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Liam Donnelly is July player of the month

Tuesday 13 August 2019

Liam Donnelly has been named as the Tullibardine Motherwell player of the month for July.

The midfielder won the public vote after finding the back of the net four times in three Betfred Cup group stage games.

He has since continued his form into the new month, netting two goals against Celtic to take his tally to the season to six.

First team

Next up: Hearts

Monday 12 August 2019

It’s back to cup football on Friday night, as Hearts visit Motherwell in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup.

Tickets are available to buy online now for Motherwell supporters. Hearts fans should contact their club direct.

Kick off on Friday at 7.45pm. Our Cooper Bar is open from 5pm for fans to enjoy pre-match food and drink.

Tale of the tape

Hearts and Motherwell both sit with a point in the Ladbrokes Premiership from two games so far, having drawn with Ross County and Livingston respectively.

In the Betfred Cup, Hearts went into the last 16 draw unseeded after progressing as group winners with nine points. They beat Stenhousemuir and Cowdenbeath, before taking a bonus point after a draw with Dundee United, and taking a point at East Fife.

Motherwell had a 100% record in their group, beating Queen of the South, Morton, Dumbarton and Annan Athletic, scoring 13 goals and conceding none along the way.

Head to head

Hearts have won three of the last five meetings between the two clubs, with Motherwell winning the other two.

The last encounter came at Fir Park in February, with David Turnbull’s last-minute winner sealing victory for the Steelmen in the league.

The visitors won the last cup match between the two, which came in the 2018/19 Betfred Cup quarter finals at Tynecastle. In an end-to-end game, Craig Levein’s side eventually prevailed 4-2.

Ticket information

Tickets are available online now or from the Fir Park ticket office for Motherwell supporters. You can also pay at the gate, but advance purchase is advised.

Hearts fans should contact their club direct.

Adult	£15
Over 60s / 18 and under / full-time students	£10
Under 16s	£5

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Can’t make it? Watch or listen live

If you’re outside the UK/Ireland, you can watch Motherwell v Hearts and the majority of our Ladbrokes Premiership games this season on our live streaming service.

Priced at £12 a month, just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to subscribe.

Wherever you are, there’s also live audio commentary available on our streaming service for £5.99 a month.

First team

Highlights as ‘Well lose out to Celtic

Saturday 10 August 2019

Watch back the action as the Steelmen lose 5-2 at home to champions Celtic.

First team

Robinson: We’ll learn lessons

Saturday 10 August 2019

Stephen Robinson said he was “disappointed” that Celtic were able to profit from a succession of individual errors, as the champions ran out 5-2 winners at Motherwell.

First team

Motherwell lose to rampant Celtic

Saturday 10 August 2019

Motherwell ran out of steam in the second half as they went down 5-2 at home to Celtic.

In an explosive opening Motherwell were rewarded for a positive start, Liam Donnelly’s gave his side the lead after 10 minutes.

The advantage was short lived as Kristopher Ajer equalised within 90 seconds. Then just before the end of an entertaining first half where the Fir Park side dominated large spells, a Leigh Griffiths free kick put Celtic in front.

The Steelmen failed to put Celtic under the same kind of pressure in the second half as the champions found their feet. Coupled with a few defensive lapses, goals from James Forrest, Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie gave Celtic an emphatic lead.

Although Donnelly found the net again in injury time, to claim his sixth of the season, it was little consolation as ‘Well ended up on the wrong side of a scoreline that looked improbable on their first half performance.

Stephen Robinson stuck close to the tam which finished the game at Livingston last week. Christopher Long led the attack with Sherwin Seedorf and Jermaine Hylton on either side of him.

The only forced change was Liam Grimshaw replacing the suspended Jake Carroll, with Richard Tait reverting to the left back slot.
Celtic, after their European exertions in midweek rotated their line-up but were still able to bring in the goal threat of Leigh Griffiths and Lewis Morgan.

However, it was Motherwell that made the early threats on Scott Bain’s goal and the Celtic ‘keeper had a few anxious moments in the early play as the home side played a pressing game in the visitor’s half.

In the 10th minute, Liam Polworth’s corner kick found Declan Gallagher eight yards out but having stooped to meet the ball he could only guide his header over the bar.

Two minutes later, though, the pair combined to set up the opening goal. Polworth’s crossfield ball again found Gallagher at the edge of the box. His cushioned header teed up Donnelly and his low drive from 18 yards sneaked inside the right hand post and beyond Bain’s despairing dive.

The Fir Park fans were still celebrating when Celtic produced a leveller within 90 seconds. James Forrest trailed the ball towards the home box before releasing the ball into the path of Ajer and with Gillespie racing from his line the Celtic defender calmly steered the ball under the ‘keeper to make it 1-1.

Despite that setback the home side stuck to its game plan and when Campbell sent Long in behind Ajer there were strong appeals for a penalty as the Celtic defender desperately attempted to dispossess the ‘Well striker.

