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On Saturday, the annual Motherwell FC Player of the Year event took place at Dalziel Park Hotel to celebrate the achievements of players within our first-team, Women’s team and Academy. 

The first award of the evening that was up for grabs was the Academy Player of the Year. For his consistency and mature performances, Mikey Booth picked up the award chosen by his coaches. Unfortunately, Booth was unable to attend the event but said in a short video that was played on the evening that he couldn’t wait to get back on the pitch. Speedy recovery, Mikey.

The next award was for the Women’s Player of the Year. Paul Brownlie’s side have had their most successful season since his arrival at the club in 2021. The Women of Steel secured their first-ever top-six finish in the SWPL and also reached the semi-final in the Scottish Cup.

A remarkable campaign for the squad as a whole, but it was Louisa Boyes who picked up the award on the night. The forward has played 26 games this season and scored nine times. The current top goalscorer within the squad, Boyes has been instrumental in the success the team has had in the last 12 months.

An interview with Louisa Boyes can be found here.

The third award of the evening was for the Young Player of the Year. Kai Andrews, Lennon Miller and Ewan Wilson were all nominated in this category. Lennon Miller won the award, having impressed in his second full season of first-team football. The 18-year-old has over 30 appearances thus far in 2024/25, scoring on four occasions.

Motherwell’s youngest ever player became the club’s youngest ever captain in November and even led the team out onto the Hampden turf in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup.

Next up, Top Goalscorer. This season, the goals have been spread out amongst the squad, with four players currently on five goals and another on four goals for the season. Tawanda Maswanhise, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Callum Slattery and Tom Sparrow shared the prize, with all four players finding the back of the net five times each.

On the subject of goals, Goal of the Season was the next award. After the public had their say, Tawanda Maswanhise returned to the stage to collect the prize for his incredible goal against Rangers in December. Plucking the ball out of the air and swivelling on the ball to beat the defender, he fired into the back of the net to make it 2-0 at the time.

Maswanhsie has had a real impact in his first full season in first-team football. He was a late arrival but made an instant impact against Kilmarnock and quickly became known for his skill, speed and flair. With five goals and three assists, the Zimbabwean has had an impressive introduction to Scottish football, having arrived from Leicester. Paired with his success on international duty by scoring the goal that confirmed Zimbabwe’s spot at AFCON, the winger has his eyes set on another successful campaign next year.

An interview with Tawanda Maswanhise can be found here.

The coaches then had their say for their Player of the Year. Michael Wimmer and his staff chose Lennon Miller as their winner, who picked up his second award of the evening. Starting all eight of Wimmer’s games in charge, the 18-year-old has, by no surprise, caught the eye of the German manager from the off.

The players also got their say on the Players’ Player of the Year. Lennon Miller, Liam Gordon, Andy Halliday, Callum Slattery, Aston Oxborough and Dan Casey all got voted, but in a tight vote, 33-year-old Halliday won the vote by just two votes. Having featured in all 42 games this season, starting in 39 of those, the midfielder has been an ever-present in the Steelmen’s squad this season.

Scoring four goals, including the opener at Hampden, Halliday has been a consistent performer at the heart of the Motherwell midfield.

An interview with Andy Halliday can be watched here.

The coveted Player of the Year prize was the last award of the evening. For the third time, Miller returned to the stage to collect his prize, having comfortably won the public vote. These awards would be followed by a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, more recognition for one of the finest talents in the country.

An interview with Player of the Year and triple award winner Lennon Miller can be found here.

A big thank you to all our sponsors and those who attended. Your support is much appreciated.

Motherwell make the trip to Dundee on Saturday 3 May in the William Hill Premiership. 

Kick off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

Ambulant/Wheelchair & Carer will be available to purchase directly from Dundee FC Ticket office by calling 01382 889966 or emailing tickets@dundeefc.co.uk. Supporters must be in receipt of PIP/DLA.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Squad Update

There are no new injury concerns.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell took a major step towards securing their Premiership status on Saturday, winning 3-2 against bottom side St Johnstone. Callum Slattery scored his fifth goal of the season as he continues to make up for lost time through injury, with Johnny Koutroumbis netting his first in Motherwell colours also.

