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Scott McDonald insists ‘Well could do themselves a favour and learn from Saturday’s opponents Dundee.

The Aussie International spoke of his admiration for Paul Hartley’s side and their ability to bounce back after adversity.

It looked as if the Dees were heading for trouble when they went on a eight-game run without a win, that stretched from early October to late December.

However, after a 3-1 defeat at Fir Park six weeks ago, Hartley’s men have won four of their last six games, including victories over Hamilton, Dundee Utd, Partick Thistle and Falkirk.

And McDonald said: “Dundee are the type of team that we can look to, they have had a couple of bad results this year but they always seem to pick themselves up and go again,” the former Celtic striker said.

“People say they are on a bad run and then they get a good result and go again. We will be looking to emulate that. We need to get back on the winning trail.”

The experienced front man has watched on this week as a number of his teammates have left the club.

Four players have departed Fir Park this week – goalkeeper Dan Twardzik, midfielder Jake Taylor plus strikers Theo Robinson and David Clarkson – while Liam Grimshaw left earlier in the window and young players David Ferguson and Dylan Mackin joined Craig Moore in going out on loan.

[pullquote]Dundee are the type of team that we can look to, they have had a couple of bad results this year but they always seem to pick themselves up and go again.[/pullquote]

Only Grimshaw was a regular, but McDonald feels a new signing would be a psychological boost.

McDonald said: “We are hoping a few will come in and replace them. That’s key and hopefully that will happen before the window shuts and give everyone a lift that teams get when new players come in.

“That’s massive. You always see a lift in players when new players come in because obviously players that are brought in are brought in to play.

“So the players will feel the threat of that and want to impress the manager even more so.”

McDonald has formed a solid partnership with Louis Moult after an initial period of rotation when Mark McGhee took charge in October, but the Australian would welcome a fresh challenge.

“We’ve had a few (strikers) this season, it’s been top-heavy at times,” the 32-year-old said.

“We had five or six at one stage or another. But competition is always nice. None of us will shy away from it, certainly not myself.

“If you go, like we have, a couple of games without a goal, there’s always going to be that threat of someone coming in to take your place. The more players that are performing, the better for the club.”

Motherwell assistant Stephen Robinson hopes a win at Dens Park on Saturday can kick-start another good run of form.

The Steelmen had gone almost two months unbeaten before defeats to Hearts and Ross County has stalled the Fir Parkers in the last fortnight.

Mark McGhee’s team currently sit ninth in the table four points off a top-six spot, but are also only a point off second bottom with two games in hand.

With a trip to Dens Park tomorrow followed by Firhill three days later, Motherwell return to league duty on February 13 against Kilmarnock at Fir Park before a midweek trip to Tannadice.

As all those teams sit with them in the bottom half of the table, the need to focus on the short term is clear.

“It is tight at the bottom – there’s only one point between eighth place and 11th – so we need to get moving,” said the Northern Irishman.

“Starting with Saturday’s match, we have a run of fixtures which will give us the opportunity to kick on because we’re away to Partick Thistle on Tuesday and then we’re at home to Kilmarnock and away to Dundee United after that.

“We created the chances to start another run when we played Ross County but we didn’t take them and we lost sloppy goals, which is something we need to stop doing.

[pullquote]“But these next four games – five, if you include our Scottish Cup tie against Inverness here – can set us up for the rest of the season.”[/pullquote]

Reflecting on the experience of last season’s drama against Rangers, Robinson said: “We definitely don’t want to be involved in that again. It may have ended with a good outcome for us but it’s not something you want to put yourself through.

“When you look at the quality of players we have and that six-game run we went on, it proves that we should be looking up the table rather than downwards.”

Motherwell have seen several players go out the door with a mixture of permanent departures and temporary loan moves, and Robinson is hopeful some will be coming in the opposite direction.

He said: “Our remit was to get people out first before we could bring anyone in, so we’ve done that with four or five players going out and we are currently trying to get some fresh faces in.”

