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“We have a weak spot giving cheap goals away, even though the penalty was outside the box. That’s what cost us tonight.”

Motherwell failed to break down an organised Ross County as all three points made the long journey back to the Highlands.

After the stirring fightback at Ibrox on Sunday, the ‘Well fans anticipated an inspired performance from the Fir Park men.

But it never materialised in a match with few highlights where a stubborn and County were the more determined to win.

A lacklustre first half cost the Fir Park men as Joseph Hungbo’s goal from a 15th minute penalty gave the Dingwall side an advantage they seldom looked like surrendering.

Although Graham Alexander’s men showed some urgency and improvement in the second 45, it was not enough to save his side from extending its dismal winless run to nine league games.

With three crucial home games in the next 11 days, Graham Alexander rotated his playing squad once again making four changes to the side that bravely fought back for a well-earned point against Rangers.

Sondre Solholm returned to the heart of the ‘Well defence alongside Ricki Lamie, at the expense of Bevis Mugabi,, with Sean Goss starting in front of them in midfield.

The biggest alteration was up front with Kevin van Veen and Connor Shields reunited to lead the home attack alongside an on-form Kaiyne Woolery.

After fighting back from being a goal down in their last three games, the Steelmen were looking for a more positive start against Malky Mackay’s side.

However, it didn’t turn out that way as the home side fell behind after only 15 minutes.

Jake Carroll got caught on the wrong side of Kayne Ramsay as they approached the corner of the ‘Well box. Although the replays showed the foul was outside the box, referee John Beaton had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot.

That was enough to allow Hungbo to send Liam Kelly the wrong way and claim his 14th goal of the season.

Providing the Dingwall side with something to defend they conceded most of the possession to the Fir Park men, who found it difficult to get behind a solid, no-nonsense blue line.

Woolery’s occasional burst of pace down the right brought an air of excitement and promise but little else as the first half progressed towards the break with Ross Laidlaw’s goal largely unthreatened.

The lack of cohesion in ‘Well’s play, with far too many passes going astray, was acknowledged by the frustrated home fans as they voiced their disapproval at the half-time whistle.

On the evidence of the first half, the ‘Well boss had plenty of options to make any number of changes at half-time. But the ‘Well boss was content to standby the same eleven hoping for a vast improvement.

His faith was almost repaid within 90 seconds. Woolery sent Van Veen into the box on the right and his low cross found Shields lurking four yards out but only able to side foot the ball narrowly past.

That bright start was appreciated by the home crowd and a couple of minutes later there was further applause when Van Veen’s drive from 30 yards gave Laidlaw his first serious save of the game.

Despite the more promising start to the second half, Alexander made his first change after 56 minutes swapping Joe Efford for Shields.

That triggered a procession of substitutions from County as their delaying tactics added to the home side’s frustrations.

A quick turn from Van Veen after 65 minutes sent Woolery racing into the box but – from a tight angle – his solid strike on goal was blocked by the ‘keeper’s right boot.

However, as the Highlanders dug in for a precious three points, Motherwell were devoid of ideas and the ability to create clear cut chances.

In attempt to make the breakthrough, Jordan Roberts was brought on for the final 18 minutes.

A final threat saw Carroll’s inswinging corner finding Van Veen in the six-yard box but his flashing header sent the ball wide of goal.

Virtually all the of excitement was contained in the last five minutes when ‘Well spent the entire time in the County box.

In the final minute ‘Well were denied an equaliser they might have just deserved, when Roberts’ bullet header from five yards was palmed over the bar by the quick reactions of Laidlaw.

But – in truth – it was too little from a ‘Well side which will want to put a hugely disappointing 90 minutes behind them.

Liam Kelly is your Paycare player of the month for February.

Beating Bevis Mugabi, Kaiyne Woolery and Kevin Van Veen in the public vote, Kelly picks up his second player of the month trophy at Motherwell.

The stopper started in all six games in February, producing a number of world class stops to help the side achieve three points and a spot in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final.

The Motherwell boss says his team have to 100% focussed on the Ross County game if they want to achieve their long term goals.

Motherwell face off against SWPL1 champions Glasgow City on Sunday 6 March at Petershill Park. 

Kick off is 1pm.

Come and Watch 

Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Glasgow City online shop.

You can also purchase on the gate on the day of the game.

Tickets cost £8 for an adult and £2 for Under 16s.

Tale of the Tape 

The two sides have met on two occasions this season, with Glasgow City winning both encounters. 

