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  • First team

    Manager reacts to cup win over Morton

  • First team

    Motherwell 2-1 Greenock Morton

  • First team

    Graham Alexander previews Greenock Morton

  • First team

    INSIDE MOTHERWELL // The winter break

  • Club

    The business benefits of an effective workplace wellbeing strategy

  • First team

    Watch Motherwell v Greenock Morton live online

  • First team

    Next up: Greenock Morton

  • First team

    Manager reacts to Ross County loss

  • First team

    Ross County 3-1 Motherwell

  • Women

    Hamilton next up in SWPL1

  • First team

    Manager reacts to cup win over Morton

    “We didn’t let it become a hard-luck story. We kept going to the end and did not quit.”

  • First team

    Motherwell 2-1 Greenock Morton

    Motherwell 2-1 Greenock Morton

    Motherwell dug deep to come from behind and progress after extra time against Greenock Morton.

    After a goalless 90 minutes, Robbie Muirhead threatened to cause a shock for the visitors with a strike on the counter on the stroke of half-time of the first period.

    But Kevin van Veen’s penalty and Liam Donnelly’s wonder strike at the death ensured progression to the last 16.

    Graham Alexander made two changes from the side that lost to Ross County. In the absence of Bevis Mugabi, Jake Carroll came in to the central defence to partner Sondre Solholm.

    Up front, Connor Shields was given the opportunity to lead the ‘Well attack with Van Veen dropping to the bench.

    Shields had an early half chance but with his back to goal, he failed to make good contact with Jordan Roberts’ cross from the right side of the penalty area.

    The former Queen of the South striker then produced a terrific burst of speed to race away from former Fir Park defender Brian McLean, but from a tight angle, Shields fired low and saw his effort turned round the post by goalkeeper Hamilton.

    From the resultant corner, Carroll’s downward header gave the goalkeeper his comfortable first save of the match.

    The former Hearts’ ‘keeper was forced into a better save after 15 minutes when a Sean Goss free was only cleared to Barry Maguire at the edge of the box and his fine drive was beaten away by Hamilton.

    As Motherwell tried to pick up the pace, Goss tried his luck from fully 35 yards but his powerful left foot was palmed away by the Morton ‘keeper.

    After that period of pressure from ‘Well, the Championship side settled into the pace of the game and comfortably dealt with the home threat.

    Most of the play was contained to the midfield where Maguire was dominant. But when the Fir Park men broke forward, notably through the trickery and speed of Roberts and Kaiyne Woolery the ball in the final third was poor and failed to find the rather isolated Shields.

    Although Morton contested well in the first half, it took them until the final minute of the first half to produce a shot on goal.

    And while Gavin Reilly’s angled shot from 12 yards was straight at Liam Kelly, it posted a warning that the Steelmen would have to raise their game in the second half and impress the ‘Well fans.

    As the hour mark approached and most of play continued around the home goal, manager Alexander acknowledged a change in personnel was required.

    As Van Veen was just about to replace Woolery, Shields’ close-range header brought a fine reflex save from Hamilton.

    It didn’t take long for Van Veen to make his presence felt and within two minutes his clever footwork had worked an opening at the edge of the box but his left foot shot was straight at the ‘keeper.

    A couple of minutes later, the Dutch striker produced a similar run across the box only to fire his shot over the crossbar but at least he was getting the home fans on their feet.

    A Goss drive across the six-yard box found no takers in claret and amber as the ‘Well fans frustrations started to grow.

    With 15 minutes remaining, the tireless running Shields made way for recent acquisition Ross Tierney to make his debut.

    It was still end-to-end stuff as Morton continued to push towards Kelly’s goal in search of a shock winner.

    Four minutes from time van Veen was denied what would have been the winning goal. Advancing on Hamilton’s goal from an angle the striker’s low finish was destined for the far corner of the net until the ‘keeper’s outstretched leg diverted the ball beyond the post.

    A minute later, Donnelly’s thumping drive from 25 yards was smothered by the Morton ‘keeper as the Premiership side pushed to prevent the tie going into extra time.

    Despite applying an urgency missing from the previous 80 minutes, Motherwell failed to kill off a determined Morton as the boos from the home fans signalled the end of regulation time.

    The ‘Well boss no doubt urged his men to begin extra-time maintaining the pressure on the ‘Ton goal. But with Imrie’s side reorganised at the back, the game settled into its familiar pattern with the away side looking as likely to find the opening goal.

