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Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou reacts to losing at league leaders Hearts. 

Motherwell lost 3-1 to Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday, with Motherwell now going five games without a win. 

Emmanuel Longelo gave the Steelmen the lead early in the second half, but Claudio Braga equalised just after the hour mark before a controversial penalty gave Lawrence Shankland the opportunity to score from 12 yards in the 87th minute. Pierre Landry Kaboré made sure of the win in the stoppage time, dispatching a third past Calum Ward.

Motherwell named an unchanged 11 for the trip to the capital, with Jens Berthel Askou trusting the same team that were defeated 3-2 by Falkirk seven days ago.

Hearts came into the afternoon one point ahead of Rangers in the title race and had the opportunity to extend their lead at the top to four with Rangers playing on Sunday.

And the home crowd were almost on their feet when Captain Lawrence Shankland latched onto Stephen Welsh’s headed clearance, but the striker’s effort drifted wide of the post.

After conceding that early chance, the Steelmen settled into the match and enjoyed large spells of possession, with Premiership top goalscorer Tawanda Maswanhise causing the Hearts backline some trouble. His cross into the box was in a dangerous area, and Oisin McEntee had to be alert to deal with the danger.

Calum Ward was forced into an excellent save on 21 minutes from McEntee, with Stuart Findlay also coming close from a corner just minutes later.

Motherwell then registered their first big chance of the match after 25 minutes, when Elliot Watt tried to find the top corner with a curling effort, with Alexander Schwolow a match for the strike.

Just five minutes later, Ibrahim Said tried to find the bottom corner with a low effort, but it was well saved by Schwolow once again. With the half time whistle blown, both sides would feel they could go up a gear, and at the start of the second half, that’s exactly what Motherwell did.

With 50 minutes on the clock, a lovely team move from Motherwell led to Maswanhise picking up the ball on the right-wing, he sent the ball into the box to try and find Lukas Fadinger. The Austrian couldn’t connect with the ball, but Emmanuel Longelo was on hand at the back post to knock it home.

Motherwell were firmly in the ascendancy, and Maswanhise was furious with himself when he couldn’t keep his effort on target on 55 minutes, as the Zimbabwean looked for the far corner, but the ball went inches past the post.

And the forward would come to rue that missed opportunity. On 64 minutes, Claudio Braga’s hooked shot towards goal at the back post snuck inside the post, with Ward beaten. Claims for offside were strong from the Motherwell players, but VAR checked the attacking phase and deemed McEntee to be onside, who, if off, would’ve been interfering with play.

Longelo came close to a second when he got on the end of a cross into the box, but on his weaker right foot, the former West Ham player couldn’t keep the effort on target.

Longelo was proving to be involved in everything, and just a minute after his big chance, the full-back found Elijah Just in the box, but the New Zealand international got the connection with the ball wrong, and the shot went wide of the post.

Having missed a number of chances already, it really should have been 2-1 to the Steelmen on 74 minutes. Maswanhise came into the middle of the pitch and spun his marker in the centre circle before driving towards goals. Faking a shot, he sold Findlay a great dummy to give himself a perfect view of the goal, but again, the target was missed with Hearts blowing a big sigh of relief.

With that number of chances squandered, Hearts were hanging in there and would be rewarded for doing so in the 87th minute. Having won a soft free kick on the left-hand side, substitute Pierre Landry Kaboré tried to bring the ball down in the area but instead tried to win an ambitious penalty, now finding himself lying on the floor; the forward blindly flicked his head back, and Welsh, who was attempting to clear the ball standing up, made slight contact with his head. Referee Matthew MacDermid wasn’t interested initially, but VAR believed there to have been a clear and obvious error and brought him to the monitor.

Having watched the replays, the referee opted to ignore the rules regarding endangering an opponent and pointed to the spot to the delight of the home crowd. Shankland stepped up and made no mistake, sending Ward the wrong way. 2-1 with just minutes remaining.

