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The manager reacts to a fifth Scottish Premiership draw in a row.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos has enjoyed the international period as it has allowed the squad to sharpen up on elements of their game, and work on the small details at both ends of the pitch. 

The Australian international is feeling top notch this term, putting the injury woes of last season behind him. With a World Cup approaching, Stamatelopoulos is confident the goals will come for him, and trusts his teammates to keep to delivering.

The start of a new season always brings a degree of positivity and enthusiasm for the marathon that awaits the team and its fans. As the 2025/26 league season began at Fir Park, Jens Berthel Askou and his squad were met with the first big challenge in their opening fixtures. 

But the month of August, on paper at least, looked to be littered with challenges and obstacles.

Five games, one last 16 Premier Sports Cup tie and three away games on the spin – it looked to be a testing start. Emmanuel Longelo and Elliot Watt take us through the month of August, providing insight into playing in these matches, the mood from camp and ambition for the future.

Jens Berthel Askou has been pleased with the work completed during the September international window, saying it’s allowed the staff to work with the players closely on the training pitch, and hone in on some key areas that they needed to work on. 

The Motherwell manager says all players on international duty have returned healthy, and also spoke on the success of the summer transfer window.

Motherwell return to action on Saturday 13 September against Dundee. 

Kick off is 3pm at Dens Park.

How to follow the game

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There will be no cash gates in operation on matchday however, tickets will be available to purchase online up until kick off.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

There was no matches last weekend due to the international break. But the Steelmen have made a positive start to proceedings in the Premiership this season.

Although still waiting for their first win, Jens Berthel Askou’s men remain undefeated in competitive action in all competitions this season.

Tawanda Maswanhise netted his sixth goal in all competitions last time out against Kilmarnock, with Emmanuel Longelo scoring his third league goal in four games also.

Motherwell had mixed fortunes at Dens Park last season. A 4-1 defeat in December was followed up with a last-minute winner against Dundee in April, when Maswanhise leaped to head home in stoppage-time to seal the win with ten players.

Opposition Report

Dundee were eliminated from the Premier Sports Cup in the group-stage of this year’s competition. Defeat to Alloa and Airdrie saw the Dens Park side exit the competition.

After four league games, new Dundee manager Stephen Pressley has two draws and two defeats so far. Goals have been difficult to come by for the Dee, with defenders Ryan Astley and Clark Robertson joint top scorers on two for the season, alongside Simon Murray.

We take a look at how our international stars got on over the international period.

Oscar Priestman

Oscar Priestman wasn’t involved in Australia’s Under 23 14-0 win over Northern Mariana Islands, as the young Aussies looked to qualify for the Under 23s Asian Cup.

The midfielder also wasn’t involved in their second match against Timor-Leste.

In their third and crucial match against China, Priestman was named in the starting 11. He played the full 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw, with that result enough to see the Aussies finish top of the table and qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.

Elijah Just

In an unfriendly-friendly double header against Australia, Elijah Just and the New Zealand squad made their way to Canberra for the first match against the Aussies. Just started and played 70 minutes of the match.

With the score locked at 0-0 going into the closing stages, Just watched from the bench as Australia scored in the 87th minute of the match to snatch victory from the Kiwis.

In the return leg back in Auckland, Just was once again in from the start. He played the full 90 minutes; however, New Zealand would lose 3-1.

Kofi Balmer

Kofi Balmer wasn’t involved in either of Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Germany.

Tawanda Maswanhise

Tawanda Maswanhise and Zimbabwe were looking to get their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track. They faced Benin in their first match, with Maswanhise starting on the right-wing. Maswanhise played 83 minutes of the match, but Zimbabwe narrowly lost out 1-0.

In the second match against Rwanda, Maswanhise played the first 45 minutes. The Warriors went on to lose the game 1-0.

Aaron Thomson

Aaron Thomson was an unused substitute for Scotland’s Under 17s match against Serbia but subsequently played the full 90 minutes against Portugal. His side produced a great performance to defeat Portugal 3-2.

