| 7 | Aberdeen | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 8 |
| 8 | Dundee United | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 8 |
| 9 | Motherwell | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 8 |
| 10 | Hibernian | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 7 |
| 11 | Falkirk | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -2 | 6 |
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.
Alfred Johansson provided a squad update following the September international break.
The Motherwell manager was pleased to see all players who were away on international duty return in perfect health.
Johansson then spoke about the rest of the squad.
“We have a lot of guys progressing really well,” he explained.
“We don’t expect anyone back for this game. Unfortunately, Dylan Williams picked up an injury and will be away from us for some weeks. This is obviously not good news.”
When asked what type of injury Williams sustained, Johansson confirmed it was a hamstring-related issue. The Swede was then asked about Regan Charles-Cook and his management of minutes for the next section of matches.
“He is still managed and on his way back,” he stated.
“He will not be ready for this game. We had the chance to really put a foot on the ground with him and make a proper return-to-play programme for him. We will see him back very, very soon.”
Speedy recovery, Dylan.
We had a number of players away on international duty this month. Let’s find out how they got on.
Zimbabwe were kicking off their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign under new manager Ramon Catala. The Warriors were placed in Group E alongside Sierra Leone, DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea, and they kicked off against Sierra Leone away from home first.
Having found themselves 2-0 down after 27 minutes, the hosts were still leading going into the final 20 minutes. Zimbabwe were able to pull one goal back after 72 minutes before completing a remarkable turnaround to win the game 3-2, with Maswanhise playing the full match and getting one assist.
Next up was DR Congo in Harare. Maswanhise played the first 45 minutes, with the Warriors tasting their first defeat of the group.
Alex Paulsen and New Zealand had four friendly matches lined up for this international window, as they travelled to China for their first two matches. Paulsen was an unused substitute for the draw with Palestine but started and played the full match in their second match against China.
Paulsen earned his latest cap whilst keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over China.
The goalkeeper earned his second start against Panama in the Kirin Cup. A 1-1 draw in regulation time saw the match go to a penalty shootout. Paulsen produced a fine save in the shootout as New Zealand progressed to the final against Japan.
He started the final also. Japan went on to lift the trophy, winning the game 2-1. Paulsen played the full match.
Jamie Knight-Lebel earned his first cap in over a year against Chile. The centre-back was included in the first Canadian squad following the World Cup, with Canada playing three times over the international period.
They kicked off their camp with a 1-0 win over Chile, with Knight-Lebel playing the final 14 minutes of the match.
Canada were in action against Peru in their second match, with Knight-Lebel on the bench. The defender was subbed on just after the hour mark as Canada went on to win the game 2-0.
Knight-Lebel was an unused substitute in their final match against USA.
Jardell Kanga was included in the Sweden Under 21 squad as they continued their qualifying campaign. Sweden were 4th in the standings but were unable to catch second-placed Italy to qualify.
Kanga was named in the starting lineup in Sweden’s first match against Poland, which saw the Poles win 3-0.
He was an unused substitute in Sweden’s 2-0 win over North Macedonia.
Aaron Thomson was an unused substitute in the win over Finland.
Thomson was named amongst the substitutes in Scotland’s second match against the Czech Republic but got his first start of the international window against Ukraine, with Scotland losing 2-0.
Zander McAllister started Scotland’s Under 19’s 3-1 win over Finland and played the full 90 minutes.
McAllister was also on the bench next to his teammate Thomson against the Czech Republic. But he was restored to the starting 11 for the match against Ukraine, which saw the young team taste a 2-0 defeat.
The international break is over and club football is back this weekend as Motherwell host Celtic at Fir Park on Sunday 11 October.
Kick off is 12pm.
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.
Motherwell Football Club Community Trust will be collecting money via a bucket collection.
It will be dry on Sunday, with temperatures expected to be around 13 degrees.
The Steelmen lost their three matches prior to the international break against Dundee, Aberdeen and Rangers.
But Motherwell will be encouraged following some positive displays against Celtic at Fir Park last year. A 2-0 win in December 2025 ended a 35-game winless run against Celtic, as Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored to secure the win.
Similar to Motherwell, Celtic also lost their three matches leading into the international break. Losing back-to-back matches against Rangers on either side of a defeat to Hungarian side Ferencváros in the Europa League has meant Rangers closed the gap to two points to Martin O’Neill’s side in the Premiership.
Celtic remain top of the table as the Premiership returns.
Benjamin Nygren returned from international duty early due to illness, with Haissem Hassan also allegedly leaving his camp with Egypt early. Long-term absentee Jota has featured in friendly matches during the international break and could make his competitive return this weekend.