Jens Berthel Askou made four changes as he threw caution to the wind, sending Callum Hendry, Jordan McGhee, Sam Nicholson and Oscar Priestman on to hunt down a late goal. But throwing the kitchen sink meant Motherwell were exposed at the back, and Kaboré completed a counter-attacking move when he drove into the box from the left-hand side and dispatched it into the net to seal the win for the Tynecastle side.

Motherwell Team: Ward, O’Donnell, McGinn, Welsh, Longelo, Watt, Sparrow, Fadinger, Said, Maswanhise, Just.

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, McGhee, Gordon, Priestman, Halliday, McAllister, Hendry, Nicholson, Ross.

Lukas Fadinger looks ahead to Saturday’s match against Hearts and believes based off recent meetings, that it’ll be a tight match. 

Fadinger explains what he’s learned from his first season in Scotland.

We are once again supporting the ‘Tackling Testicular Cancer’ campaign this weekend.

There will be a number of clubs across Scottish football raising awareness of the most common cancer in young men, most commonly affecting those aged 15–45.

Led by Cahonas Scotland, the campaign aims to encourage men to become more aware of their bodies, carry out regular self-checks, and seek help early if they notice anything unusual.

Testicular cancer has one of the highest survival rates of any cancer when detected early. However, too many men still delay speaking up or are unsure what to look for.

Through the reach of football, the campaign is designed to get a simple but important message into dressing rooms, terraces and communities across the country.

Checking yourself takes less than a minute, and it could save your life.

“Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men,” Ritchie Marshall, CEO and Founder of Cahonas, said.

“Yet, too many still don’t know how to check themselves or feel comfortable speaking about it. By working with clubs across Scotland, we can reach men in environments where they already feel connected, whether that’s in the stands, the dressing room or watching at home.

“If this campaign encourages even one more person to check themselves or seek help earlier, it will have made a real difference.”

“If we can help encourage any supporter to get themselves checked, then this campaign has been a success,” Stephen O’Donnell said.

“This message could save a life, and for that reason alone, Cahonas Scotland have our full support. Health is wealth, and it’s vital we check our bodies to ensure we’re healthy. If you see something you’re not sure of, seek professional medical advice immediately.”

For more information on testicular cancer and how to check yourself, visit the Cahonas website.

Jens Berthel Askou addresses the recent run of form, as Motherwell go the league leaders searching for their first win in four matches. 

The Motherwell manager also gives his opinion on the split in the Scottish Premiership.

Jens Berthel Askou has provided the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tynecastle.

“We’ll check Eythor [Bjørgolfsson] tomorrow,” the Motherwell manager explained.

“He had a little thing just before the last game, and we’ve been pushing to get him ready for Saturday. It’s going in the right direction, but we’ll make a final call tomorrow. Liam Gordon is back in full training. Callum Hendry is back in full training.

“Johnny [Koutroumbis] is progressing well. Regan Charles-Cook will be back in training from next week, so that’s some really positive news that we’re getting players back fit.”

Northern Ireland Senior team

The FIFA World Cup Qualifiers await the Northern Ireland Women’s National team this month, with Manager Michael McArdle selecting a 23-player panel for a home and away tie against Malta.

The squad are still awaiting their first victory of League B Group 2, with Switzerland and Turkey both level on six-points, as they chase qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Named in the 23-player squad is forward, Keri Halliday, who has proven to be a bright spark since arriving in ML1. A magnificent strike on her debut swiftly opened her Motherwell account, with Halliday playing a crucial role in successive victories over Aberdeen, Montrose and Hamilton Accies.

Scotland Under-19s

Gary Doctor has named his squad that will compete in the UEFA European Championship Round Two Qualifiers this month. Scotland are aiming for a place in the last-eight in Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer, with the National team set to face a triple-header of fixtures.

The young team will play Austria, North Macedonia and Norway, as the squad seek to continue their unbeaten record in the qualifying round after victories over Belgium, Croatia and the Netherlands.

Amongst the 20-player squad, midfield duo, Sophie Townsley and Mia McArthur will both retain their place in the squad after supporting the side to victories in February.

Scotland Under-23s

The finishing line is in sight for the Scotland Women’s Under-23 squad, who will depart Scotland for Murcia, Spain this month for the final two competitive fixtures that will decide the final standings of this year’s inaugural European competition.