In their third and final match against Italy, Thomson retained his spot in the starting 11. Scotland lost 2-1 to the Italians.

Calum Ward initially joined Motherwell in early February 2025, in the midst of an injury crisis in the goalkeeping department. With Aston Oxborough out injured due to a hand injury, new signing Archie Mair out injured, backup goalkeeper Krisztián Hegyi back at his parent club West Ham and academy graduate Matty Connelly out on loan at East Kilbride, it felt that Ward’s arrival signalled some much-needed competition for the only fit goalkeeper at the time, Ellery Balcombe. 

However, with Oxborough only out for a short period of time and due to return in a few weeks, the assumption was Ward would be there as backup and wouldn’t feature in the first-team. That assumption would be an accurate one, as Ward would play 0 minutes between February and the end of the season.

The biggest positive for the English shot-stopper was that his hard work in training was enough to convince the coaching staff to extend his short-term deal into the following season. And from that point onwards, everything has gone well for the 24-year-old, as he has secured his spot on the team sheet at the start of the 2025/26 Premiership season, keeping three clean sheets in all competitions and making the save that won Motherwell bonus point in the penalty shootout victory over Clyde.

“I wasn’t expecting all this, to be honest,” Calum Ward said.

“There was no doubt that I backed myself to do it, but coming in last season as second/third choice, I just kept my head down. I got rewarded for that in the end, and it’s all worked out well in pre-season for me. It’s kind of suited me how the manager wants to play, and it’s going well.

“You read the room when you arrive, and I was smart enough to work out that Ellery was brought in on loan, and when players are brought in on loan from top teams, there’s going to be something in that contract for him to play. Which is fair enough. Training with Aston, Ellery and Matty when I came in was really good. We all got on really well and pushed each other in training.

“Nobody tells you what number you are in the pecking order, but you can work it out for yourself. You just try and do your best and try to make each other better. Help the outfield players in training if they need a goalkeeper for shooting, so that’s your job too!

“I’m not oblivious to this way of playing. In Finland, they try to play a similar style of football. Playing how we are here, to the point we’re at now, is a lot easier because the boys have got used to it. We’re building each week. At the start, it was something to get used to.

“When the manager came in and was showing us clips of how he wants the team and goalkeepers to play, it was a ‘step back and go wow’ moment because the keepers are playing high and smashing passes into the midfield. It’s really good when it comes off, but when it doesn’t, it’s not a good look. The fans weren’t used to it, and in the game against Clyde when we lose the ball and I’m high up the pitch and get lobbed, people are asking what’s going on.

“But since that first cup game, the fans have really bought into it. It’s getting better, and it’s something I’m enjoying. The manager hasn’t really said anything specific to me, just keeps praising me and told me to take my chance, which I’ve tried to do. I was comfortable playing out from the back, but this is a bit more extreme. Standing and playing higher, but I’m enjoying it.”

There is no doubt there is a new style being implemented by manager Jens Berthel Askou at Motherwell. Short, sharp passes with very few long balls; goalkeepers are encouraged to be brave and patient in equal measure. Ward has gotten comfortable with the ball being at his feet for large spells during matches, but he isn’t starting from scratch with this approach.

During his youth days at Bournemouth, a place he called home since the age of 11, he was coached to pass out from the back, which is something that gave him a good grounding for this new era at Fir Park.

“Bournemouth was one of those teams where they moved up the leagues very quickly,” Ward explained.

“The manager had a way of wanting to play out, so that went down from the first-team to the Academy, so I was used to the basic playing out. But we’ll take more risks here, standing on the ball waiting for someone to come towards you, and then you play around them. That takes bravery and mental strength to do because you know you can make mistakes.

“The Gaffer has said mistakes will happen, but he’s fine with them occurring as long as they come from doing the right things. I have got that background of playing out in previous teams, but this is the next level.

“The goalkeeping training since I came in at the start of the year to now has changed, yes. But it’s hard to replicate bravery in goalkeeping sessions. We do a lot more with our feet; the warm-up is more passing-based.”

