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Stephen Robinson says the international break hasn’t derailed the momentum of his side ahead of the visit of Rangers on Saturday.

Motherwell went into the hiatus off the back of a 0-0 draw with league leaders Celtic, putting in a solid performance despite being reduced to ten men late in the first half.

Despite several players being away with their countries and a change to the training schedule, Robinson says he’s been able to maintain the standards and intensity that led up to the performance against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

“We’ve had a good week so we’re well prepared for the Rangers game,” said the manager.

“There’s been a bit of an edge in training and I’ve said it before but it’s never been a problem trying to motivate the boys, I have to actually hold them back sometimes.

[pullquote]”That’s because it’s competitive, but that’s what we want. We can’t be a competitive team on a Saturday and then from Monday to Friday not be.[/pullquote]

“They’ve trained really, really well, and I’ve got a few problems with selection as well which is good.”

Liam Grimshaw has returned to training after recovering from injury but the manager says there are doubts over the fitness of both Allan Campbell and Carl McHugh for the match.

Motherwell must win at least two of their last three games before the split to stand a chance of making the top six in the Ladbrokes Premiership and Robinson says he’s not given up hope.

“There’s still a chance at the top six and until that’s gone we’ll be aiming for that,” he said. “All of our games coming up are winnable because we’ve beaten the teams before, so that’s what we have to aim for.”

The referee for Saturday’s match against Rangers at Fir Park is Nick Walsh.

It marks the referee’s third ‘Well appointment of the 2017/18 campaign, after the 1-0 loss to Aberdeen back in September and the 1-1 draw against Patrick Thistle, both of which were played here at Fir Park.

The young official took charge of his very first Premiership game in the 2016/17 season, and his involvements with the Steelmen last term were his only involvements with the club in his career so far until this season.

Prior to that 1-0 loss against Aberdeen at Fir Park, ‘Well had a 100% record, albeit just in the two matches the official had taken charge of.

In the four games he has overseen, Walsh has handed out 20 yellow cards, 10 of those flashed at a player in claret and amber.

His assistants on Saturday are Dougie Potter and Mark McLean, with John Beaton on Fourth Official duties.

Motherwell come up against Rangers on Saturday as they keep pushing to make the Ladbrokes Premiership top six.

The Light Blues are themselves fighting to stay in title contention and travel to Fir Park looking to arrest a run of two defeats.

For Stephen Robinson’s men, the equation is simple. A win will keep them in contention to be in the top half come the split next Saturday.

It’s already been a season to remember so far. But it isn’t over yet. Come and support the team and push them over the line.

To buy, drop by the ticket office at Fir Park or call 01698 333333.

	Motherwell v Rangers
	Saturday, March 31, 2018
	12.30pm
	Fir Park
	Tickets on sale from the Fir Park ticket office

Admission prices are as follows:

• Concessions are applicable to 60 and over and full time students with a valid matriculation card.
• Juveniles are applicable to aged 15 and under.
• Away fans will be housed in the McEwan Fraser Legal South Stand.
• Motherwell fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Brian Davidson on 07428 225254 or tickets@mfcdsa.com. Fans must contact Brian by Wednesday night before the match.

Cédric Kipré made his debut at international level for the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, featuring in their Under 23s’ win over Togo.

The Motherwell defender played the last 10 minutes in the second half of the 5-0 victory for the Elephants.

Kipré has been with the Ivory Coast squad since Thursday, after travelling to their joint training camp between the full squad and Under 23s in Chantilly in France.

Tickets for Motherwell’s William Hill Scottish Cup semi final with Aberdeen are now on sale.

Season ticket holders and Well Society members are entitled to purchase first on an exclusive basis. Each individual can buy up to five tickets each.

The ticket office and Chapman office at Fir Park will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm for ticket sales. It will also be open from 10am until kick off, and for one hour after, at the match with Rangers on Saturday, March 31.

A public sale will start on Monday, April 2. The ticket office will be open on this day from 9am to 1pm. It will be open from 9am to 5pm the rest of the week and will also be open until kick off ahead of the match with Aberdeen on Tuesday, April 3.

The match at Hampden Park will be played on Saturday, April 14. Kick off is at 12.15pm.

Ticket information for the match is as follows:

William Hill South Stand and North Stand

£30 Adult / £15 Concessions

East Stand

£20 Adult / £10 Concessions

Concessions are regarded as those aged under 16 and those aged 65 and over.

Additional information

Telephone bookings will be taken. A £1 admin charge will be applied per telephone booking.

Delivery is available for any fan who cannot collect from us and who is not local. Tickets will be sent recorded delivery but the decision to have tickets posted is at the supporter’s risk and reprints will not be available. A £2.50 admin/postage charge will be added to each ticket, capped at £10.

Our singing section will be in areas F2 and F3 in the east stand.

Any fan requiring ambulant or wheelchair tickets should contact Brian Davidson on 07428225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Getting to Hampden

The club are operating a bus from the Cooper Bar on the day of the game. The bar will be open before departure for food and drink.