The most recent game ended in a 5-1 victory to city, after Glasgow City broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Katie Rice grabbed the goal on the day for the women of steel. 

Form Guide  

Glasgow City have won their last 3 matches in a row, most recently against Hibernian. 

Their last defeat came at the start of February, when the current league leaders Rangers beat City 3-1. 

Motherwell come into this game off the back of a 5-1 defeat to Aberdeen. 

The ‘Well’s last victory came at the end of January, when they beat Spartans 3-0 at Alliance Park. 

Barry Maguire will miss the rest of the campaign after undergoing an operation on his quad.

The former Scotland Under 21 international picked up the injury at Tynecastle in January whilst trying to win the ball in a tackle.

It looked as if the 23-year-old would be able to rehab back without further intervention, but surgery will now be required, meaning he will play no further part this campaign.

“I feel for him as he has done everything right,” manager Graham Alexander said.

“If I know anything about Barry, he will come back better and stronger.”

We wish Barry the best with his recovery.

New College Lanarkshire has launched a partnership with Motherwell Football Club that will help nurture the sports coaches of the future.

The HNC Sports Coaching programme, which will be based at NCL’s Motherwell Campus and Ravenscraig Sports Centre, will give students the knowledge and skills they need to work as professionals within football or the wider discipline of sports development and coaching. The programme will also pave the way for further study at HND or Degree level.

Once the course begins in August, successful applicants will benefit from work placements at the Motherwell Football Club Community Trust.

In addition to live coaching sessions, learners will study sports development, sport science aspects such as anatomy and sports nutrition, and athlete wellbeing. The course may also offer additional opportunities for students to participate in and support the wider activity of the club.

The HNC also includes an embedded, stand alone, industry-recognised Professional Development Award in Sports Coaching at SCQF Level 7. This is jointly certificated by SportScotland and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

“We are really excited to launch this partnership with one of our local clubs, Motherwell FC, and we expect the course to be really popular,” Todd Lumsden, Curriculum and Quality Leader for Sport and Fitness and New College Lanarkshire said.

“It will give students the opportunity to put what they’re learning at NCL into practice with a top-flight football club.

“It’s a fantastic chance to boost your employment prospects either within football or sports coaching, or to take the first step towards an HND or Degree.”

“Motherwell Football Club is delighted to be working in partnership with New College Lanarkshire to offer this opportunity to aspiring coaches,” Dawn Middleton, Motherwell FC Community Trust General Manager, said,

“The Community Trust will offer placements to every student across our broad range of projects, allowing them to work with a range of abilities, age groups and outcomes, putting their academic theory into practice.

“Students will also have the opportunity to move into paid sessional work with the Trust, enhancing their future employment profile.”

More information on the course, which starts in August 2022, can be found here.

Motherwell FC is something a little different from the football norm, and we need a new Head of Digital, Brand and Communications to help us tell the world about it.

We need an individual who will shape, direct and deliver the club’s external communications strategies. You will lead the club’s award-winning digital team, marketing team, our new data/CRM team and our various publications, as well as continue to evolve our brand.

But we don’t just want anyone who may have the requisite qualifications and experience or someone who loves football. We want a person who truly believes in this sport the way we do and wants to inspire others to feel the same and be a part of our journey.

Motherwell FC is a Scottish Premiership football club that has won every major domestic honour in Scotland at some point in our history. We were the first top-flight fully fan-owned football club in Great Britain with a fantastic supporter base that’s loyal, generous, colourful, boisterous and passionate.

We want to be a club that wins football matches and puts on an entertaining show for those fans every game. However, as equally important to us is what our football club stands for, who we represent and the values and principles that define us and why we exist.

We are both a football club and a cause, and that cause is to improve the lives of the people we engage with, whether that’s our supporters, our neighbours, community, or anyone who needs it. We shine a torch on issues that may be taboo, be it on mental health, suicide, poverty, unemployment or social inclusion.

We believe passionately in using our highly engaged public platform to help people and make a positive difference each day. We don’t just say it because it looks and feels good. We do so because we genuinely believe it, and it means a lot to our supporters and us. Therefore, it’s vitally important that the people charged with shaping and telling our story publicly fully believe in why we do what we do too.

We have forged a culture at the club that pairs the need and desire for a highly professional sporting environment that encourages excellent performance and player development with a real visible social conscience. It’s what we think makes us stand out from the others, and it is football how we believe it should be.