Elation. One of several emotions etched on the faces of the women of steel, as Motherwell struck in stoppage time to defeat Aberdeen by one goal to nil in East Kilbride.
Second-half substitute, Carla Boyce came to the rescue, coolly prodding home a precise header in the final moments of the game to secure three-points at the Bumblebee Stadium.
Head Coach, Iain Robinson made five changes from the side that were defeated by Spartans a week ago. Goalkeeper, Rowena Armitage made her Motherwell debut after completing a season-long loan deal from Hibernian.
Tegan Browning returned to partner Chelsie Watson in defence, with Mia McArthur and Kodie Hay both earning a place in midfield.
Striker, Morgan Anderson led the line.
Motherwell’s frustrations of last weekend looked certain to persist, as their dominance and continuous threat on the Aberdeen goal, failed to transpire on the scoresheet.
Eva Thomson recorded the first opportunity of the contest, drilling an enticing effort across the face of goal.
Tegan Browning forced Dons stopper, Katie O’Hanlon into her first save of the afternoon, with the West Ham United loanee parrying the centre-half’s header over the crossbar.
O’Hanlon again kept the scoreline intact moments later, comfortably gathering Kodie Hay’s ambitious strike from distance.
The Dons keeper continued to frustrate the hosts, soon denying Anderson, who skilfully worked her way into the box, but couldn’t apply the finishing touch from an acute angle.
As the second-half resumed, Motherwell continued to apply pressure. Substitute, Sophie Rutherford effortlessly glided her way inside from the left flank before setting her sights on goal, but unsurprisingly, O’Hanlon calmly parried clear.
Deep into the second-half, Armitage was called into action for the first time in a Motherwell jersey. Melissa Regmi took aim from distance, but the Scotland youth international reacted sharply to force the ball over the crossbar.
Motherwell’s fortunes almost turned less than 10-minutes from time, with Ellie MacDonald trying her luck from the edge of the box. The defender calmly shifted the ball onto her stronger right-foot before striking towards goal, but her effort sailed wide of the post.
Deep into stoppage time, Motherwell’s dominance was finally rewarded. Ellie MacDonald’s whipped delivery into the Aberdeen box sailed invitingly into the path of Carla Boyce, who cleanly connected with the ball before the outstretched Katie O’Hanlon, and the ball nestled comfortably into the back of the net.
Motherwell head into the international break one-point shy of the top-six, with victory over Aberdeen opening up a six-point cushion from the two-sides below.
Matchday seven awaits the women of steel this weekend, as Motherwell return home to face Aberdeen at the Bumblebee Stadium on Sunday.
Iain Robinson’s side will return to action this weekend, with the frustrations of last weekend’s defeat to Spartans remaining fresh in the memory.
Motherwell failed to capitalise on their dominance in possession, with the visitors striking twice against the run of play, before leaving South Lanarkshire with three-points.
The Tale of the Tape
Motherwell
Despite enduring three successive defeats in the Scottish Power Women’s Premier League, Motherwell have demonstrated signs of progression, An impressive har-fought display against league leaders Rangers preceded a magnificent performance against Celtic, despite a 94th-minute winner denying Motherwell a significant result against the full-time side.
Last weekend’s defeat to Spartans would’ve certainly frustrated the women of steel. Motherwell dominated possession, but couldn’t translate that into opportunities on the visitors goal. Composure in the final third will be at the forefront of the hosts mentality heading into this Sunday’s encounter, after three successive league fixtures without converting an opportunity.
Sunday presents a monumental test for Motherwell, with Aberdeen yet to secure their first point of the season. Victory over the Dons would open up a valuable six-point cushion between the two-sides below. Motherwell have maintained an excellent record against Aberdeen – securing six victories from nine, with Aberdeen winning twice. Both sides had to settle for a four-goal stalemate last season, as Keri Halliday and Hannah Cairns found the target for Motherwell.
Aberdeen
The Dons have endured a frustrating start to the 2026/27 domestic campaign. Aberdeen have lost seven consecutive competitive fixtures, conceding 22-goals across the last two months.
Despite a tough start to the league campaign, that saw the Edinburgh side defeated seven-nil twice, Spartans have since saw a resurgence, defeating Aberdeen to secure their first league victory before competitive performances against Celtic and Hearts.
Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at the Bumblebee Stadium at K-Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.
Additional Information – no pets allowed within The Bumblebee Stadium – previously named The Ross Commercial Finance Stadium at K-Park.
Matchday Travel
Follow our live matchday coverage on the Motherwell Women X (formerly Twitter) account.
