game.

    Andrew Considine finished off a fine corner for the home side from an in swinging delivery to double the home side’s advantage, before a calamitous bit of defending lead to a tap in for Adam Rooney.

    Ryan Christie capped a strong first half for the Reds with a stabbed finish from outside the box in to the far top corner and Alan Muir’s half time whistle was simply relief for Motherwell.

    In truth, the glaring difference had been the pressure applied by Aberdeen all over the park. Lasley, Lucas and Pearson were afforded no time on the ball and McGhee’s men couldn’t settle in to the match .

    The second half was slightly improved from a Motherwell perspective but Aberdeen still managed to add more goals.

    An Adam Rooney penalty was followed by a header from the striker to put the hosts 6-0 up and secure his hattrick.

    Mark McGhee was sent to the stands after an exchange with fourth official John McKendrick, but not before his half time change had made an impact on the game.

    Ryan Bowman, introduced to the action in place of Lee Lucas, grabbed a consolation when he headed home from a freekick, before Stephen Pearson made it 6-2 with a volley following a flick on from a corner.

    Peter Pawlett made it seven to wrap up the three points and condemn the Steelmen to a terrible defeat, who face Celtic next on Saturday.

     

    [tab:As it happened]

     Alastair Reilly at Pittodrie

     

     

    FT: Aberdeen 7 – 2 Motherwell #AFCvMFC

    83′ | 7-2
    Goal – Aberdeen break straight away and Pawlett finishes past Samson.

    81′ | 6-2
    Bowman does well down the left and forces a corner….Goal! Pearson knock home at the backpost.

    79′ | 6-1
    Aberdeen sub, Storey on for Christie

    76′ | 6-1
    Samson with a superb save to deny McLean from close range

    75′ | 6-1
    Good effort from Bowman, coming in off the right and seeing his shot fly inches over the bar.

    74′ | 6-1
    Goal – Bowman heads in from a free-kick. 6-1.

    72′ | 6-0
    And another sub, McGinn off for Pawlett.

    71′ | 6-0
    Aberdeen sub, Rooney off for Stockley

    69′ | 6-0
    Goal- It’s 6. Rooney heads home from a corner.

    66′ | 5-0
    Motherwell sub, Clay on for Frear

    64′ | 5-0
    Goal – Rooney sends Samson the wrong way.

    63′ | 4-0
    Penalty to Aberdeen…

    58′ | 4-0
    Taylor booked for a trip on Bowman as he broke clear.

    50′ | 4-0
    Considine booked for handball wide on the ‘Well right. Free-kick hooked in but easily gathered by Lewis.

    Lasley gets the second 45 underway.

    Half time sub for ‘Well, Lucas off for Bowman.

    HT: Aberdeen 4 – 0 Motherwell #AFCvMFC

    40′ | 4-0
    Goal – Aberdeen work a short corner which finds Christie and he finds the top corner with the outside of his boot.

    34′ | 3-0
    Goal – It’s three nil. ‘Well defence fail to clear and that leaves Rooney with plenty of space 6 yards out to score.

    32′ | 2-0
    Goal – Corner is whipped into the back post where Considine has plenty of space to nod home.

    30′ | 1-0
    Lucas booked for hauling down Jack inside the Motherwell half.

    25′ | 1-0
    Ambitious chip from Moult about 25 yards out doesn’t come off, sailing well over the bar.

    21′ | 1-0
    McManus does well to dispossess Hayes but it falls kindly to Christie whose first time shot curls over the bar.

    19′ | 1-0
    Dons get the break of the ball which sets Hayes free down the right but thankfully his cross slices wide of the post.

    13′ | 1-0
    Chance for Rooney as he goes for the spectacular overhead-kick 10 yards out but gets it all wrong and it’s wide of the post.

    7′ | 1-0
    Cadden gets down the right and clips in a ball which just misses Frear at the back post.

    5′ | 1-0
    ‘Well have a free-kick wide on the right which Lucas whips in but its headed clear for a corner.

    2′ | 1-0
    Goal – Aberdeen open the scoring straight away. Ball breaks the way of Hayes inside the box and he fires it past Samson.

    Aberdeen get the action underway. COYW!!!

    Out come both teams, full red for Aberdeeen, full white for the Steelmen. #AFCvMFC

    [tab:Reaction]

    Motherwell manager Mark McGhee:

     

    Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes:

     

    [tab:Man-of-the-match]

    [poll id=”310″]