Tom Sparrow continues his fine season, scoring his fifth in all competitions. That result means Motherwell cannot finish bottom this season and are safe from automatic relegation.

Opposition Report

Dundee are in the middle of a battle to avoid the relegation playoff spot but produced a terrific 1-0 victory over Hearts last Saturday to help boost their chances.

The result moved them two points clear of Ross County with four games to go. Simon Murray has been a key component for the Dee all season. His 20 goals this season saw him nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award this week alongside Celtic trio Kuhn, McGregor and Maeda.

With five games to go, and the potential of a relegation scrap looming, Motherwell knew a win against bottom-side St Johnstone would lift them away from any danger. 

The game got off to the worst possible start for Michael Wimmer, as he watched his side concede to a Mackenzie Kirk strike early in the first-half. But his side rallied, and after a number of dangerous attacks, Callum Slattery and Johnny Koutroumbis had the Steelmen ahead at the break.

Tom Sparrow added a third to seemingly kill the game off, until St Johnstone found the back of the net for a second time to setup a nervous end to proceedings.

However, the points would stay in North Lanarkshire and with four games left, Motherwell’s target will be 7th place.

Lennon Miller has been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second year running.

The 18-year-old has continued his upward rise, making 34 appearances in all competitions this season. The midfielder has scored four goals and assisted six times this season.

Having cemented his place in the starting 11 last season, Miller has remained an ever-present in the Motherwell midfield. After a number of injuries, having already become Motherwell’s youngest ever player back in 2022, Miller became Motherwell’s youngest ever captain.

He had the armband for the Steelmen’s trip to Hampden in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

Maturing and ticking off further milestones, he would be rewarded with his first ever call-up to the senior Scotland side in March.

Narrowly missing out on this award 12 months ago, Miller is in the running once again as he looks to become the first Motherwell player to win the award since James McFadden in 2003.

“It’s always an honour to be nominated for these awards,” Lennon Miller said.

“This season has had its highs and lows. Captaining the club at Hampden and for the other games was a massive privilege that will stay with me for the rest of my career. Hearing I was called up to the Scotland squad was also a hugely proud moment for my family and me.

“I’ve tried to keep my head down this season and been looking for consistency every week. I’ve still got a lot to learn but will continue to work hard. Hopefully we can have a strong end to the season.”

The women of steel fought nine-time Scottish Cup champions Glasgow City to the end, but were on the receiving end of a heavy defeat at the national stadium, as they exit the Scottish Cup at the Semi-Final stage. 

Motherwell had managed to neutralise Glasgow’s attacking threat and stood up to the initial pressure throughout much of the first-half. However, Sofia Määttä netted the breakthrough shortly after the half hour mark, before Kozlova doubled Glasgow’s lead minutes before half time. Facing a two-goal deficit at the break, the second-half soon escaped the the women of Steel’s grasp, with a Lockwood double sealing a place in the Scottish Cup Final.

Motherwell made two changes from the side that was narrowly defeated by Celtic on Sunday evening. Two-time Scottish Cup winner, Shannon Leishman, returned to the side along with Rachel Todd; both McGoldrick and Barclay settled for the bench.

Glasgow pressed Motherwell from the start and forced the women of steel to defend their penalty area throughout most of the opening phase of play. Glasgow had created the more clear-cut opportunities in the opening 30 minutes but proved to be wasteful in front of goal. The first key opportunity came for City, with Kozlova threatening the Motherwell goal, but her tame effort was easily gathered by Emily Mutch.

Glasgow continued to press and broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark. Skilful play from Lockwood took her beyond the Motherwell defence, who could only watch as she tore down the wing, with Määttä on hand to tap home.

City continued to pile on the pressure, as a heroic goalline clearance from Penman ensured that the deficit remained at one. Penman’s stupendous block was soon cancelled out by Kozlova, who joined the scoring action minutes before halftime, cutting the ball back cheekily to wrong-foot Mutch and roll in doubling Glasgow’s lead.

Glasgow City showed no signs of easing and were quick to find the net again in the second half. Provider turned goalscorer, Lockwood was afforded time in the box to fire beyond Mutch, just 12-minutes after the restart.

