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  • First team

    ‘If we play to 100%, we have a chance’

  • First team

    Next up: Rangers

  • First team

    Manager reacts to European exit

  • First team

    Hapoel Beer-Sheva 3-0 Motherwell

  • First team

    Watch Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Motherwell live

  • First team

    Duo in Scotland Under 21 squad

  • First team

    ‘We will go with a plan and positivity’

  • First team

    Ross MacIver joins Morton on loan

  • First team

    Next up: Hapoel Beer-Sheva

  • First team

    ‘Being clinical the difference’

  • First team

    ‘If we play to 100%, we have a chance’

    ‘If we play to 100%, we have a chance’

    In football, timing can be everything.

    From working out a pre-season schedule, to measuring the drop of a shoulder or a darting sprint to perfection to make space, it makes a huge difference.

    For Motherwell, they may very well be timing their run into the metaphorical box perfectly.

    A slow start left the Fir Park side well off the pace. But a grinding result producing a victory against Glentoran offered a glimmer of hope to supporters watching at home that their team wasn’t far away.

    But in the last couple of weeks, this Motherwell team has clocked up performances – and more importantly results – to get tongues wagging that last year’s third-placed team is back in business, just as the fixtures and competitions start to stack up.

    At times, it hasn’t been tricky. Glentoran, St Johnstone and Coleraine – the trip to Northern Ireland particularly – have come with challenges.

    But, tail that with an emphatic 3-0 rout at Pittodrie, and the niggling doubt which may have lurked a couple of weeks ago has already dissipated as the season cranks up.

    The performance away to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in Israel again underlined that, albeit in a 3-0 loss. But, regardless of that result, it is clear Motherwell are ready to take off once more.

    “The game in Northern Ireland was a completely different game to Aberdeen,” said Liam Polworth, the Well midfielder.

    “We knew it would be tough. But to come out of the traps at Aberdeen was fantastic. It was an amazing result and we nearly had the full thing put to bed in the first half.”

    Motherwell’s win at Pittodrie was all-the-more impressive when you consider what had gone immediately before.

    Two goals up in Northern Ireland to Coleraine at half-time, a testing second-half, a sending off, a nerve-jangling extra-time period and an emotion-zapping penalty shootout eventually saw the Steelmen progress into the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.

    And then there was the Showgrounds pitch…

    “We knew it would be hard when we got there and saw the pitch,” said Polworth, the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfielder.

    “I’ve not seen anything like it and I’ve played a couple of years in the Championship.

    “The grass was long, it was bumpy, there were divots. You couldn’t pass the ball five yards without it going all over the place.

    “I was saying this to the boys earlier. You work so hard to get into Europe and then you get dished a game like that. There was a bit of a downer when you got there, but we were just buzzing to get through.

    “It’s testament to the manager and the coaching staff that we were able to go flying at Aberdeen at Pittodrie on the Sunday. We all worked hard but we’re fit, and ready to go. It was a long night on that pitch in Coleraine but we knew we had a job to do on Sunday.”

    He added: “There’s times when it does go through your head that it’s not going to be your night. Especially with the way the first half went and then they pull it back in the second half.

    “When they get the late penalty you start to doubt. But to get through was brilliant, and a lot of credit has to go to Trevor [Carson]. Everyone knew how good he was and is.”

    The start of the campaign has been a testing time for most connected with the club, but perhaps Polworth more than some.

    He was a major part of Motherwell’s thrust to third last season, leading the way in the Scottish Premiership in the way of assists.

    However, due to the return of David Turnbull from knee surgery, he found game time hard to come by, often sitting on the bench as his team-mates found results tricky to get.

    But now back in the team, the impact he has made has been clear.

    “It was definitely frustrating,” he admitted. “Anyone in that position would be the same but you have to deal with it. You get on with it.

    “When you get the chance back you need to take it, and prove to the manager that you deserve to stay in the team.”

    The attention and focus now turns to today’s visit of Rangers, a side the Well have not beaten at home in the league since Boxing Day in 200.

    Polworth reckons now may be the time for that to change.

    While only a couple of weeks ago Motherwell could not buy a win despite playing well while Rangers’ defence was impenetrable, Motherwell have strung together wins, gained confidence and started scoring goals.

