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Alfred Johansson reacts to defeat at Ibrox.

Motherwell’s unbeaten run in the William Hill Premiership came to an end at Ibrox on Saturday, with a goal from Ryan Naderi the difference between the sides. 

Alfred Johansson made three changes to the side that swept Dundee United aside on Wednesday night. Regan Charles-Cook and Ibrahim Said were restored the frontline, with Jake Girdwood-Reich replacing Jamie Knight-Lebel in defence.

Motherwell have enjoyed success in Govan in the last three years, picking up three wins in that time having not won their since 1997.

And the belief was apparent in the early stages from the Steelmen that they could emulate something similar on this occasion too, as they quickly racked up possession and successful passes. Said broke forward in the early stages, before finding Charles-Cook in the penalty area who headed over the bar.

There was then a lengthy delay as VAR appeared to have some technical issue, with both sets of players and supporters growing more inpatient at the delay. Rangers were then dealt a blow after eight minutes as captain Lawrence Shankland was forced off, with Naderi brought on in his place.

And the substitute made an impact four minutes after coming on. Martin Moormann played a pass back to keeper Alex Paulsen, the New Zealand international was dispossessed by the forward before tapping into the empty net. 12 minutes gone, 1-0 Rangers.

That early setback didn’t seem to negatively impact Motherwell’s approach to proceedings, who immediately looked for a response. There was some patient play on the edge of the Rangers penalty area before Joe Hodge set Tawanda Maswanhise on his left foot for a strike, but the effort was gathered by Ivor Pandur.

Djeidi Gassama then showed his pace and skill to carry the ball forward. The winger cut inside and had a shot at goal but Moormann was on hand to block with his foot.

Paulsen was then called into action as Minsu Kim tried to head into the bottom corner, but the keeper got down well to keep the scoreline at 1-0.

Former Rangers player Alex Lowry almost had his perfect return to Ibrox around the 25th minute, when he combined with Charles-Cook before faking a shot with his left foot, cutting onto his right and shooting straight at Pandur.

Duncan Nicholson pointed to the penalty spot just shy of the half-hour mark when Tom Sparrow was judged to have brought down Gassama just inside the area after the two players came together competing for a cross. Minsu stepped up from 12-yards but fired wide of the target.

Dujon Sterling then put an inviting cross into the Motherwell box, Gassama connected well with his head but Paulsen produced another brilliant save, with Moormann clearing the ball before Gassama had the opportunity for a rebound.

Lukas Fadinger then worked his way into the penalty area as he burst into the box but couldn’t get a strike away before losing possession.

Paulsen was just as sharp in the second-half when, after nine minutes after the interval, Minsu was once again denied by the shot-stopper, with James Penrice striking the post on the follow-up.

Motherwell were able to venture forward on the hour-mark, with half-time substitute Jardell Kanga threading the ball through for Maswanhise, but the shot wasn’t enough to seriously trouble Pandur who was well behind the effort.

Rangers continued to push and kill the game off. Five minutes later, Niko Raskin had to wait for the ball to drop before catching it sweetly on the volley. The Belgian beat Paulsen but Moormann had moved back onto the goal line and was able to block before the ball crossed it.

Fadinger uncharacteristically misplaced a pass in the penalty area from a Motherwell goal-kick, and Daisuke Yokota pounced. But the Rangers summer signing was off-balance as he struck and the ball went high and wide, with the Steelmen breathing a sigh of relief.

It really should have been 2-0 when Kevin Kelsy got on the end of a Penrice cutback, but the striker struck the bar with his effort.

The home crowd began to get nervous as the game edged closer to full-time, but Motherwell were unable to create a clear chance in the closing stages with Derek McInnes’ side able to claim the three points.

Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Lowry, Said, Charles-Cook, Maswanhise. 

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, O’Donnell, Knight-Lebel, Williams, Kanga, Levitt, Vogt, Bjørgolfsson, Palmer-Houlden.

It’s matchday in the William Hill Premiership as we take on Rangers at Ibrox.

Kick off is 3pm.

Tickets

You can buy your tickets by CLICKING HERE.

Prices:

• Adults – £39
• Concessions – £27  (Over 65 16-17)
• Under 16 – £18
• Under 12 – £12
• Wheelchair Adult – £25
• Wheelchair Concession – £18
• Wheelchair Junior – £12

These tickets are physical, so will either need to be collected at Fir Park prior to the game, or posted out. Watch Live

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.

Other Match Information

Our Ticket office will open 10am-12pm on Saturday for the sale of Rangers tickets.

Any uncollected tickets will be picked up by our SLO when we close at 12 noon and taken to the away turnstiles at Ibrox.

The Stadium opens 90 minutes prior to kick-off.

Cars travelling westbound from the direction of Glasgow City Centre on the M8 should exit at either Junction 24 (Helen Street), Junction 25 (Clyde Tunnel and in the direction of Cardonald) or Junction 26 (Hillington).

