| 7 | St Mirren | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 10 |
| 8 | Aberdeen | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -3 | 8 |
| 9 | Motherwell | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -4 | 8 |
| 10 | Hibernian | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 7 |
| 11 | Falkirk | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -4 | 6 |
Stephen O’Donnell analyses the performance and result against Celtic on Sunday, as well as reflecting on recent form.
The defender believes that there are a number of factors that can help the team going forward, as his focus remains on Saturday’s match against Kilmarnock.
Alfred Johansson explains what needs to be improved on the pitch, but insists that his players are more than capable of turning things around, starting this weekend at Kilmarnock.
Johansson explains his thoughts on the Motherwell supporters passion for their team, as well as discussing the mood in camp this week.
The latest team news ahead of our trip to Kilmarnock on Saturday in the William Hill Premiership.
Manager Alfred Johansson confirmed that it is likely that Johnny Koutroumbis will be available for selection and could make his first appearance since August.
“We’re looking much better week by week,” the manager stated.
“Johnny Koutroumbis will be available for selection, and we wait for other guys for the next couple of weeks. We will look better in a couple weeks.
“Johnny has been training more now and will be available, most probably. In the next couple of weeks, you’re going to see Charles-Cook, Oscar Priestman, and, at some point, Callum Hendry. It’s really good football players that will also hopefully improve performances of the team.”
Motherwell head to Kilmarnock on Saturday 17 October in the William Hill Premiership.
Kick off is 3pm.
You can buy your tickets online by CLICKING HERE.
To purchase ambulant & carer tickets please contact the ticketing team on tickets@kilmarnockfc.co.uk or 01563 545311.
If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.
Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.
Saturday is to be sunny in Kilmarnock, with light winds and temperatures of 11 degrees.
Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Champions and league leaders Celtic was Motherwell’s fourth straight defeat in the league.
The Steelmen’s last visit to Rugby Park was a successful one, with the side picking up a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Tawanda Maswanhise and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos. That win was Motherwell’s first win at Kilmarnock in almost five years.
Kilmarnock sit bottom of the William Hill Premiership, but will be encouraged by recent performances and results. Killie picked up their first league win at Easter Road four weeks ago.
Neil McCann’s side were denied three points against Hearts in their final match before the international break, after they conceded in the 86th minute to the Jambos.
The Ayrshire side travelled to Ibrox in their first match after the break. After going three down in the first half, Kilmarnock looked strong in the second period, pulling one back in the second-half. Joe Hugill leads the way in the goalscoring charts for McCann’s men, with former Motherwell players Mark O’Hara and Bailey Rice currently playing for the Rugby Park side.
It had been three weeks since the Steelmen’s last match, and the first match back following the international break was hosting the Champions and current league leaders, Celtic.
Both sides had lost their three matches leading into the break, so there was a desire on both sides to get back on track. But Celtic showed their dominance early on, opening the scoring inside nine minutes.
Celtic controlled proceedings for most of the match and doubled their advantage in the second half through Benjamin Nygren. Alex Paulsen put in a man of the match performance to keep the scoreline down, with Alfred Johansson’s side shifting their focus to next Saturday against Kilmarnock.
Motherwell were beaten 2-0 by league leaders Celtic at Fir Park on Sunday afternoon, as the Steelmen suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.
Camilo Durán opened the scoring inside ten minutes, before Benjamin Nygren added a second midway through the second half.
Alfred Johansson made several changes to his starting line-up following the three consecutive defeats before the international break. Stephen O’Donnell was named in the starting XI for the first time this season, making his 230th appearance for the club. Dylan Levitt earned his first start for Motherwell since joining from Leyton Orient in the summer, while Willy Vogt was also restored to the team.
Jordan McGhee was named on the bench after picking up an injury during pre-season, while Jake Girdwood-Riech, Tawanda Maswanhise and Ibrahim Said all dropped out of the side that faced Dundee.
An early chance fell Well’s way when O’Donnell’s floated pass found Seb Palmer-Houlden advancing towards the corner of the six-yard box, only for Liam Scales to deny him a shot at goal. The Steelmen continued their promising start, with Palmer-Houlden outpacing Dane Murray before Scales came across to block the former Gillingham striker’s effort from the edge of the box.
It didn’t take long, however, for Celtic to put the home goal under sustained pressure, with their two wide men stretching Johansson’s back four.
The first real threat came after eight minutes and resulted in the opening goal.