Motherwell Ladies FC is delighted to announce that both Emma and Jacqueline McLure have signed for the Under 15 squad for the 2016 season.

The highly sought after Livingstone based twins were previously with Hibernian but have opted to make the move to Lanarkshire after starting pre season with the Fir Parkers and being impressed by the infrastructure the club has implemented to develop girls football.

Emma was a standout in Motherwell’s 2-1 victory of Murieston last weekend and was unlucky not to notch a hat trick scoring twice only to watch her twenty-yard free kick hit the underside of the bar and bounce on the line before being cleared to safety. Jacqueline unfortunately missed the game through injury.

Both girls attend the Scottish FA Regional Squads and are great prospects for the future.

[pullquote]Both Emma and Jacqueline are fantastic players and we are so pleased to have them here at Motherwell FC.[/pullquote]

After a successful two years with Hibs it was hard for the girl’s to leave their friends behind.

However, commenting on her move Emma said, “I really enjoyed playing with the team in the friendly against Murieston last Saturday and can’t wait to get stuck into the season ahead.”

Jacqueline echoed her sister’s comments adding: “I am looking forward to getting out on the pitch. The Under 15’s are a lovely bunch of girls and I am excited about playing with them.”

Linda Gibson, Girls Performance Centre Manager was naturally delighted with the Under 15’s latest acquisitions, “Both Emma and Jacqueline are fantastic players and we are so pleased to have them here at Motherwell FC,” she enthused “We will continue to nurture their talent and look forward to seeing them in claret and amber for many years to come.”

Striker David Clarkson has joined Scottish Championship side St Mirren on loan until the end of the season.

Clarkson, 30, is in his second spell at Fir Park after rejoining the club last summer. He was previously a prolific striker between 2001 and 2009 before joining Bristol City for an undisclosed fee.

However, Clarkson has failed to secure a regular first-team spot with Louis Moult and Scott McDonald being Mark McGhee’s regular forward partnership, with Wes Fletcher and James McFadden in reserve.

The former Scotland International will now join Alex Rae’s side until the end of the current campaign as the Buddies battle for the fourth Play-off place.

Clarkson said: “As much as I love being at Motherwell, I’m at the stage of my career where I need to be playing regular football.

“I spoke to the manager and he understood that and I thank him for allowing me to go to St Mirren.”

Mark McGhee added: “David is a player who I have worked with on three occasions and I have huge respect for him both personally and professionally.

“We weren’t able to guarantee him a regular start, but wanted to be fair to him.

“We’ve still working on reshaping the squad and have now cleared some space for some new faces to now arrive.”

Motherwell FC can today confirm Czeck goalkeeper Dan Twardzik has left the club by mutual consent.

The 24-year old former Aberdeen and Dundee stopper was in his second spell at Fir Park, initially signing a one-month emergency loan over Christmas and New Year 2013, before making it a permanent move in the summer of 2014.

Everyone at the club would like to thank Dan for his contribution and wish him every success in his future career.

Burns Suppers have been part of Scottish Culture for two hundred years as a means of commemorating our best loved bard.

And when Burns immortalised haggis in verse, he created a central link that is maintained to this day.

Close friends of Burns started the ritual a few years after his death in 1796, as a tribute to his memory.

On Friday 5th February, Motherwell Football Club will be celebrating that tradition with the annual Burns Supper in the Centenary Suite.

Enjoy the finest traditional fare with a healthy dram in congenial company and listen to the convivial tones of our invited speakers all for just £25 per person.

For further information or to make a booking, phone 01698 333 333, email commercial@motherwellfc.co.uk or online by CLICKING HERE.

Slainthe!

Extended highlights from Ochilview as Ross MacLean strikes to earn the Under 20s a 1-0 win against Hearts in the Development League.

Motherwell U20s jumped above Hearts in the SPFL Development League with a deserved 0-1 victory this evening.

The Steelmen dominated the first half, creating numerous chances, but failed to get themselves in front in a fast-paced opening forty-five.

However, just after the hour, Ross MacLean netted what turned out to be the winning goal from close range.

