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  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Craigan: We were well beaten

  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Reserves suffer defeat at Rangers

  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Loan Watch: Three in action for clubs

  • First team

    Story of the Match from Aberdeen loss

  • Women

    Women put four past Aberdeen

  • Women

    Condie: Our levels won’t drop

  • First team

    Watch highlights from Aberdeen defeat

  • First team

    Players react to Dons defeat

  • First team

    Robinson frustrated with Dons display

  • First team

    Aberdeen 1 – 0 Motherwell

  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Craigan: We were well beaten

    Reserves boss Stephen Craigan believes an experienced Rangers side deserved their win on Monday.

    The young Steelmen recovered from two down to get the game back to 2-2, but ended up losing out 6-2 at the Hummel Training Centre.

  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Reserves suffer defeat at Rangers

    Reserves suffer defeat at Rangers

    Motherwell Reserves put in a strong showing but their enthusiasm to complete a comeback victory saw them picked apart 6-2 by Rangers.

    Jamie Semple and Shaun Bowers grabbed second half goals to claw back a two-goal deficit, before a succession of counter attacks saw them come undone.

    Rangers fielded an experienced starting team, including Lee Wallace, Jordan Rossiter, Eros Grezda and on loan Roma forward Umar Sadiq.

    It was the latter who had the opening chance of the game. Using his pace to work an opportunity, his shot from close range was well saved by Rohan Ferguson at his near post.

    The goalkeeper was called into action again soon after, having to acrobatically turn away another effort from the Nigerian.

    Motherwell had to be patient to create their own chances but very nearly opened the scoring on the half hour mark. James Scott used his strength to beat Rossiter to the ball wide in the box, but his shot from an angle flew past the far post.

    The resistance would be broken soon after. With the visitors failing to clear their lines, Palmer was given room to fizz a low effort from 25 yards into the bottom left corner.

    Struggling to get a foothold in the game, ‘Well went two behind. Attacking with pace and intensity, Grezda was the beneficiary as he was given the chance to slot home the second.

    Rangers withdrew their four first team players at the interval, while the Steelmen brought on Jake Hastie for Yusuf Hussain.

    Those changes allowed Motherwell to find some joy, getting on the ball and creating chances.

    The first fell to Broque Watson 10 minutes in to the second period. Played in by a great cross-field ball from Adam Livingstone, he attempted to lob the goalkeeper from a tight angle, but the stopper just managed to get enough on it to keep it out.

    Minutes later the deficit was halved. The lively Hastie drove out of midfield before playing a dinked ball into the path of the onrushing Semple.

    Taking the ball on the bounce, he fired home a brilliant half volley from just inside the area past McAdams.

    The game flowed from end to end. Atakayi had several chances well saved by Ferguson, while the visitors continued to be patient and press on the counter.

    Their patience was to pay off. Winning the second ball off a corner, Craigan’s men patiently engineered the chance for Bowers to fire low past the goalkeeper from the edge of the box to equalise.

    Fired up, Rangers took the chance to regain the lead soon after. Getting a second bite at a shot after an initial block, substitute Mebude rifled the ball home with 15 minutes left to play.

    Pushing men forward, Motherwell would be punished again five minutes later. Bursting past the defenders and surging into the box on the right, Dallas had time to place his finish past Ferguson.

    Worse would follow. Committing bodies forward, ‘Well were again caught short on the counter, with Atakayi setting up Mebude for the fifth.

    Mebude would then grab his hat-trick late on, as failure to clear a poorly-hit corner allowed him to tap in at the back post.

  • Reserves & Under 18s

    Loan Watch: Three in action for clubs

    Loan Watch: Three in action for clubs

    Three of Motherwell’s five loanees were in action on Saturday, as they racked up further minutes.

    Ross MacLean got an hour as Morton took on Dunfermline Athletic in the Ladbrokes Championship.

    Having fallen behind to the Pars through Andy Ryan’s goal, the ‘Ton were under pressure to get a result in new boss Jonatan Johansson’s first game in charge.

    Thankfully for them, it arrived with nine minutes to spare when a mistake by visiting ‘keeper Lee Robinson allowed Scott Tiffoney’s shot to find the net.

    Elsewhere in the second tier, Jake Hastie played 73 minutes as Alloa Athletic’s five-game unbeaten run was ended 2-0 at home by Ayr United.

    Lawrence Shankland was again on the scoresheet for the Honest Men, scoring in both halves to take his tally for the season to 15 goals in 12 appearances.

    Shea Gordon again missed out through injury as Partick Thistle moved level on points with Morton in sixth, twice coming from behind to defeat Queen of the South 3-2.

    In League Two, PJ Morrison helped inspire Albion Rovers to their first point of the season, as they drew 1-1 at Cowdenbeath.

    Neil McLaughlin was an unused substitute for Stirling Albion, as they lost 2-1 at home to Annan Athletic.

  • First team

    Story of the Match from Aberdeen loss

    Motherwell had their chances but couldn’t break down a resolute Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday.

    This is the Story of the Match from the first trip of the Ladbrokes Premiership season to the north east.

  • Women

    Women put four past Aberdeen

    Women put four past Aberdeen

    Motherwell are closing in on a record SWPL 2 points total after defeating Aberdeen 4-0 at the Aberdeen Sports Village.

    The women of steel have racked up 49 points so far this season on their way to clinching the league title.

    With three league games remaining, Donald Jennow’s side are moving ever closer to Forfar Farmington’s league record tally of 52.

    The visitors broke the deadlock after eight minutes when top scorer Suzanne Mulvey turned provider for Lesley Condie, sending over a delightful cross that the defender nodded home from close range.

    Following the opening goal, the Dons responded positively, and it took a wonderful stop by Claire Johnstone in the Motherwell goal to deny Amy Phillips an equaliser.