Lockwood wrapped up another undeniable performance from Glasgow City, as she sealed their Final place with a fourth-goal. A beautifully weighted ball over the top caught out the Motherwell defence, and with Lockwood bearing down on goal, the Motherwell backline could only watch as she turned the after burners on before slotting home.

Motherwell will feel disheartened, but proud of their exceptional Scottish Cup run, and will use this experience to fuel their final five games of the league season.

Motherwell will regroup as they turn their focus back to the league campaign with a trip to Hibernian on Wednesday night at Meadowbank.

The manager gives his thoughts as his side come from behind to take all three points against St Johnstone.

Motherwell took a major step towards securing their Premiership status on Saturday afternoon, defeating St Johnstone 3-2 at Fir Park.

Callum Slattery drew Motherwell level after going 1-0 down before Johnny Koutroumbis’ effort found the back of the net just minutes later to turn the game on its head. Tom Sparrow added a third just after the interval, before St Johnstone scored a consolation before the end of the 90.

Motherwell saw off the challenge of St Johnstone for a hard-fought, narrow but deserved win.

The three points were sufficient to ensure that the Fir Park side would be clear of the automatic relegation.

The extensive injury list, which has limited team selection for almost the entire season, posed another problem for the Well boss. Without Liam Gordon and Kofi Balmer, it left Dan Casey as the only recognised central defender in the starting line-up with Stephen O’Donnell and Johnny Koutroumbis alongside the Irishman.

St Johnstone showed no signs of a Scottish Cup semi-final hangover, as needing three points to maintain their slim hopes of surviving relegation, they pushed forward with three up front from the kick-off.

The revamped Well defence was exposed after only six minutes.

Josh McPake powered past Koutroumbis on the left, and his cutback was confidently slammed home by Kirk.

A good break-up field earned the home side its first corner after 20 minutes. Andy Halliday whipped the ball into a packed box, but when the ball was laid back to Harry Paton, he fired over the bar from 16 yards.

Gradually the Steelmen found some half-chances as the game moved towards the interval.

A quick turn at the edge of the box and drive from Slattery after 28 minutes found the ball skimming a couple of feet beyond Andy Fisher’s right-hand post.

A minute later the Well midfield man was on target; this time, his 20-yard shot forced Fisher to stretch himself to push the ball round his left-hand post.

With a bit more urgency in their play, the pressure towards the Saints goal was increasing, and after 38 minutes, the game was level.

Tony Watt chased a ball down the left touchline, and after getting beyond Sam Curtis, he cut the ball back for Slattery, who, third time lucky, slid a low finish inside Fisher’s right-hand post for his fifth since his comeback from injury.

A minute later, Well were ahead, and once again, Watt was the architect. Having sneaked past his marker to get to the byeline, the on-loan striker delivered a teasing ball across the face of the goal. Koutroumbis at the back post made sure of grabbing his first goal for the club, hammering it off the far post and into the net to change the complexity of the game.

Saints tried to get back into the game before the interval, but facing a couple of free kicks, the home defence held firm.

However, it should have been game over within three minutes of the restart when the Fir Park men extended their lead.

Dom Thompson withstood a heavy challenge on the left of the box to get back on his feet. His floated ball into the six-yard box was met by Sparrow, who stabbed it over the line to make it 3-1.

Ellery Balcombe then made his first save low to his left to hold a long-range effort from Steven Taylor.

The Well keeper had to be smart to smother the ball on his goal line as former Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu tried to force it home.

At the other end, the home side should have extended its lead after 68 minutes. Watt was again the provider, working a quick exchange with Paton on the left before chipping the ball to the waiting Sparrow, who could head the ball straight at Fisher.

A minute later, it was Saints’ Watt who grabbed the headlines when his speculative shot from 22 yards bounced past Balcombe to reduce the leeway and give the visitors a boost.

In an attempt to put the game to bed, Wimmer made his first substitution after 68 minutes, sending on Luke Armstrong to join Watt up front.

It almost paid off 10 minutes later when Armstrong cut the ball back to the corner of the six-yard box, and Watt’s firm snapshot was blocked by the keeper, denying him a thoroughly deserved goal for his massive contribution to the game.