The bus, which will take supporters to and from Hampden Park, will cost £8. Supporters can buy by calling 01698 333333 or visiting the ticket office at Fir Park.

Semi final hospitality

Come and enjoy the day in style with our pre and post-match hospitality here at Fir Park.

For just £80, you can get:

• Your match ticket
• Hot breakfast roll
• Match programme
• Official bus to and from Hampden Park
• Pay bar facility at Fir Park
• Hot buffet served at Fir Park on your return

You can buy online or call to book on 01698 333333.

Trevor Carson made his long-awaited international debut on Saturday, playing the full 90 minutes in Northern Ireland’s win over South Korea.

The ‘Well goalkeeper impressed on his bow in Belfast, pulling off a number of important saves in the 2-1 win over the World Cup-bound side.

“It’s all a bit of a blur,” he told BBC Northern Ireland after the match. “I sat down after the game and it all sort of hit me.

“I enjoyed it. There were a couple of moments I just had to take it all in.

“Hopefully this is the start of it for me. I’ve had a taste of it and now I want more.”

Carson’s next opportunity to turn out for his nation will come at the end of the season, when Michael O’Neill’s side play friendlies against Panama and Costa Rica.

Chris Cadden and Allan Campbell both featured for Scotland Under 21s in their 1-1 qualifying draw in Andorra.

The Motherwell pair were both starters in the match for Scot Gemmill’s side, as they looked to keep themselves in contention for the 2019 UEFA European Under 21 Championships.

The young Scots fell behind in the second half through an Andorran penalty, before Lewis Morgan grabbed a late leveller.

Four Motherwell players are in contention to play for their countries over the March international break.

First potentially in action are Chris Cadden and Allan Campbell, who are with Scotland’s Under 21 side in Andorra.

Scot Gemmill’s side kick off at 5pm UK time in the UEFA European Under 21 Championship qualifier, with the dark blues pushing to catch the Netherlands in second spot.

On Saturday, Trevor Carson could land his long-awaited first international cap with Northern Ireland.

The ‘Well goalkeeper faces South Korea in Belfast, with the game kicking off at 2pm.

Then at 6pm on Saturday, Cédric Kipré is in contention to feature for Ivory Coast as they take on Togo in a friendly in France.

The defender, who has been outstanding in claret and amber this season, was a late call-up to the squad this week and could make his debut.

Motherwell international fixtures at a glance

Friday, 23 March: Andorra Under 21 v Scotland Under 21, 5pm.

Saturday, 24 March: Northern Ireland v South Korea, 2pm

Saturday, 24 March: Togo v Ivory Coast, 6pm.

Cédric Kipré has won his appeal against the red card shown to him against Celtic.

A claim of wrongful dismissal was accepted by a judicial panel at Hampden Park on Thursday, overturning the decision and cancelling a resulting two-game suspension.

A yellow card will instead be added to the player’s record for the incident.

Kipré will now be available for selection for Motherwell’s next match at home to Rangers on March 31.

The 21-year-old, who is currently on international duty with Ivory Coast, was initially ruled by referee Craig Thomson to have committed violent conduct in a clash with Scott Brown in Sunday’s 0-0 draw.

The test for violent conduct, according to the laws of the game, is that a player “must either use or attempt to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.”

The judicial panel ruled that Kipré’s actions did not use excessive force or brutality against his opponent.

“We are pleased that the panel ruled in Cédric’s favour,” manager Stephen Robinson said of the decision. “It is a sensible outcome, something that all parties agree with.

“Cédric is now available for our upcoming games, which are hugely important as we try and reach the top six. We can now draw a line under things and move on.”

Cédric Kipré’s first reaction when he was shown a red card against Celtic was that he had let his team down.

Caught in an altercation with Scott Brown, the centre back was dismissed for violent conduct, a decision that Motherwell have appealed and which will be heard by a judicial panel on Thursday.

Once he had made his way to the dressing room at Fir Park, the youngster’s initial emotion was anger. Anger that he had made life more difficult for his team mates.

“When I got the red card I thought ‘I’ve let everyone down. Maybe they are going to lose now because 10 v 11 is harder,'” he said.

“But they worked really hard and played really well, so I can only be proud of them. All of them.

“I tried to win the ball. I then fell down and I wanted to stand up, but he pushed me away. My first reaction to try and push him as well but with my foot.”

Pending the outcome of the appeal, Kipré could potentially miss upcoming Ladbrokes Premiership fixtures with Rangers and Aberdeen, as the Steelmen push to land a top six spot.

Regardless of what happens, the 21-year-old says he will use the incident as part of his education and development.

“I don’t think I did a bad thing,” he added. “I just wanted to stand up and keep playing. But it happens.

“Next time I won’t react. That’s what people are telling me to do. I won’t react next time.

“I would miss two games. Two very important games. So hopefully we win it and I can be back for the games and help the team.”