    Both ‘Well substitutes – Van Veen and especially Tierney – looked determined to influence things but it was Morton sub Muirhead who had the greatest impact on the game when he broke the deadlock just before the end of the first period of extra-time.

    The former Kilmarnock and Dundee United striker chased a hopeful long ball upfield before dragging the ball into the box and whipping an angled shot beyond the diving Kelly to put Morton in the driving seat.

    Facing the Cooper Stand for the final 15 minutes, Alexander made a double change bringing on Amaluzor and Slattery.

    The former Southampton man was involved after only three minutes when his ball into the box found Tierney eight yards in front of goal.

    When McLean thundered into the back of the Irishman, referee Nick Walsh had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot.

    Despite protests from the Morton players, Van Veen confidently hammered home the spot kick for his eighth goal of the season and raise ‘Well’s hopes of finding a winner.

    And it almost arrived three minutes from the end when van Veen latched on to McGinley’s ball down the left channel but after cutting inside his side foot finish was palmed away by Hamilton’s raised glove.

    Two minutes later, Tierney was then denied a memorable debut goal when his header was cleared off the goal line.

    However, the ball landed at the feet of Donnelly through Goss and, from the edge of the box, his stunning drive found the top corner of the net for a wonderful winning goal.

    Motherwell: Kelly, O’Donnell, Solholm, Carroll, McGinley, Donnelly, Maguire (Tierney), Goss, Woolery (Slattery), Roberts (Amaluzor), Shields (Van Veen).

    Subs: Fox, Ojala, O’Connor, Shaw, Cornelius.

  • First team

    Graham Alexander previews Greenock Morton

    The Motherwell boss speaks ahead of the Scottish Cup fourth round tie at Fir Park.

  • First team

    INSIDE MOTHERWELL // The winter break

    The end of 2021 brought with it a fraught spell at Motherwell FC, with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 threatening to play havoc.

    With the Scottish Government imposing a limit of 500 fans for games at Fir Park, the league decided to bring forward the scheduled winter break to minimise the potential damage.

    One game – against Livingston on Boxing Day – was played in front of limited numbers, an experience nobody enjoyed or wants to return to.

    A win in that match then brought the start of some well-earned rest for a playing squad in form.

    But there would be no respite for Paul Matthew and the groundstaff, who made the most of the time to carry out remedial work on the pitch.

    The time off also allowed us to catch up with summer recruit Sean Goss.

    A reserved, laidback character off the pitch, it turns out there’s much more to him than originally meets the eye.

  • Club

    The business benefits of an effective workplace wellbeing strategy

    The business benefits of an effective workplace wellbeing strategy

    The world of workplace wellbeing has been turned on its head over the past two years – with the importance of a happy and healthy workforce becoming ever more apparent in light of the individual and business struggles we’ve all experienced.

    Because it’s not just team members who benefit from a focus on physical, mental, financial and emotional health: their employers also stand to benefit from implementing an effective workplace wellbeing strategy.

    Here, the team from Paycare – proud sponsors of Motherwell Football Club – share their expert insights, having supported employee health and wellbeing since 1874.

    Healthy employees take less time off sick

    Sickness leave has been reduced to 3.6 days on average per employee per year – with carefully thought out policies that promote early detection and intervention of illnesses, meaningful support for those with long-term conditions, and assistance in the case of injury having the potential to improve employee health further.

    Introducing mental health assistance alone sees sickness absence fall in a third of companies. This is far more preferable than the alternative: creating a culture where employees feel they must come to work even if they are unwell.

    While on the surface this approach may look to be beneficial for the company in question, presenteeism has an even more damaging impact when it comes to business revenue: costing the UK economy £15.1 billion each year.

    Increased productivity and loyalty

    In workplaces where mental health is addressed, productivity rises by 12%, while more than half of companies also see engagement and morale rise. And this translates to visible and substantial benefits when it comes to weighing up the financial costs too. For every £1 a company invests in employee mental health, they can expect to see £5 back in reduced absence, presenteeism and staff turnover.

    Companies not yet realising the importance of workplace wellbeing are not only losing good employees to other firms, one in every eight people leaving the labour market does so because of ill health. Those dismissing the importance of healthcare perks might also find themselves missing out on top applicants – a third consider wellbeing benefits as a top priority when considering whether to accept a job offer.