If you share that mindset and agree with our beliefs, and think you can help us tell that story and inspire people, this could be the job for you.

But, the hours can be long and challenging. When the initial glamour and excitement dissipates, it can be mentally tough, particularly with big shoes to fill. The pressures and expectations can be challenging to cope with, and any mistakes are made in the public eye. You may even have to drop everything you’re doing and immediately jump into work mode, as the world of football rarely sleeps. You will also need to get your hands dirty. This role is a much a doing one as it is a leadership one. It’s a bit cliché, but no day or challenge will ever be the same.

If you see all those things as challenges to overcome rather than barriers, and you thrive in that type of fast-paced environment, you will not only love it, but more importantly, you can help us shape something unique and tell a wonderful story that will showcase the best elements of the beautiful game, and we want you to be on our team.

What exactly is “essential” for the job?

The most important thing is you can do the job well and have a passion for what we stand for, whether that’s because you’ve been through a higher education programme or because you’ve worked somewhere to build up that knowledge. Or both. We’re open-minded.

We want someone with a solid work ethic and obsessed with improving what we do. We are looking for someone to continue our work, but who can also make their stamp on the role, the department and the club, but you’ll also be pushed hard and challenged.

We are looking for someone who is goal orientated and will ensure whatever task is appropriately planned, executed, and completed. And we are also looking for someone who can bring the best out in staff, empowering them to work autonomously while also supporting, guiding and helping them develop.

The day-to-day also includes managing internal relationships, video editing and approval, writing copy, social media posting, analysing trends and data using Blinkfire Analytics, and paid social and email marketing, so we are looking for candidates with relevant experience or an aptitude for those tasks as well.

What does success look like and how will we measure it?

A big part of our strategy to retain our supporters, keep them interested and captivated as well as gain new fans is by creating engaging and captivating digital content that people not only enjoy but relate to and, importantly, ties in with the values and principles of the club.

We have grown our digital footprint beyond all recognition in the last four years. We are currently the fifth most followed professional football team in Scotland across the five major platforms. We are closing in on being the biggest online outside of Celtic and Rangers. We want to continue that upward trend and will work with you to set ambitious targets on how we continue to produce the sort of content that is not only enjoyable for our most loyal supporters but to those who might take a growing interest in the club.

Our productions in video, graphics and photography are taken care of by our exceptionally talented staff. We would look to you to have experience in managing the three, particularly video, with an ability to shape projects, participate where necessary, and also ensure the final products are of the required standard.

We have also recently partnered with CRM providers Sports Alliance to ensure we give our fans the most appropriate content and information tailored to individual fans’ needs and wants. For that, we will need to resource the new department properly. One of your first jobs will be to ensure we have talented provision within marketing and data analysis to help us achieve our growth targets in both season ticket numbers and matchday attendances.

We are also at the stage of needing to develop a new website which is fit for purpose for engaging our current support, providing services to our fans and also attracting new ones. You’ll also be at the heart of the project to develop that with external agencies.

We want to maintain and continue to grow a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the Scottish media. Motherwell FC views the media as partners and colleagues. We want to be recognised as a welcoming, helpful, and respectful club to deal with whilst maximising our exposure to deliver our message and core purpose and drive real value for our sponsors and partners. A big part of your role will be to maintain a healthy line of communication between the club and the Scottish press. You will be our figurehead, spokesperson and point of contact.

What is some of our best digital content?

To give you a flavour of what we’re about, here are some of the various pieces of digital content that we’ve created over the last few years, showcasing the stories that we tell and the access we have.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1387019766301351938

What is the salary?

Motherwell FC places a huge emphasis on this area of the business. As such, we think the package, including performance-related bonuses, on offer will be highly competitive, and we would be happy to speak in confidence to any potential applicant about the parameters.

How do I apply?

Send a CV and a cover letter to alan.burrows@motherwellfc.co.uk. We want to know what experience you can bring, what you know about us and what you think is necessary to drive us on to the next level.

PJ Morrison has joined Alloa Athletic on loan for the rest of the season.

The goalkeeper heads to League One as he continues his development.

Morrison, 24, has had a number of successful loan spells at Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Falkirk and Ayr United.

We wish PJ all the best for the rest of the campaign.

It’s time to pick your Paycare Motherwell FC player of the month for February.

To vote, head to our Facebook page and pick your favourite.

Bevis Mugabi, Liam Kelly, Kevin van Veen and Kaiyne Woolery are in contention.