Cars travelling eastbound on the M8 should exit at either Junction 26 (Hillington), Junction 24 (Helen Street) or exit at Kinning Park where they can travel on to the M77 to come off at Junction 1 (Dumbreck Road) or left onto Seaward Street then Paisley Road West.

Drivers are encouraged to check local maps to plan an alternative route to Ibrox Stadium should Junction 24 (Helen Street) be congested.

On a matchday, Edmiston Drive at the front of the Stadium is closed 90 minutes before kick-off.

The road remains closed throughout the match and does not reopen until approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour after the final whistle, depending on activities outside the Stadium.

Food, within reason, is allowed into the Stadium. Soft drinks in small plastic bottles or flasks, aluminium cans and alcohol are NOT allowed into the Stadium.

If you are required to carry containers into the Stadium for medical purposes please contact the Safety Department ahead of your visit.

Tap water is available from the concessions. Please queue in the normal way and on request you will be given a cup of water.

Weather Forecast

Saturday is to be mostly dry in Glasgow, with temperatures of 17 degrees at 3pm.

Tom Sparrow talks about how he has taken a bigger leadership role this season, having taken the armband on a number of occasions so far in 26/27.

Sparrow discusses the European run and what it meant to the football club, as well as his international ambitions.

Two of our matches in October have been moved.

Our match against Celtic at Fir Park will now take place on Sunday 11 October. Kick-off is at 12pm, and the match is live on Sky Sports.

Hearts will now travel to Fir Park on Sunday 25 October. Kick-off is now at 2pm, and the match is being shown on Premier Sports.

Our match against Hearts in December has also been moved to Sunday 13 December. This is due to the Tynecastle side playing in the UEFA Conference League.

Alfred Johansson assesses the trip to Ibrox on Saturday afternoon in the William Hill Premiership whilst stating is delight at the squad assembled during the summer transfer window. 

Johansson explains what he thinks would help the development of youth players in Scotland ahead of the SFA summit this afternoon.

Midfielder Olly Whyte has joined Ayr United on loan until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old had a stellar season on loan at Stenhousemuir last season in League One and follows manager Gary Naysmith to the Championship for 26/27.

Whyte made his Motherwell first-team debut against HB in the UEFA Conference League in July and played a further seven games under Alfred Johansson this season.

“I want to wish Olly the very best for the season ahead,” Alfred Johansson said.

“This move represents the opportunity for him to go up a level from last year and, hopefully, feature regularly. We hope he is able to continue his development underneath with a manager he worked with last year and achieved great things with.

“We’ll be monitoring his progress closely.”

We wish Olly the very best of the season ahead.

Dundee United were without their manager Jim Goodwin for the midweek trip to Fir Park, as he recovered following a spell in hospital. He watched on from home and saw his side reduced to ten men inside the first 20 minutes. 

Seb Palmer-Houlden, Alex Lowry and Dylan Levitt all scored their first goals for the club as Alfred Johansson’s side showed a mixture of patience and quality all over the pitch to secure three points on home turf.

The Steelmen face Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday 5 September in the William Hill Premiership. 

Kick off is 3pm.

How to Follow the Game

You can buy your tickets by CLICKING HERE.

Prices:

• Adults – £39
• Concessions – £27  (Over 65 16-17)
• Under 16 – £18
• Under 12 – £12
• Wheelchair Adult – £25
• Wheelchair Concession – £18
• Wheelchair Junior – £12

These tickets are physical, so will either need to be collected at Fir Park prior to the game, or posted out. The last day for postage will be Tuesday 1^st of September.

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.

Other Match Information

Our Ticket office will open 10am-12pm on Saturday for the sale of Rangers tickets.

Any uncollected tickets will be picked up by our SLO when we close at 12 noon and taken to the away turnstiles at Ibrox.

Weather Forecast

Saturday is to be mostly dry in Glasgow, with temperatures of 17 degrees at 3pm.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell extended their unbeaten run in the William Hill Premiership to four matches, with a comfortable 3-0 win over Dundee United on Wednesday night. It was a night of firsts in terms of the goals, with Seb Palmer-Houlden, Alex Lowry and Dylan Levitt all netting for the first time since joining in the summer.

It’s been eight goals in the Premiership so far for Motherwell, scored by eight different players.

Alfred Johansson’s side travel to Govan looking for their fourth win at Ibrox in four seasons, with Stuart Kettlewell, Michael Wimmer and Jens Berthel Askou all securing victories at Ibrox in the last three seasons.

Opposition Report

They may have had a disappointing European campaign, but Derek McInnes and Rangers have picked up back-to-back victories in the Premiership following a 1-0 win over Aberdeen and a 2-1 win over Falkirk on the road.

Summer signing and captain Lawrence Shankland has scored all three goals, as McInnes looks to bed in 12 new faces so far this summer.