They will face both France, and either the USA or Denmark in the final fixture of the campaign.

Named in the 20-player squad, defender Jenna Penman will retain her place in the squad after receiving a late squad selection for the previous round over a month ago. Joining her on the flight to the Spanish coast will be midfielder, Mason Clark, who received her late squad selection following Kenzie Weir’s late addition for the Scotland senior team.

Our final five fixtures of the season have been confirmed. 

Our first post-split fixture will be at Ibrox on Sunday 26 April, before travel to Falkirk six days later on Saturday 2 May. Our first home post-split fixture takes place on Saturday 9 May against Hearts at 8pm live on Sky Sports.

It’s back-to-back home fixtures as we face Celtic in our final home match of the season on Wednesday 13 May at 8pm. We round off our season at Easter Road on Saturday 16 May.

All relevant match and ticket information will be confirmed in due course. TV selections for the final two matches of the season will be announced in the coming weeks.

• Sunday 26 April
• Rangers v Motherwell (3.00pm)

• Saturday 2 May
• Falkirk v Motherwell (3.00pm)

• Saturday 9 May
• Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian (Sky Sports, 8.00pm)

• Wednesday 13 May
• Motherwell v Celtic (8.00pm)

• Saturday 16 May
• Hibernian v Motherwell (12.30pm)

Jon Obika’s coaching career may be in its early years, but the journey so far has been littered with learning. 

Retiring from his playing career in the summer of 2024, Obika wasted no time in diving head-first into the next stage of his life. Joining the coaching staff under then-Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell, Obika began to learn on the job.

That first season as a coach would show Obika first-hand the pressures and changes football as an industry can bring. Kettlewell would depart in January 2025, and his replacement, the unknown Michael Wimmer, would arrive the following month.

But the German would depart just months later, leaving Obika a tad concerned for what would come next.

“There was concern in the summer, no doubt about it,” Jon Obika said.

“Michael Wimmer and Ahmet [Koc] were only here for a few months, and I just didn’t see them leaving coming. So, when the club was on the hunt for a new manager, you’re just not sure what type of manager will be coming in.

“Obviously, I’ve worked and played under so many different managers, and they all have different characters and different demands. But when the gaffer came in, he just didn’t even need time. He hit the ground running, and because he’s such a tactician and a man-manager, I’m learning something every day.

“When we found out he was going to be the new manager, the first thing I did was research. I wanted to find out what type of shape he likes, players he’s worked with and where he’s been. It allows me to find out if there are players I know that he’s maybe encountered, and I can get a feel for what he’s like.

“The gaffer called me as soon as he was announced as manager. I think he phoned every member of staff, and you could see really early on the sort of touch he had and the type of person he is. It wasn’t because he had to do that, but it was because he wanted to. It just settled everyone.

“And you can see the difference those little things have made. For example, the fact that Max Rogers and the manager hadn’t worked together prior to Motherwell, or even known of each other, for them to have built up such a smooth operation and made it such a healthy environment to work in is hugely impressive.”

From that first phone call, it wasn’t long until the new manager was in the building and starting to get to work on the season ahead.

Early on, Obika was impressed. Having coached at some big clubs like FC København, IFK Göteborg and Sparta Prague prior to his arrival in North Lanarkshire, the Motherwell first-team coach could tell that he had operated at the highest level.

“I’d even say the body language of players going into games has been impressive,” Obika explained.

“And that’s because they believe in the system that he has implemented here. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially when players aren’t used to this approach. But he’s so clear in his speech, and he makes it clear for the players. He’s made something that may seem difficult look very easy.

“I think that’s his strength. He’s so adaptable. For every opposition we come up against, there’s a different plan, and it can be our same style but just with small tweaks. There are things I’d have never thought of in my mind going into a game, so anytime he says something in a meeting or a conversation, I’m trying my best to write it down because I feel it could be something I could learn from.

“Some of the things I’m not even sure I could learn in a course or anything. So, I feel very privileged to work with him.”

