Motherwell clinched their spot in the Conference League next season, recording a final day 1-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road to cement fourth place in the table.
Lukas Fadinger scored the only goal of the game after 35 minutes to seal the perfect ending to an outstanding season.
In the final-day showdown against Hibernian, Jens Berthel Askou was forced into changes. Calum Ward was unavailable following an injury sustained in the previous match against Celtic, so academy graduate Matty Connelly was named between the posts. Regan Charles-Cook was brought in to operate in the wing-back area, with Tom Sparrow moving into the back three.
Goalscorer Liam Gordon was also restored to the 11, with Stephen Welsh back in following the match against Celtic. Johnny Koutroumbis and Stephen O’Donnell dropped to the bench, as did Ibrahim Said.
The permutations were straight forward for both teams going into the match: win and you finish 4th and guarantee entry to the Conference League. A draw would have been enough for Motherwell to seal 4th, but both sides lined up looking to win.
Easter Road was sold out, including almost 2000 Motherwell fans in the away end, and those travelling supporters were given very early encouragement. Inside five minutes, Elliot Watt collected a stray pass and fed Elijah Just. The New Zealand international drove towards the goal and struck with his left foot, but the ball came agonisingly close to finding the bottom corner.
Charles-Cook came close. The Grenadian switched flanks momentarily and found himself on the left-hand side; he cut inside onto his right foot and sent a strike towards goal, aiming to find the top corner, but he failed to get enough curve on the effort, and Sallinger could watch the ball go wide.
Hibernian had a rare attack in the first-half shortly after. Martin Boyle used his pace to burst forward before sliding the pass to Nicky Cadden on his left. The full-back tried to get a shot away, but a sliding Welsh blocked the effort for a corner.
Eventually, Motherwell were rewarded for their positive play and continuous threat on the Hibs goal. Charles-Cook turned the Hibernian defender inside and out before getting to the byline; he fired a powerful pass to the edge of the box to Fadinger. The Austrian dropped the shoulder before firing past the keeper with his left-footed strike.
The Steelmen had their tails up and looked to double their lead before the half was out. The ball was worked to the edge of the box on 42 minutes, which allowed Watt some time to have a strike, but his effort went wide.
Maybe slightly aggrieved at not being further ahead after a strong first-half, Motherwell continued to look dangerous at the start of the second. Just picked up the ball and moved forward. In a three-v-two scenario, Charles-Cook laid the ball to Tawanda Maswanhise, but the Zimbabwean’s effort wasn’t quite in the corner and allowed Sallinger to save. Motherwell recycled from the clearance, with Emmanuel Longelo coming forward, he lost possession in the box, but Just was aware and pounced on a short backpass in the box and latched onto the ball.
In a frantic effort to prevent the tap-in, Sallinger forced Just wide and gathered from his shot.
Callum Slattery thought he had got the second when he connected perfectly on the volley, but Sallinger once again produced a wonderful save to deny the midfielder.
Nobody could question Motherwell being the better team, and frankly, they should have been out of sight in the match. And on 61 minutes, they thought they had the three points in the bag. A corner was delivered into the box from Callum Slattery. Sallinger got a punch on the ball, but he could only clear as far as Welsh, who guided his header into the net.
Following some terrific celebrations in the away end, VAR got involved and instructed Nick Walsh to come to the monitor for a potential foul on the keeper. After a look, Walsh ruled the goal out, and Hibernian could breathe a sigh of relief.
Having dominated for most of the game, it looked like the afternoon could be getting away from Motherwell when Watt was shown a second yellow for a tackle on Miguel Chaiwa on 67 minutes. The Hibernian players got a boost but, in all honesty, failed to capitalise on the extra man.
Dane Scarlett went closest when, using a clever free-kick routine, he darted wide in the box to create an angle for a short free-kick pass and smashed it goalwards. Tom Sparrow was there to block the ball a couple of yards out from the goal.
Ibrahim Said went close for Motherwell, who were still looking for a second goal. The Nigerian was left free in the box from a corner, and his header came back off the post.
On his Premiership debut, Connelly remained cool and dominant in his penalty area as he continued to come for crosses and allow the Motherwell backline to reset when required.
In the end, Motherwell saw out the remaining minutes knowing that European football was confirmed, which allowed all 2000 fans to celebrate with the squad at full time as they all look forward to the European draws next month.
Motherwell Team: Connelly, Charles-Cook, Sparrow, Gordon, Welsh, Longelo, Fadinger, Watt, Slattery, Just, Maswanhise.
Motherwell Subs: Oxborough, Koutroumbis, O’Donnell, Ross, Priestman, Hendry, Said, Robinson, Nicholson.