    Couple that with Rangers finally conceding in the form of the 2-2 draw at Easter Road, and there is a renewed hope that a shock – at least to those outside of Fir Park – could be on the cards.

    “We know when we play to 100% that we have a right good chance,” he said.

    “We need to be right at it, they have a lot of quality players. But at home we will be right up for it and know what we can bring to the game.

    “Obviously we hope that it all works to our benefit and they come on to us. Hopefully it means we can break away and win the game.”

  • First team

    Next up: Rangers

    Next up: Rangers

    Rangers are our next opponents in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, 27 September 2020.

    Kick-off at Fir Park is at 12pm.

    The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Season ticket holders can watch for free online at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    International subscribers can also see the game as part of their package.

    There will be no pay-per-view available in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

    Form guide

    Both sides were in UEFA Europa League action on Thursday, with both experiencing different fortunes on their travels.

    Rangers were comprehensive 4-0 winners in the Netherlands against Willem II, while Motherwell were more than a match for Hapoel Beer-Sheva before losing out 3-0.

    On domestic duty, Rangers’ seven-game clean sheet run ended with a 2-2 draw at Hibernian last weekend.

    They remain unbeaten in the league this campaign, winning six and drawing away with Livingston and the aforementioned Hibs.

    Motherwell go into the weekend with two league wins on the bounce. A 1-0 home win over St Johnstone was followed up by the notable 3-0 away win at Aberdeen last Sunday.

    Tale of the tape

    Rangers have won the last four competitive meetings between the sides, dating back to November 2018.

    Before that, the Steelmen recorded two high-scoring home draws against the Ibrox club, with back-to-back games finishing 3-3 and 2-2.

    Competitively, Motherwell’s last win in the fixture at Fir Park came in the Premiership play-off in May 2015. On league business, the last home win for the men in claret and amber came in December 2002 in a 1-0 victory.

  • First team

    Manager reacts to European exit

    “It’s tinged with disappointment. We were the better side for large periods of the game.”

    Stephen Robinson reacts to Motherwell’s European exit.

  • First team

    Hapoel Beer-Sheva 3-0 Motherwell

    Hapoel Beer-Sheva 3-0 Motherwell

    Motherwell suffered a European exit at the hands of Hapoel Beer-Sheva at the third qualifying round stage.

    Goals from Miguel Vitor, Joseu and Elton-Ofoi Acolatse did the damage in a 3-0 win, with Declan Gallagher seeing red in the incident which gave the Israelis a penalty to go two up.

    But the Steelmen were more than a match for their illustrious opposition for the most part in humid conditions and, on a different night, would have seen their chances pay.

    On a humid evening in Petah Tikva, Motherwell started brightly, finding joy on the right side with O’Donnell and working balls into the opposition box.

    Long then had the golden chance with 20 minutes played. Spinning clear of his marker on the right side, his shot flashed across the face of goal and came within centimetres of dropping in at the left post.

    Watt then also had a close range effort denied, with the ball getting caught under his feet on the first attempt, and his second being blocked by the defence.

    Beer-Sheva’s opener came after Motherwell were denied a drop ball after being in possession after a clash of heads in the box.

    The hosts went up the other end and won a free-kick on the left. Joseu swung it in, with Vitor breaking clear to head home with four minutes left in the half.

    Soon after, there were fierce calls for a dismissal. Watt was smashed in the back of the head by an irate Beer-Sheva player, after a coming together just before.

    Instead, the referee chose to book both, before blowing the half-time whistle.

    Motherwell came out of the blocks at pace again in the second period and had a host of chances to pull level.

    First, O’Hara saw a near post header from Polworth’s corner kept out by the ‘keeper, and Gallagher headed over soon after from another great Polworth set play.

    Motherwell were in the ascendancy but were to be dealt a blow with 20 minutes to go.

    Gallagher was booked for giving away a free-kick on the right and from the resulting delivery, his wrestle with the forward saw a penalty awarded and a second yellow shown.

    Joseu made no mistake from the spot, slotting into the bottom right corner.