Thelo Aasgaard joined Anderlecht on loan earlier this week, with further departures expected before the window closes.

Motherwell continued their unbeaten start in the William Hill Premiership this season with a comfortable 3-0 win over Dundee United at a wet Fir Park. 

The hosts made an emphatic start and were further boosted when Emmanuel Agyei saw red for a high tackle on Alex Lowry after 14 minutes. From there, Alfred Johansson’s side took full control of proceedings, with Seb Palmer-Houlden scoring his first Motherwell goal just five minutes later.

Motherwell continued to push forward and eventually got their second of the evening through Alex Lowry just after the hour mark, with debutant Dylan Levitt adding a third minutes later.

Following his perfect debut on Sunday afternoon, Jardell Kanga was awarded his first start in the claret and amber, replacing Ibrahim Said, who dropped to the bench for the first time this season. Palmer-Houlden was also brought into the 11 in place of Regan Charles-Cook.

Levitt was named amongst the subs after putting pen to paper on a two-year deal from Leyton Orient earlier in the week.

Dundee United arrived at Fir Park off the back of a 4-0 thumping at Kilmarnock, their biggest away victory in the top-flight since November 2013, ironically against Motherwell. They were, however, without manager Jim Goodwin, who missed his second match in a row following a spell in hospital, with the Dundee United boss continuing his recovery at home.

It was almost a repeat of Sunday’s opener as the home side flew immediately towards United’s goal. Tom Sparrow’s low ball towards the box allowed Palmer-Houlden to strongly hold off Michael Forbes before cutting the ball back to Lukas Fadinger. His stinging drive forced the first of many great saves from Jack Walton. But the keeper was lucky as Emmanuel Longelo latched onto the loose ball before drilling a right-foot shot off the post.

As the Tannadice men were pressed deep into their own half, Jamie Knight-Lebel had the freedom to carry the ball towards the visitor’s box before rolling a pass through to Palmer-Houlden, but his low drive was easily taken by Walton.

The United goal was already under constant pressure before they were reduced to ten men after 23 minutes. Agyei’s high boot caught Lowry, and the referee had no hesitation in showing him a red card.

That increased Motherwell’s possession with Lowry and Fadinger bossing the middle of the park. As the play around the visitor’s box continued, it was only a question of time before the Fir Park men would open the scoring.

The goal almost came after 17 minutes, but Tawanda Maswanhise’s powerful drive from the edge of the box was brilliantly palmed away by Walton at full stretch.

Two minutes later his goal was finally breached. Sparrow whipped yet another cross into the box, and Pamer-Houlden swept the bouncing ball in off the post for his first goal for the club.

After that it was a wave of attacks on the United goal with a string of inviting crosses going on.

A superb cross-field pass from Fadinger sent Longelo down the line, and not for the last time, his drilled ball across the visitor’s six-yard box was missed by both Pamer-Houlden and Maswanhise.

The keeper then saved his side from falling further behind when Kanga dragged the ball across the edge of the penalty area before setting up Fadinger, whose rising shot was superbly palmed away by Walton.

The first-half finished with Lowry’s cross being nodded over the bar by Palmer-Houlden, as the Motherwell fans were probably amazed that the team’s total supremacy hadn’t resulted in more goals.

Within a few minutes of the restart, Fadinger came within inches of extending Motherwell’s lead when his curling shot from 25 yards smacked off the inside of the post and back across the face of the goal with the keeper motionless.

Just before the hour mark, Johansson made his first couple of changes, swapping the height and strong running of Palmer-Houlden for the similarly built Eythor Bjorgolfsson. The Well boss also took the opportunity to give Levitt his first taste of action, replacing Fadinger in the midfield.

The former Dundee United man was then involved in a series of short passes which provided Lowry with the chance to drive his shot beyond Walker from 20 yards to open his Motherwell account.

Levitt then joined him after 66 minutes. Maswanhise slid the ball through the United defence, and from 15 yards to the right of Walker’s goal, Levitt slid the ball across the keeper and inside his right-hand post.

With points wrapped up and over 20 minutes to play, Lowry came off to a standing ovation along with Sparrow to give Stephen O’Donnell some needed pitch time and allow Willy Vogt to maintain the pressure on the overworked and tiring United.

The visitors almost grabbed a consolation goal 13 minutes from time, but after running unchallenged into the box, Lachlan Rose squeezed his shot past Paulsen but off the post before being flagged offside.

With Motherwell comfortable in their lead, United had more of the ball in the closing stages, but apart from forcing Paulsen into his one save of the game, there was little chance of spoiling the Steelmen’s evening.

Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, Knight-Lebel, Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Lowry, Kanga, Maswanhise, Palmer-Houlden.

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, O’Donnell, Girdwood-Reich, Williams, Levitt, Said, Charles-Cook, Vogt, Bjorgolfsson.