Motherwell’s unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday against Rangers at Ibrox, with the Gers winning 1-0.
Thelo Aasgaard’s tap-in proved to be the difference, but in truth, both sides should have scored more than their final count.
Jens Berthel Askou made two changes to his team. Regan Charles-Cook dropped out of the squad, with Callum Slattery named amongst the subs. Tom Sparrow and Ibrahim Said were handed starts.
With Motherwell ten games unbeaten and having kept six consecutive clean sheets in the league, going into this match, there was a sense that a positive result could be achieved at a difficult venue.
Having won on their two previous visits to Govan, the Steelmen lined up and played their usual possession-based football early on.
Youssef Chermiti had the first half chance of the afternoon inside five minutes. The Portuguese forward drove forward but couldn’t get a shot away after Johnny Koutroumbis tackled.
Motherwell then had their first chance just a minute later. A ball into the box found Tom Sparrow unmarked, but the Welshman headed wide of the mark, with the linesman’s flag eventually going up for offside.
The away fans were encouraged more when Elijah Just got in behind the Rangers’ backline, forcing the home side back into their own box. A free kick was won 35 yards from goal on eight minutes; Elliot Watt’s delivery only found a Rangers head, but the early signs were positive for the Steelmen.
Lukas Fadinger picked up the ball on the halfway line and made his way forward. The Austrian had options but opted for a shot from 20 yards, but his effort was saved by Jack Butland.
Fadinger then had a great chance to open the scoring. Stephen Welsh’s chipped ball forward was laid off perfectly to Fadinger by Sparrow; this time the Austrian connected well, but Butland saved with his feet to keep the score level after 12 minutes.
It only took another minute for a huge chance to arrive for Motherwell. This time Ibrahim Said was sent on his bike in behind; the forward passed across to Callum Hendry, who saw his effort saved from inside the box.
The pressure kept on coming from Motherwell, with Hendry’s smart flick setting up Just to look for Fadinger, but the ball was overrun this time. But the Ibrox crowd were beginning to get frustrated.
Gassama had Rangers’ first big chance on 19 minutes; the ball fell to the forward on the edge of the box, but his curling effort went over the bar.
Calum Ward then produced a wonderful double save to keep the score level on 20 minutes. Thelo Aasgaard then had some of Ibrox on its feet when he hit the side netting on 27 minutes after jinking through the Motherwell defence.
The tide began to turn with Rangers creating more chances. Emmanuel Longelo got an important block from Chermiti’s strike on the half-hour mark, but Rangers had their tails up.
Motherwell managed to regain some control, and Elijah Just had a massive chance to open the scoring on 43 minutes. Hendry’s back-heel sent Just through on goal, but Butland saved once again.
Gassama then saw his effort saved from close range on 44 minutes, with Ward standing firm at his near post. That would be the final big chance of the first 45, with both sides left frustrated at not being able to convert one of their many chances.
No changes were made for either side at the interval, and the second-half began with both sides aiming to be more clinical in front of goal. Rangers thought they achieved that on 47 minutes when Raskin converted Gassama’s cross, but the goal was ruled out for offside with Ward impacted by Chermiti.
Motherwell tried to hit Rangers on the counter-attack on 57 minutes. Longelo burst out of defence and fed the ball to Just, but the New Zealander’s cross was cleared before Said could get on the end of it. Just was involved again a minute later. Watt’s long, curling pass found Just, who reached the ball before the on-rushing Butland, but the danger was cleared by the Rangers defence.
Calum Ward produced a magnificent save on the hour mark to deny Chermiti, as the forward cutely flicked the ball towards the far corner; Koutroumbis then slid in to block a certain goal from Moore. Unbelievable defending. Chermiti then saw his header saved again by Ward, who was working immensely hard between the sticks.
Ward comfortably saved Raskin’s effort from outside the box on 64 minutes, as Rangers regained control of proceedings. But just seconds later, Butland produced a wonderful save to deny Hendry, who brought the ball down in the area before blasting a powerful volley on target. Butland pushed the ball to safety, but it gave the Steelmen some renewed energy.
But that energy was then wiped out as Gassama cut inside and sent a shot towards the far corner, which was saved by Ward, but Aasgaard was there to knock it home.
There was a triple change following the goal, with Hendry, Just and Koutroumbis coming off. Stamatelopoulos, O’Donnell and Slattery came on, and just moments later, Longelo was presented with a wonderful chance to level. The full-back had ventured to the edge of the box; with the ball falling onto his weaker right foot, he couldn’t keep the strike on target.
Jayden Meghoma had a strike saved on 83 minutes, as Motherwell began to throw caution to the wind to find the equaliser. Esapa Osong came on for Sparrow, with Jens Berthel Askou opting for an attacking finish.
As the game drew to a close, the game became wide open. Motherwell left very few in defence, meaning Rangers had numerous opportunities to finish the match as a contest. But, they couldn’t convert, and when Fadinger burst into the box and knocked the ball past Fernandez and was ready to pull the trigger in the penalty box, he went down as the defender left a dangling leg in Fadinger’s path. Despite strong claims, the referee and VAR didn’t intervene, to the frustration of the Motherwell players and bench.
Motherwell Team: Ward, Koutroumbis, McGinn, Welsh, Longelo, Watt, Fadinger, Sparrow, Just, Said, Hendry.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, O’Donnell, Gordon, Priestman, McAllister, Slattery, Osong, Stamatelopoulos, Ross.