    Lang and White were introduced as ‘Well went chasing but the hosts would kill the game with 10 minutes to go.

    Acolatse found room on the left, cut inside and sent a low powerful drive past Carson into the net.

    Motherwell: Carson, O’Donnell, Gallagher, Lamie, McGinley, Grimshaw, O’Hara, Campbell, Polworth (Maguire), Watt (White), Long (Lang).

    Subs not used: Morrison, Hastie, Cornelius, Seedorf.

  • First team

    Watch Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Motherwell live

    Watch Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Motherwell live

    Our match with Hapoel Beer-Sheva will be broadcast live online.

    Priced at £10, the game is now available to buy for supporters in the UK and Republic of Ireland at ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Supporters based outside of the UK/Ireland can watch via their normal subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk. If you’re based in Israel, you will not be able to see the game.

    Kick-off in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round match is at 6.30pm BST. Please buy your pass and log in early to avoid a last-minute surge.

    PLEASE NOTE that if you are an existing season ticket holder in the UK or Ireland, your existing log in will not work. You must create a new account at ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Due to the complex technical logistics of getting a video feed from Israel, we unfortunately will not have commentary on the feed. You will hear the noise from the stadium instead.

  • First team

    Duo in Scotland Under 21 squad

    Duo in Scotland Under 21 squad

    Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire are in the latest Scotland Under 21 squad.

    The young Scots will face Czech Republic at Tynecastle Park on Friday 9 October, before travelling to take on San Marino four days later.

    Scot Gemmill’s side are still in the hunt for a European Under 21 Championship place, sitting four points behind the Czechs with a game in hand.

    They are joined by former ‘Well players James Scott and David Turnbull, both academy graduates who previously featured at Under 21 level while with the Steelmen.

  • First team

    ‘We will go with a plan and positivity’

    “We will go there with a game plan and a real positive mindset.”

    Stephen Robinson looks ahead to Thursday’s UEFA Europa League third qualifying round match at Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

  • First team

    Ross MacIver joins Morton on loan

    Ross MacIver joins Morton on loan

    Ross MacIver has joined Greenock Morton on loan for the 2020/21 season.

    The forward, who scored on his Motherwell debut at Ross County last campaign, heads to the Championship for more valuable playing time.

    “Ross is another of our young players who needs to be getting first team minutes,” said manager Stephen Robinson.

    “With no reserve matches, Ross joins Harry Robinson and Jamie Semple on going on loan to aid their development.

    “Like the others, we want Ross to use this experience to be able to come back ready to fight for a place in our team.”

  • First team

    Next up: Hapoel Beer-Sheva

    Next up: Hapoel Beer-Sheva

    Motherwell’s European adventure continues on Thursday with a trip to take on Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the UEFA Europa League.

    Kick-off on Thursday 24 September 2020 is at 6.30pm BST.

    Watch live

    Our match with Hapoel Beer-Sheva will be broadcast live online.

    Priced at £10, the game is now available to buy for supporters in the UK and Republic of Ireland at ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Supporters based outside of the UK/Ireland can watch via their normal subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk. If you’re based in Israel, you will not be able to see the game.

    Kick-off in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round match is at 6.30pm BST. Please buy your pass and log in early to avoid a last-minute surge.

    PLEASE NOTE that if you are an existing season ticket holder in the UK or Ireland, your existing log in will not work. You must create a new account at ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Due to the complex technical logistics of getting a video feed from Israel, we unfortunately will not have commentary on the feed. You will hear the noise from the stadium instead.

    Form guide

    Hapoel Beer-Sheva postponed their weekend match in preparation for the tie, having won one and lost one of their two league matches this season.

    In Europe, a 3-0 home win over Dinamo Batumi was followed by a trip to Albania to take on Laci last midweek.

    Trailing 1-0 in the 90th minute, late goals from Agudelo and Varenne sealed progression.

    For the Steelmen, victory over Aberdeen was a fourth win in five matches. That result followed wins over Glentoran, St Johnstone and Coleraine.

  • First team

    ‘Being clinical the difference’

    “We’ve now won four out of five. The difference between now and earlier in the season is how clinical we were.”

    Stephen Robinson reacts to the win over Aberdeen.