Durán cut in from the right wing and, after Levitt had a chance to block his progress, the Colombian drove towards the middle of the box before firing a low shot from 20 yards inside Alex Paulsen’s left-hand post.
The Motherwell goalkeeper then endured a busy spell, palming away Kieran Tierney’s drive before Durán’s follow-up effort was cleared off the goal line.
Paulsen produced a remarkable save moments later when Mika Baur’s deflected shot looked destined for the net, only for the Motherwell stopper to stretch out a leg and divert the ball away. He then denied the German for a second time, beating away his angled drive as the Fir Park side struggled to contain Celtic’s relentless attacks.
After 25 minutes, a rare spell of sustained possession saw Lukas Fadinger get in behind the Celtic defence, forcing Viljami Sinisalo into his first save of the afternoon and earning Motherwell their first corner.
As half-time approached, the Steelmen enjoyed more possession in Celtic’s half, with Palmer-Houlden making his physical presence felt as he engaged in several tussles with the visitors’ backline.
As the Motherwell players headed for the dressing room, they could take some encouragement from the fact that, despite spending long periods under pressure, they were just one goal behind and still very much in the game.
However, the home goal was soon under siege again. Within minutes of the restart, Paulsen produced three smart saves to deny Baur, Donovan and Tierney, preventing Celtic from extending their lead.
In the 56th minute, Nygren thumped the ball off the crossbar, but two minutes later he found the net after some poor defending from the home side.
Tom Sparrow lost possession at the edge of Celtic’s box, allowing the visitors to break in numbers. O’Donnell might have done better defensively, but when the ball fell to Nygren, he lashed it high past Paulsen to put Martin O’Neill’s men firmly in the driving seat.
When Said replaced Vogt after 63 minutes, he injected some much-needed energy into the home side. Within minutes, his cutback found Palmer-Houlden at the edge of the six-yard box, but Sinisalo dived to smother his effort.
A deep cross from Joe Hodge then presented Sparrow with an opportunity to nod the ball back towards Palmer-Houlden, whose volley drifted wide of goal.
Paulsen remained the Steelmen’s standout performer, producing another flying save to palm Calum McGregor’s rising drive over the crossbar.
With 20 minutes remaining, Johansson introduced Jardell Kanga and Eythor Bjorgolfsson. The pair combined almost immediately, with the latter stabbing the ball over the bar.
Despite spending long spells on the back foot, the Steelmen continued to push for a goal that might have set up a nervous finish for the visitors.
Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, O’Donnell, Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Lowry, Levitt, Vogt, Palmer-Houlden.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, Knight-Lebel, McGhee, Girdwood-Reich, Said, Booth, Kanga, Bjørgolfsson, Maswanhise.
The manager speaks after losing 0-2 to Celtic at Fir Park.
A full guide for attending Fir Park this afternoon.
There are no online sales as we need to check you have a continuous purchasing history.
| Hunter Stand & Davie Cooper Stand | Phil O’Donnell Stand | |
| Adults | £30 | £35 |
| Concessions | £26 | £26 |
| 18-22 year olds | £20 | £20 |
| 13-17 year olds | £13 | £13 |
| Adult & Under 13 Child | £35 | £40 |
| Add Child | £5 | £5 |
On Match days, the Ticket Office is open from 10am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.
If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.
Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.
The match is being shown live on Sky Sports.
The Cooper Bar will be open from 10:30am and for one hour post-match for home fans only. Mrs Baillie’s Fanzone will not be open on Sunday.
The Well Shop will be open from 10am on Sunday morning, and will be open for 30 minutes post-match.
Calum’s Cabin will be collecting money via bucket collection.
We are expecting a large crowd at Fir Park on Sunday. We advise to allow yourself plenty of time to commute to the stadium.
Airbles Road is down to one lane heading towards Hamilton outside Airbles Train Station. Expect delays.
It will be dry on Sunday, with temperatures expected to be around 13 degrees.
Dylan Levitt says the extended break probably came at good time for Motherwell, as the midfielder admits he didn’t feel the break was too long.
Levitt is excited to come up against Celtic, as he explains what needs to change from the defeats prior to the international break.
Alfred Johansson is looking forward to the return of club football following the extended international break, as he is asked about his opinion on the longer time away from matches.
Johansson discusses the fitness of his squad, as well as offering his opinion on Celtic ahead of the match on Sunday.