It’s almost a different culture in ML1 at present, with the manager bringing his range of experiences in his career to the fold. But he’s not the only one who’s had an interesting career path.

Ward himself grew up within the elite environment of Bournemouth, where he represented the Cherries at various levels, but then his path would take him to a different country, somewhere he probably never expected he would live for four years.

“From age 11 until 20, I was at Bournemouth, which was a long time,” he stated.

“I was there when they were in League One and the Premier League, so I got to experience the rise. Once I got a scholarship and a professional contract for two years, they started to put me out on loan. I went into the non-leagues in England, where I started to build up, and I had a good loan in the National League South.

“We won the playoffs that season. After that, I felt like I was flying. Went back to Bournemouth, but they didn’t send me out on loan again, and I could feel myself going down the way due to lack of game time. I was fighting for a loan to play, and this is where Finland comes about. Yes, it’s a bit random.

“It’s not even me knowing anyone; it’s just people knowing other people. At the time, the first-team keeper at Bournemouth was Asmir Begovic, and he knew the goalkeeping coach at HIFK Fotboll in Finland. The manager there knew a squad player at Bournemouth too.

“So I went out on loan there. Didn’t play when I joined because I got injured in pre-season. The seasons run differently out there; they go from April to October. Went out there in January, and Bournemouth were saying they weren’t seeing any progress. It got to a point that they needed to decide if they were keeping me or releasing me.

“I got the phone call from them to say I was going to be released shortly after that, which was fine. My options were to come back to England, where they would help me find a new team or stay where I am permanently. Easiest choice ever, I said I would stay!

“Bournemouth had offered for me to come back and train, and they would put together clips that they could share with clubs. This was March time, so the Finnish season starts in a couple weeks, and my contract is finished in May in England. So, I just stayed. I was enjoying it even though I wasn’t playing.

“I was 20 at the time, didn’t know what was going on and chose to remain. One of the best decisions I’ve made. Got into the team there and played well that season, where I split game time with the other keeper there. I think it was 14 games and eight clean sheets. Another team from the same league came in with interest after that season, and I joined there, where I stayed for three years.

“Because the season runs differently, it’s very difficult to get out and come back. At the end of the season in October last year, I moved on, which wasn’t the worst. Spent a couple of months training, went on trial in Sweden and then ended up in Scotland.”

His time in Finland taught him many life lessons. Playing a multitude of games and living in a different part of the world brought so much experience to the fold for Ward. And it’s a part of his journey he would never change.

“The football is very technical and tactical out there,” Ward added.

“HJK Helsinki are the biggest team in the country, and they play in Europe most years. I find it hard to compare leagues. There are four or five top teams at a decent level, and then it goes down in quality down the table. It was a culture change, a different football and life change for me. Living abroad by myself, but I got lucky with the teammates I had because there are a lot of foreign boys I got on with, and then in the last two seasons, I met one of my best mates now, Ashley Coffey. He plays in China now.

“We’ve both had odd careers. He signed last minute and just got on like a house on fire. We kind of struggled on the pitch, but away from the pitch was amazing; the social side was so good. Overall, it was a really good experience, and I don’t regret any of it. If I didn’t stay out there when I could have come home, I don’t know where I would be now.

“But what I will say is, for four years I was there, I couldn’t speak the language. Not a word. If you search it up, it’s the most random language ever. I know a bit of context, but it’s near enough impossible. Thankfully English is the second language out there, so that helps massively.”

With all that life experience in the bag, Ward can now use that to offer advice to those who need it. His younger brother Christie Ward is also a professional footballer and plays with AFC Totton in England.

Christie chose a slightly different path to the one Calum took, but ultimately, he hopes his brother can achieve and experience some of the things he has.

“I try to help when I can,” Ward laughed.

“He doesn’t listen a lot! He has had a random career too, but he’s now in the National League South playing, which is great. He’s been unfortunate the last couple of years, but he’s now in the league I got promotion from and where my career kind of changed.