Arriving in the middle of July, Jake Girdwood-Reich landed in Scotland without a pre-season. But with Alfred Johansson’s squad looking depleted due to injuries and having the not-so-small task of dealing with UEFA Conference League ties, there was very little option but to fast-track Girdwood-Reich into the side that faced Havnar Boltfelag.
Now in October, the defender has already played 13 games for the Steelmen, and having gained his match fitness and sharpness by playing games, the Aussie centre-back is pleased with the progress he has made in his early days in ML1.
“When I got here, there were only a few days before I had to play my first competitive game,” he recalled.
“The games have come thick and fast for me, but I think it was probably the best way for me to get into the side. But it was definitely the best way for me to get into the side. You don’t expect to get thrown into a competitive match straight away, but I thought I handled it quite well. I managed to stay in good shape during the summer, so I was just pleased to be trusted from the start.
“I’ve seen now how physical this league is. I like getting into those battles, so I think it suits me quite well. But also with the style of play we have, it suits me because I like to be on the ball and facing forward. I’ve played in a possession-based team before, but it wasn’t quite like how we play. I think our style is by far my favourite that I’ve had in my career so far. But I’m still learning what the manager wants from me, and I just aim to improve every day.
“But overall, I’ve loved my time in Scotland so far. It is far away from home, but I’ve got family here, so there’s that home feeling here too. I’ve always wanted to play overseas, and hopefully I can thrive here. But that comes down to me and doing all the right things. The easiness of settling in has helped. I have an auntie who stays in Falkirk, and I’ve been able to see her a lot. I have cousins who are in Glasgow who I haven’t actually seen in my life prior to coming here. But my auntie has been looking after me, so it’s nice to have someone close and support me if I need it.”
Born in Australia, Girdwood-Reich played junior football in Sydney but also had a short stint with St Johnstone in his early years. He signed with Sydney FC at the age of 12.
Coming through the system with Sydney, Girdwood-Reich reached the Sydney FC II side in 2020, where his development continued for two years before officially being moved up to their first-team. He made his debut in 2022 in the Australian Cup before making his A-League debut a couple of months later. He played 19 games that season for the first-team, including every minute of their Australian Cup campaign, which concluded with Sydney and Girdwood-Reich lifting the trophy.
“Sydney has a very special place in my heart,” he explained.
“I was a supporter since I was a kid, and I went to the games and watched them be very successful. I went through the full academy there, all the way to the first-team. I was lucky enough to be given a chance and got some real experience from a young age. When I was really, really young, I went between sports, but when I got to around the age of 10, it was just football. I would have been rugby if it wasn’t for my mum, for sure. It was too violent according to her!”
He picked up the Sydney FC Rising Star Award at the 2022 Sky Blue Awards night for his promising start in a Sydney FC jersey. By the start of the 2023 season in Australia, Girdwood-Reich was a starter for Sydney and started 23 matches, scoring his first goal for the club in February.
His performances earned him not only a spot in the PFA Players’ A-League Team of the Season but also a move to MLS side St Louis City in the summer of 2024, moving for an undisclosed fee, with reports suggesting the move broke the transfer record for Sydney FC.
“I received that Rising Star Award, which was an honour and a really nice feeling for me,” the defender said.
“It was the first step for me into professional football because of the training and matches. Those seasons helped me so much and I played a lot. There were other clubs interested in Europe but at the time, St Louis gave me a project I really liked and I thought I’d thrive in that environment. It didn’t quite go the way I’d have hoped for. They didn’t see me as too much of a starter and said I’d be more of a squad player. No footballer wants to hear that but they didn’t want to let me go at that time, so it was actually Deadline Day that I signed for Auckland. I really thought I needed to play consistently and I knew the manager at the time.
“They’d had a great season and I just thought it was a brilliant time to go back to the A-League.”
The A-League season kicked off the following month, with the defender featuring in all but one match for his side. Girdwood-Reich caught the headlines in a 5-0 win when his strike from over 80 yards out against Wellington Phoenix found the back of the net.
Auckland went on to win the A-League Men’s Championship with a 1-0 win over his former side, Sydney FC.
“The goal against Wellington Phenix was a strange one,” he laughed.
“I was talking to some of the boys here about it not so long ago because it did go a bit viral at the time. The start of the game was a bit annoying. There were too many throw-ins and stuff like that, and it was a clearance into a through-ball I did through frustration. I ended up booting the ball really hard and connected quite well with it, and I overhit it. I didn’t know what to do when it went in, to be honest.
“It was in a derby match away from home, and we were 4-0 up at half time. It will live with me forever. Put it this way, I don’t think I’ll be able to do it again. That season was amazing.
“I fell in love with Auckland as a club. The boys and coaching staff were incredible with me. There was a time in America where I wasn’t in a good place so to go there and thrive so much and win the league, it was a highlight of my career so far. I had so much backing that meant a lot to me. To give the club that first A-League trophy was special.