That was recognised by the Fir Park fans when Watt and Halliday had a standing ovation when they made way for Moses Ebiye and Davor Zdravkovski for the final 10 minutes.

With five minutes of additional time signalled and Saints pressing for an equaliser, Kai Andrews replaced Slattery, as his efforts were also recognised by the fans.

As the Perth side made a final onslaught on the Well goal and Wimmer screamed for his players to push Saints further up the pitch, the makeshift defence held out for a narrow win and three points to erase the threat of automatic relegation.

Hampden Park. A theatre of dreams, the unbroken legacies of legends, and memories forever immortalised through the terraces. A new chapter at the historic stadium awaits this weekend, as the women of steel stride onto the glistening turf of the National Stadium to face Glasgow City. 

Paul Brownlie’s side are preparing to contest their second Scottish Cup Semi-Final in two-years, with aspirations for a trip to the final running high amongst the squad. SWPL title-chasers and nine-time Scottish Cup champions Glasgow City stand in their way.

Motherwell are seeking to reach their first Scottish Cup Final in seven years after being defeated by Hibernian in 2018. Two-time Scottish Cup champion Shannon Leishman expressed a collective eagerness to forge their way to a cup final.

“The squad are really excited,” Leishman emphasised.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity, it’s obviously a very different and daunting stage, but one we are all excited by. Every footballer wants to play in these special occasions, especially with a place in the Scottish Cup Final as the reward.

“Playing the top-six-teams on a weekly basis is the perfect preparation. We are excited by the opportunity, and are preparing in the correct manner to go and achieve a historic result.

“We’ve all had valuable minutes leading up to this weekend, the full squad are united and are ready to take this atmosphere into the game at the weekend.”

The experienced and decorated Scottish defender has already held aloft the trophy on two-occasions after featuring in the 2016-17 Hibernian squad that defeated Glasgow City on penalties before repeating that success the following season with a 3-0 victory. Despite being a two-time Scottish Cup winner, the anticipation and pressure that is associated with a game of this magnitude still resonates, but Leishman insists that the team will go out and relish the experience.

“You’ll never lose that feeling,” Leishman explained.

“I still feel the same pressure and anticipation that I felt on my first Cup Final. Every cup game is massive for the club, as we all share that belief of defying the odds and lifting silverware. You’re playing against opponents across all divisions, so every game you have to treat like a final.

“You always have the initial nerves, but as soon as you get onto the pitch and you see the other team and the crowd; that’s when you get excited. It’s always a thrilling experience, but you have to be able to cope with the added pressure in these types of cup games.”

Leishman, who has twice immersed herself in the glory of the Scottish Cup with parent club Hibernian, shared her experience of those halcyon days and the significance of the support from the stands and amongst her teammates. 

“It was just incredible,” Leishman added.

“Every footballer, no matter whether amateur or professional, dreams of cup success. Lifting any bit of silverware and achieving that milestone in your career is always special. 

“I was starting to break into the squad around that time when I was 20-years-old, and experiencing lifting the Scottish Cup twice gives you that incentive to keep that feeling every season. I think every experience you have is always a special moment, even if you aren’t playing and are on the bench, supporting your teammates is so important.

“I think that’s the mentality we all need to have this weekend, as unfortunately we can’t all be on the pitch and play. You need to have that backing within the squad, and we have a really positive core group that will support each other every step of the way.

“We’ll take this atmosphere onto the pitch, and hopefully we can leave Hampden Park knowing we’ll be back.”

Johnny Koutroumbis has had his fair share of battles to face since coming to Scotland in the summer, but the Aussie defender has maintained a positive mindset throughout and is ready to help the team when called upon. 

Koutroumbis talks about having to be patient throughout the season, playing in different positions and what his journey, which has included beating cancer, has been like for him.

Manager Michael Wimmer has provided a squad update in his latest press conference ahead of Saturday’s match against St Johnstone. Wimmer says he wants to get the club’s top flight status confirmed as soon as possible, to avoid any sort of relegation fight. 

The German also said players will be fighting to remain at the club next season, as he had spoken to every player about their current situation, making it clear to the each individual what it is they need to do before the season ends.