    What should a Wellbeing Strategy include?

    To prove truly impactive, a formalised Wellbeing Strategy should be implemented to ensure consistency of offering across the business and ease of communication about perks and benefits to existing and potential staff, as well as external stakeholders and clients.

    A Wellbeing Strategy should protect the emotional, mental, physical and financial wellbeing of every team member. Naturally, employees should be supported through any specific problems which arise. Still, the strategy should also focus on preventing issues and making health and wellness a priority at all times, not just when a specific team member is experiencing a problem.

    As well as covering specific benefits available, the strategy should also focus on the company’s flexible working policy, who employees can approach for support, and whether adjustments can be made in light of long-term conditions.

    The bottom line

    A well-thought-out strategy offering effective benefits focused around all aspects of employee health – physical, emotional, mental, and financial – has been shown to reduce absenteeism, presenteeism, and absence leave, while simultaneously increasing loyalty, staff retention, and productivity.

    An investment in staff wellbeing isn’t just good for individuals. It’s good for business – and it needn’t be a huge investment, as Paycare has proved with its Bundle package.

    For just £2 per employee per month, Bundle members have access to three core wellbeing services: round-the-clock virtual access to a GP, confidential telephone support and counselling, and discounts on everything from utilities and sports gear to holidays and days out.

    Visit paycare.org/wellbeing-bundle for more information.

  • First team

    Watch Motherwell v Greenock Morton live online

    Watch Motherwell v Greenock Morton live online

    If you can’t make Motherwell v Greenock Morton in person on Saturday, there’s still a way to watch.

    A pay-per-view online stream of the game is now available for all fans to buy for £12.

    To get your pass, head to ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk. Please note that this stream is restricted to viewers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales. It is not available to buy in England, due to UEFA restrictions.

    If you’re based outside of the UK/Ireland, you can watch as part of your subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Get your ticket

    Don’t forget, tickets are still available if you want to make the trip to Fir Park.

    If you’re a season ticket holder, we’ve reserved your seat for you.

    To get yours, just log in to your account at tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk. Once logged in, your reserved ticket(s) will be in your account menu and will be uploaded to your card. You will not be required to collect a physical ticket.

    If you don’t have a season ticket, match tickets can also be bought from tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk. Pay at the gate is not available. Alternatively, call 01698 333333 or email tickets@motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Prices for tickets are:

    • Adult: £15
    • Over 60s, full-time students and 16-18 year-olds: £10
    • Under 15s: £5

    For away supporters, the ticket booth at the Tommy McLean Stand will open from 1.30pm, and will accept cash and card.

  • First team

    Next up: Greenock Morton

    Next up: Greenock Morton

    Our 2021/22 Scottish Cup campaign starts on Saturday with the visit of Greenock Morton.

    Kick-off at Fir Park is at 3pm.

    Get your ticket

    If you’re a season ticket holder, we’ve reserved your seat for you. You have until 1pm on Friday to guarantee your normal seat.

    To get yours, just log in to your account at tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk. Once logged in, your reserved ticket(s) will be in your account menu and will be uploaded to your card. You will not be required to collect a physical ticket.

    If you don’t have a season ticket, match tickets can also be bought from tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk. Pay at the gate is not available. Alternatively, call 01698 333333 or email tickets@motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Prices for tickets are:

    • Adult: £15
    • Over 60s, full-time students and 16-18 year-olds: £10
    • Under 15s: £5

    For away supporters, the ticket booth at the Tommy McLean Stand will open from 1.30pm, and will accept cash and card.

    Watch live online

    If you can’t make Motherwell v Greenock Morton in person on Saturday, there’s still a way to watch.

    A pay-per-view online stream of the game is now available for all fans to buy for £12.

    To get your pass, head to ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.

    Covid-19 information

    Covid-19 certification checks will now be in place at all matches.

    At Fir Park, we require that you are either:

    • fully vaccinated, which will include a booster vaccine for those who had a second dose more than four months ago; or
    • able to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test.

    We also advise that all fans take a lateral flow test before travelling to the match, regardless of their vaccination status.

    Join us before the match

    The Cooper Bar is open from 12pm for food and drink. Table service is in operation for this match.

    Our Centenary Suite is open to supporters who have already purchased hospitality for this fixture.