“I think any player will feel better when they feel backing and love from those around them. But I do feel like I can do the opposite. I can be told that I wasn’t good enough and the stuff I need to fix, but I’d be able to thrive off all that as well.”
Following a hugely successful season last year, by the time the summer rolled around, he had a number of options on the table for where the next move would be. But this was important for him.
Having made the choice to move to America last time this window of opportunity came around, he was determined that this transfer was going to be the right one for him.
“Off the back of a good season, of course there was interest,” the Aussie stated.
“But with what happened when I moved from Sydney, I didn’t want to make the wrong move again. So for me, it had to be the right project. The Motherwell project was perfect for me, and that’s why I’m here. Last season was very successful here, and I loved the style of play you played. The manager believed in me and thought I could do well here.
“I could live in a good city where some family would be nearby, which wouldn’t be the case elsewhere. We had so many games at the start here, and I’ve racked up a lot of games already. For the most part, we were averaging a game every three to four days. That can take its toll, but I also think in the last three games before the break, we weren’t quite up to standard. Us as players know that and want to make it right, which starts against Celtic.
“The group is hungry to get it right. What I’ve found out about this manager is he may be the boss around here, but he also cares about what’s going on in our lives outside of football. He’s asked me how I’ve been, as he knows it’s a big move away from home for me and what not. He cares a lot about that stuff, which is really good.”
The first international break of the season is over, and the extended break has come to a close. As the action returns against Celtic, the current champions, Girdwood-Reich is keen to hit the ground running once again.
“Everyone knows how big a task it’s going to be,” he mentioned.
“But it’s a bit like Freiburg for us. You want to play against the big clubs and test yourself against the best. This is a good opportunity for us. I saw Motherwell beat Celtic last year and it was evident how big a night that was. We want to do that again. Hopefully we can put on a good performance at home. We can take experiences and learnings from those games against Freiburg. We’ll be underdogs once again but that’s something we should enjoy.”
Goalkeeper, Rowena Armitage has completed a season-long loan deal from Hibernian.
The talented young shot-stopper has committed to the women of steel following recent consecutive loan spells with Montrose.
The 18-year-old has established herself as a regular Scottish youth international, featuring across the Scotland under-17 and under-19 age categories.
“I’m delighted to have signed for Motherwell,” Armitage said.
“The opportunity for regular first-team action at this level was something I simply could not turn down, and Motherwell felt like the perfect place for me to develop.
“I can’t wait to get started.”
Following an injury to goalkeeper Rebecca Cameron, Head Coach Iain Robinson has moved swiftly to bolster the depth in the goalkeeping department, with Armitage joining Kayla Scott in competition for the number one jersey.
“We are really pleased to welcome Rowena to the club,” Robinson added.
“She is a very talented young goalkeeper, who will provide valuable competition for places at the club.
“We are looking forward to supporting her development this season.”
September is over and now we kick off a fresh month. Looking ahead to October.
The international break is almost over and Alfred Johansson’s side will kick off October at Fir Park against Celtic on Sunday 11 October. Kick off is 12pm.
There are no online sales as we need to check you have a continuous purchasing history.
The first-team are then on the road to Ayrshire to take on Kilmarnock on Saturday 17 October, before taking on Hearts on Sunday 25 October at 2pm.
There’s more midweek action on Wednesday 28 October as the Steelmen travel to McDiarmid Park. October finishes at home against St Mirren on Saturday 31 October.
Our Young Team have three matches scheduled in this month. First up is a trip to St Mirren on Tuesday 6 October in the CAS Elite Under 19 league.
The KDM Evolution Trophy league-phase action will conclude this month also as Motherwell B will travel to take on Banks O’Dee on Tuesday 13 October. Kick off is 7:45pm.
Their final match of the month comes against Rangers at home on Tuesday 27 October.
The Women of Steel kick off October at home against Aberdeen on Sunday 4 October at K-Park.
Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at the Bumblebee Stadium at K-Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.
It’s then Celtic at K-Park on Sunday 11 October, before travelling to Glasgow City seven days later. Iain Robinson’s side have midweek action on Wednesday 21 October against Partick Thistle at home, before facing Rangers away on Sunday 25 October.
Good luck, ladies.
Alex Lowry is your Lime September Player of the Month.
The midfielder picks up his second award of the season, having won the trophy in August also.
Lowry continued his strong start to the season in September, scoring his first Motherwell goal against Dundee United at Fir Park. He recorded his second goal in the Claret and Amber against Dundee at Dens Park in our last match.
Well done, Alex.