“They’ve started really well this season. He started in non-league whilst I was coming through the academy system. He did think about doing something similar, but in the end, he wanted to play football with his mates. At 18, he started lower leagues in England and had some scouts from the likes of Preston coming to watch him.

“He ended up going to League One with Wycombe and played there for three years. He was a bit unfortunate because every pre-season he would get a little niggle that would set him back, and he wouldn’t get in the team. He made his debut and stuff, and last season thought he might break through, but it didn’t work out.

“So, he’s now looking to push on down there, so I’ll help when I can. It’s different because he’s an outfield player, although maybe I can offer more advice on this now with where I play on the pitch in this new system. He can help me with that too!

“Football is really random; I went one way, which he didn’t fancy doing, but we can still end up in a similar position. If the right people are watching at the right time, you can end up in Finland, for example! I’m just excited for what’s to come here. I’m playing but want to try and stay in the team for as long as I can.”

We take a look at how our boys out on loan are getting on.

Matty Connelly

Matty Connelly made his first-team debut at Fir Park before joining Airdrie on loan for the season.

He made his debut in the Diamonds’ 2-0 defeat to Dunfermline, where the young keeper played the full 90 minutes. He also started and played the full game against Queen’s Park and Arbroath.

• Appearances: 3
• Clean Sheets: 0

Scott Williamson

Full-back Scott Williamson joined Cowdenbeath on loan for the season, as the club formed a new partnership with the Lowland League side.

He made his debut in a 5-1 defeat to Linlithgow Rose, coming on for the last 20 minutes off the bench. That short stint on the pitch earned him a start in his second match against Caledonian Braves, where his side won 2-1.

Williamson got his first assist in Cowdenbeath colours in his most recent outing against Tranent. The defender played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw.

• Appearances: 3
• Goals: 0
• Assists: 1

Ewan Wilson

Ewan Wilson joined Raith Rovers on loan until January at the end of August. The full-back was an unused substitute for Raith’s draw with Partick Thistle last Saturday.

• Appearances: 0
• Goals: 0
• Assists: 0

Olly Whyte

Motherwell and Stenhousemuir entered into a Cooperation Agreement also, which saw Olly Whyte head to Ochilview on loan.

Playing in the Lowland League last season with Cowdenbeath, Whyte has now made the step up to League One action, and has made an impressive start to proceedings.

Whyte made his debut in a 1-0 win over Cove Rangers in August, starting and playing 60 minutes. Stenhousemuir have played four games since, winning two and drawing two. Whyte has started every match so far.

• Appearances: 6
• Goals: 0
• Assists: 0

Nathan Lawson

Nathan Lawson is also on loan at Cowdenbeath. The forward made his debut against Clydebank, coming on with less than 10 minutes to play. He was a substitute in his second match against Broxburn.

After those to substitute appearances, he earned his first start against Linlithgow Rose, and played 55 minutes before coming off.

In the most recent game against Cumbernauld, he played the final 19 minutes.

• Appearances: 5
• Goals: 0
• Assists: 0

Picture credit: Thomas Gorman and Kristopher Dowell

Tawanda Maswanhise has experienced a lot during his 12 months in Scotland so far. A successful trial, two contract extensions, last-minute winners and some lows along the way. 

But alongside his successful and thriving Motherwell career comes the duty of representing his country. The Zimbabwean international is ready to go on his next international quest, and he shows what comes along with him on these trips around the world.

The winger also opens up about his Zimbabwean heritage, growing up through the Leicester Academy system, a sensible approach to football and future targets here in North Lanarkshire.

Three of our Premiership matches have new dates or kick off times. 

Our Premiership match against Aberdeen will now kick off at 5:45pm on Saturday 27 September.

The match will be shown live on Premier Sports.

Our match against Celtic at Parkhead will now take place on Sunday 5 October, due to Celtic’s participation in the Europa League.

Kick off is 3pm.

Our match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the Premiership will now take place on Sunday 9 November, due to Aberdeen’s participation in the Europa Conference League.

Kick off is 3pm.