    Form guide

    Motherwell returned from the cinch Premiership winter break with a 3-1 loss at Ross County on Tuesday night.

    Prior to that, Graham Alexander’s men had won two on the bounce, beating St Johnstone and Livingston.

    Morton are unbeaten in three, drawing with Kilmarnock and then winning against Dunfermline Athletic and Ayr United.

    Tale of the tape

    Motherwell and Morton have met three times in the last five years in cup competitions, with the Steelmen winning all three.

    A 4-0 League Cup win in 2017 was followed up by the same scoreline in the same competition two years later, before Motherwell won a penalty shootout in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup last season.

  • First team

    Manager reacts to Ross County loss

    “We’ve thrown the game away. Hopefully that is a harsh lesson for everyone.”

  • First team

    Ross County 3-1 Motherwell

    Ross County 3-1 Motherwell

    Motherwell’s return to cinch Premiership action ended in defeat at Ross County.

    Sondre Solholm’s own goal in the dying seconds of the first half was cancelled out by Jordan Roberts’ stunner early in the second.

    But a double from County’s Regan Charles-Cook, after a red card for Jordon Tillson, gave the hosts all three points.

    Motherwell controlled large spells of the opening period, but chances were at a premium.

    Maguire’s long-distance drive was inches past the right post, as was a bending free kick from Van Veen from 25 yards which had home ‘keeper Maynard-Brewer scampering.

    A shout for a penalty was waved away in between, with Solholm clearly caught by the closed hand of the County keeper after he won a header in the box, which dropped wide.

    Then at the end of the half, a downward Donnelly header from a corner was going wide but Van Veen was again inches away from making the telling connection.

    With no shots on target the whole first 45, a sucker punch shouldn’t have arrived, but it somehow did in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time.

    Charles-Cook found space on the left after beating Mugabi, and his low cross across the face of goal was turned into his own net by Solholm at the front post.

    ‘Well needed to inject something extra into their play and it arrived 10 minutes into the second half.

    Van Veen refused to give up down the left and chased down a long ball to find himself up against two County men.

    Roberts had broke from deep and, receiving the ball 25 yards from goal, set himself with a deft touch before sending an unstoppable half-volley into the top right corner of the net.

    With County rattled, their discipline would go soon after.

    Roberts again caused trouble down the right and substitute Tillson answered with a two-footed lunge, which sparked furious scenes between both sets of players.

    In the end, Tillson saw a just red to put the hosts down to 10 men.

    The game predictably sparked to life, with both sides going at it at in an end-to-end second period.

    But it would be County who would strike next in the 72nd minute.

    A cross from the right wasn’t well dealt with as White and Mugabi collided, and Charles-Cook arrived late to smash the ball home from 12 yards.

    The 10 men then went even further in front with 10 minutes left.

    Charles-Cook’s burst to the byline saw him attempt to cross the ball, only for Mugabi’s outstretched hand to make contact with the ball in the box.

    Referee Beaton pointed to the spot, and Charles-Cook stepped up himself to put home County’s third.

    Motherwell: Kelly, O’Donnell, Solholm, Mugabi, McGinley, Donnelly, Maguire (Shields), Goss, Roberts, Woolery (Amaluzor), Van Veen.

    Subs not used: Fox, Morrison, Carroll, O’Connor, Grimshaw, Cornelius, Slattery.

  • Women

    Hamilton next up in SWPL1

    Hamilton next up in SWPL1

    It is the Lanarkshire derby up next for Motherwell as they take on Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park on Sunday 23 January. 

    Kick off is 2pm. 

    Come and Watch

    Tickets are priced at £5 for adults and £3 for concessions, and can be purchased on the gate.

    Tale of the Tape 

    The first women’s Lanarkshire derby of the season took place earlier this campaign, with the women of steel running out comfortable 3-0 winners. 

    Leanne Crichton opened the scoring from the spot, before Lori Gardner blasted home a second. Jemma Hughes added a third in the second half to secure all three points. 

    Form Guide

    Hamilton last picked up points in the league at the start of November when they drew 2-2 with Spartans. 

    They are currently in 10th place in the league with five points. 

    Motherwell drew 2-2 with Partick Thistle last weekend, with Amy Anderson and Kaela McDonald-Nguah getting on the scoresheet. 

    The claret and amber are one point off of fifth place Spartans.