Many players in the current have spoken openly about their shock and doubt when they first saw the plan for the system. The bravery and risk involved took some aback.

And it turns out, it wasn’t just the players who felt this way.

“When I think about when I was a player, the last time I played free-flowing football with dominant possession was Spurs,” Obika added.

“But even then, you had Arsenal and Man United, who were dominant too. It can be hard to implement that approach, and for a large part of my career, I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to play.

“The bravery the manager brings to his staff and to the players is impressive. We’re going into every game believing this is our style; we won’t alter it, and we’re going to put our stamp on the game.

“At the start, your mind is still in the Scottish football mindset. It was very difficult to see how it would work. But when you start to work with him, these things are ironed out very quickly, and there’s no panic from there.

“He holds himself so well around the place; there’s no fear, and that rubs off on everyone.”

Now working under his third manager at Motherwell, Obika has had to learn, adapt and implement various coaching philosophies, with every manager having their own preference on how they want things to operate.

But all these hurdles have been navigated so far, and the former Tottenham man is loving life in the dugout.

“I feel, as a player, I adapted to different environments,” he stated.

“I certainly wasn’t set in one way, and that probably comes from going out on loan so many times. You understand different characters and different people. It’s a people’s game, so the changes here have felt quite smooth for me.

“As a coach now, the demands of the different tactics change. If the manager wants something, it’s about how I bring this out of a player and ensure they follow the instruction.

“Sometimes it’s the language used. Even if I’m speaking in front of the players, it’s important I still have my own sort of stamp on things, but the language must be the same as that of the manager. And that language changes depending on who is in charge.

“And that’s the learning curve, and I’ll continue to improve on that going forward. There are so many years still to go for me in my coaching career. I feel there’s never going to be a time where you’ve grasped everything. I’m always going to be a student in that sense even when I’m 20 years down the line.

“I see the manager as an elite manager so you learn fast, and that’s helped me so much this season.”

He might be in the infancy of his coaching career, but Obika’s mind has often wandered about the future now he’s hung up the boots.

It’s only natural for him to think about what the future may hold, but that mindset is something foreign to him.

“I do think about what’s still to come, which is so strange because as a player I didn’t think about the long-term future at all,” he laughed.

“All I was thinking about was the next game when I was playing, and then when you finish and you’re now in the building around people, you just know this is what you want to be doing in the future.

“But I need to keep working under managers who inspire and motivate me. I want to be able to implement my own game also. I have loved football since I was a very young boy. But I also enjoy working with people and making them feel their best.

“I love going into the schools and speaking to the students about my journey and getting to know them. I feel like it’s something important that I should be doing.

“It’s always something I’ve wanted to do, and it’s where my career has gone to now, and working with a first-team environment, I never wanted to leave the youngsters behind. Even the young players in our squad – there are so many things to learn in that age group or younger.

“So, if they’re aspiring footballers or athletes, it’s important for them to understand the importance of their own character. That’s something that’s vital, and the earlier they understand that, the better. I always wanted to give something back to those in our community.”

As we enter April, the end of the season begins to creep ever closer, and the coaching staff at the club need to ensure that all the players are on board for the final push to the finish line.

With so much at stake, messaging from the staff could play a crucial role in the hunt for European football.

“The message has been to be who we are, and that’s been consistent all season long,” the 35-year-old explained.

“It gives the players that sort of belief that we can continue rising up that table. There’s no fear about any team, but that messaging is so the players can focus on themselves.

“I’ve been in teams as a player where you start focusing on everything around you, and the performance levels can dip. The Gaffer talks about Motherwell and our circle. He says we focus simply on building on ourselves.

“As a player, it’s always about the next game. That approach has served us so well to this point, so I don’t see why we would alter that now. That’s always the focus from now until the end of the season.”

Motherwell travel to league leaders Hearts in their final match before the split in the William Hill Premiership on Saturday 11 April. 

Kick off is 3pm at Tynecastle.

How to Follow the Game

TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT.

All tickets for this game are physical so they must be collected at Fir Park prior to the game or can be posted out. Postage will be available until Tuesday 7 April.