With 25 minutes played, Seedorf whipped the ball low across the face of Bain’s goal but just in front of Hylton who came racing in from the other wing.

A quick break from the Parkhead men found Olivier Ntcham with time on the left but his low ball intended for Griffiths was well cut out by Gillespie as he slid out to claim the ball.

Two minutes later the French midfielder did find a team mate with a delightful clipped pass to Boli Bolingoli but from a tight angle he dragged the ball across Gillespie and narrowly beyond his left hand post.

Having been pressed into their own half for most of the first half, Celtic enjoyed more possession around the home goal as the interval approached. And five minutes from the break the advantage swung Celtic’s way.

Gallagher rather clumsily fouled Griffiths 25 yards from goal and the Scotland striker once again demonstrated his dead ball prowess, driving the free kick though the ‘Well defensive wall and inside Gillespie’s left hand post.

The Steelmen came close to claiming an immediate equaliser when Polworth found Donnelly close to the byeline. His driven cross begged a finishing touch but Long’s lunge four yards from goal failed to make contact.

Despite going behind Motherwell took a great deal of credit from the first half and in an attempt to restart on the front foot, Christian Ilic replaced Seedorf.

However, it was Celtic, having recovered from their midweek travels and lethargic first half who pushed towards Gillespie’s goal from the start of the second half.

Just beyond the hour mark Stephen Robinson made his second change giving Devante Cole the chance to make an impression up front in place of Long.

It looked promising when the on loan Wigan striker was judged narrowly offside as he raced in on goal. But within four minutes of his appearance Celtic had extended the lead.

Forrest collected Bolingoli’s cut back just beyond the corner of the six yard box and although his path to goal looked blocked, the Scotland winger side stepped inside Gallagher before stroking the ball across Gillespie and just inside his far post to make it 3-1.

That virtually killed the game but in a final attempt to inject some life into the home side James Scott replaced Hylton for the final 20 minutes.

It was Celtic though who scored again 15 from time. As ‘Well claimed a handball against Bolingoli, the ball quickly moved to the other end where Edouard calmly placed the ball to Gillespie’s right

Motherwell determined to put an accurate perspective on the scoreline, looked to reduce the leeway and after taking a pass from Ilic wide on the right, Grimshaw’s fierce drive flew narrowly beyond Bain’s post.

Celtic , though weren’t finished and six minutes from time Christie blasted home number five from the penalty spot after Donnelly had tripped Edouard in the box.

In injury time, Donnelly blasted home his second of the afternoon when he collected Gallgher’s knockdown and from a few yards fired high into the net to end the goal scoring spree.

First team

Manager: We have to put our stamp on the game

Friday 09 August 2019

Stephen Robinson believes Motherwell have the quality to give Celtic a game on Saturday, so long as everyone is at the top of their game.

The ‘Well boss says it is paramount his team follow the gameplan set out to be able to go toe-to-toe with the champions.

On the test Celtic will pose

“It’ll be a real early test for us against Celtic. We know what sort of qualities Celtic have.

“But we believe we’ve got quality in the side as well. We have to make sure we put our stamp on the game. We didn’t last week.

“We matched the battling qualities of Livingston. The game was reduced to a scrap, if we are totally honest.

“But it up to us to make sure we put our stamp on the game. We will have that opportunity again tomorrow.

“Our players will be aware of Celtic. I’d be a bad manager if I didn’t make them aware of the threats. But it has to be about us.

“We have a terrific home record here.If you look from Christmas, we have won an incredible amount of games for us.

“It’s something we go in very confident [about]. We will try and take our game to them. We will try and press, and we will try and get our wide players on the ball to cause problems.

“To win the game, we have to have 11 players at the top of their game. You perhaps need a couple of Celtic players to have an off day as well.

“But I am confident. We go into the game in very, very good form. We’ve not conceded a goal yet.

“We are organised. Last week, we were organised. We were defensively sound.But we didn’t play.

“We didn’t get the ball into the areas we wanted to often enough.

“We will be a different kettle of fish at home. We have to be very aware of Celtic’s threats, especially with the quality they have in forward areas.”

On stepping up to Premiership standard

“They’ll certainly have seen the extremes of Scottish football.Even the surfaces… our pitch is magnificent.

“You’ll have two teams playing, moving the ball very quickly and trying to take control of the game.

“There’s no right and wrong way to play football. Livingston played to their strengths. They do it very well, so why not? Gary has done a very good job there.

“Neil Lennon will play to Celtic’s strengths. And we will play to our strengths. It’s a game I am very much looking forward to.

“It’ll be completely different to last week. The thing we have to do that we didn’t do last week is put our stamp on the game.

“It’s us trying to take the game to Celtic, which is obviously a difficult one. But when we do land on the ball, we [have to] try put our gameplan in place.”

First team