    It looked as if ‘Well would take a slender lead into half time, but they would double their advantage in the final seconds, with the goal coming in bizarre fashion.

    Hayley Cunningham’s whipped corner evaded all inside the box and nestled inside the roof of the net.

    After the restart, Motherwell began to stamp their authority on the game and the third goal arrived after 57 minutes.

    Megan Burns capitalised on Anna Blanchard’s short goal kick, heading the ball through to Mulvey who made no mistake with her finish.

    The ‘Well captain added to her tally with 19 minutes remaining, seizing on a defensive mix-up to head the ball beyond the keeper and into the net.

    Jennow used the remainder of the game to give some game time to a number of his fringe players, as well as Kerry Montgomery, who missed last Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash with St Johnstone due to injury.

    Montgomery almost made an instant impact when she closed down Blachard’s clearance, but the ball spun inches past the post.

    In the final minute Sophie Jamieson breached the ‘Well backline to go clear on goal, but with just Kendall Welsh to beat, she pulled her shot wide of the target.

    Motherwell have now racked up three successive clean sheets and remain 16 points ahead of FC Kilmarnock at the top of the table.

    Next up is a home meeting with Hearts at Braidhurst, after which the team will be presented with the SWPL 2 championship.

    Picture: Maureen Lyall

  • Women

    Condie: Our levels won’t drop

    Condie: Our levels won’t drop

    Lesley Condie says Motherwell won’t let up in their pursuit of perfection this campaign.

    The women of steel travel to Aberdeen on Sunday for their penultimate away league fixture of the season, with a SSE Scottish Cup semi-final also on the horizon.

    Following a points deduction, the Dons require four wins from their last four games and a massive swing in their goal difference to avoid relegation.

    Despite their opponents’ struggles, Condie insists there will be no easing up from Motherwell when the two sides meet at the Aberdeen Sports Village.

    “Although we have already won the league, we are all still motivated to do as well as we can and continue on our successful run,” she added. “I think we would be disappointed in ourselves if we let our standards slip.

    “Everyone wants to be on the pitch playing, especially when the spotlight turns to the semi-final so it is keeping the tempo and standards high at training.

    “We had a tough game last week and we didn’t play as well as we could have, so the game against Aberdeen is a chance to put things right again and play the way we have the majority of the season.”

    The defender ended a four-year absence from the game when she joined the women of steel at the beginning of the season.

    Over the course of the campaign Condie has played a major role in ‘Well clinching the SWPL 2 title and in their progression to the last four of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup.

    Motherwell have conceded just 16 goals across 21 games in all competitions this season.

    “It’s been fantastic, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season,” Condie said. “I had been out of the game for four years, so I was feeling a bit apprehensive about coming back. But it has been the best thing I have done.

    “We have a great group of girls, many of whom I used to play with and of course it’s nice for the defence to get a bit of credit for that success.”

    Having defeated St Johnstone in last Sunday, Motherwell will face Spartans in the semi final, looking to top off an incredible season in style.

    As the only remaining SWPL 2 side in the competition, Condie believes Motherwell will be considered underdogs, but says she and her team-mates are relishing the opportunity to test themselves on the big stage.

    “It’s massive for us, especially being a SWPL 2 team and then other three being top league sides,” she said.

    “We are looking at it as an amazing opportunity to see how well we can do on the big stage.

    “We know we are underdogs but that’s the beauty of the cup and we will certainly put everything we have into it. It will be a very exciting day for everyone associated with the team.”

  • First team

    Watch highlights from Aberdeen defeat

    Motherwell fought in vain as they went down 1-0 for the second week in succession, losing out this time away at Aberdeen.

    James Wilson’s early goal was the difference between the two sides, with the visitors having three penalty calls waved away.

  • First team

    Players react to Dons defeat

    Tom Aldred, Trevor Carson and Elliott Frear reflected on a frustrating afternoon at Pittodrie. 

    An early James Wilson goal was enough for the hosts to secure all three points, during a scrappy encounter against Derek McInnes’ side.

  • First team

    Robinson frustrated with Dons display

    Stephen Robinson expressed his disappointment following his side’s 1-0 defeat against Aberdeen. 

    Despite hitting the woodwork and being denied a couple of penalty claims, the Fir Park outfit slumped to a disappointing loss at Pittodrie.

    “There’s not a whole lot in the game but we’ve only got ourselves to blame,” he said.

    “We started the game poorly and we were punished for it, made to chase the game from the off which turned a difficult task in to a very difficult one.”

  • First team

    Aberdeen 1 – 0 Motherwell

    Aberdeen 1 – 0 Motherwell

    An early goal from James Wilson inflicted a 1-0 defeat at Pittodrie for the Steelmen.

    Following a narrow defeat against Hearts, Stephen Robinson’s men arrived in Aberdeen searching for a response ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Tynecastle in the Betfred Cup.

    However, despite being denied two significant penalty claims and going close through Carl McHugh and Chris Cadden, it was the Dons who picked up all three points.

    Stephen Robinson named three changes to his starting eleven, bringing Elliott Frear, Liam Donnelly and Conor Sammon in to his side.

    It took just six minutes for the hosts to open the scoring, and it was a well-worked goal. Niall McGinn, collecting the ball on the left hand side, threaded a neat pass through for Wilson, who finished neatly beyond Trevor Carson.

    During what was a scrappy encounter, McHugh showed a moment of class when he thundered a right footed effort on goal, only to see it rattle the crossbar.

    In the dying minutes, Joe Lewis produced a wonderful save to deny Chris Cadden’s low strike, before Tom Aldred was denied a stonewall penalty when his goalbound header was blocked by the upwards, outstretched hand of Andrew Considine.