The win moves ‘Well up to seventh place, joint on points with sixth place Rangers, the highest they’ve been all campaign.

Stephen Craigan was able to call on plenty of first-team experience against the Jambos. No less than seven starters have tasted action in the SPFL Premiership, including Wes Fletcher, Louis Laing, Joe Chalmers, Dom Thomas, Jack Leitch and others.

The Claret and Amber men started brightly, forcing a couple of early corners, but failed to get their noses in front.

The first real shot of the game came after ten minutes when Dom Thomas’ jinking run presented a chance for Robbie Leitch, only for his long-range effort to drop inches wide of target.

‘Well had a couple of tantalising crosses fly tease their way across the six-yard box without any takers, before Luke Watt came close to netting, only for his hard strike to take a nick off a defender to take it narrowly over. Fletcher headed the resulting corner wide.

It took Hearts until the 30th minute to really threaten when Robbie Buchanan capitalised on some hesitancy between Laing and Brett Long, but the young keeper redeemed himself to block wide.

‘Well replied with a Robbie Leitch shot well held by Jambos stopper Hamilton. A minute later, Ross MacLean’s deep cross to the back post found Thomas, but after jinking past his marker, his shot was blocked on route at the expense of a corner.

Thomas himself took the resulting kick, finding Louis Laing with a whipped near-post cross, but the defenders effort hit the bar before bouncing clear.

As the first half drew to a close, both Jack Leitch and MacLean got on the end of back post crosses, both neither could get any real connection and the chances were gone.

For all ‘Well dominated the first-half, the second half was a much more low key affair, with neither side creating much in the way of guilt-edge chances.

In fact, the first real action of the half resulted in the goal. Hamilton turned around Dom Thomas’ shot for a corner. When the ball eventually came over, Watt took aim and fired a low shot at goal. Hearts hadn’t got out in time, and it landed at Ross MacLean who had the simplest of tasks, turning and lifting it over the already grounded keeper into the net.

Hearts almost hit back quickly, when Buchanan found himself unmarked in the 18-yard box, but his downward header was straight at Long who saved.

Down the other end, the Leitch brothers combined well in the middle of the part to tee up Fletcher, but the former Burnley and York man scooped over.

‘Well had defended well all match and forced the home side to long range efforts and crosses from deep. One such free kick from Ian Smith almost deceived Long in the Fir Parker’s goal, but the keeper did well to turn it away after

That was the last of the action, but for a late Thomas shot in stoppage time, that Hamilton again did well to turn around for a corner.

Motherwell: Long, McMillan, Watt, Laing, Chalmers, Campbell, R. Leitch, J.Leitch, MacLean, Thomas, Fletcher (Mackin – 78mins)

Subs Not Used: Morrison, Moore, Turnbull, Maguire, Watters, Livingstone

Jake Taylor’s loan from Reading has been terminated and the player has returned south.

The 24-year old, who was capped by Wales back in 2014, joined on a season long deal from the Royals back in early August, but only started seven games in Claret and Amber.

Indeed, he hasn’t featured in a first team squad since ‘Well’s defeat to Ross County back in mid November.

Although his agreement was originally scheduled to expire in May 2016, the deal has been cut short to allow the player to join English League Two side Exeter City on a permanent basis.

Taylor is the second player to depart Fir Park today after Theo Robinson left to join Port Vale.

[pullquote]Jake is a good lad and conducted himself terrifically well here, but things haven’t really worked out.[/pullquote]

‘Well boss Mark McGhee commented: “Jake is a good lad and conducted himself terrifically well here, but things haven’t really worked out.

“Similar to Theo, that can happen after a manager departs and I was honest enough to tell him back in December that he wasn’t likely to feature in my plans going forward.

“He accepted that, it was all very amicable, and he leaves the club on good terms.”

Everyone at Motherwell FC would like to thank Jake for his contribution at Fir Park and wish him every success in his future career.

Motherwell FC can today confirm Theo Robinson has left the club to join English League One side Port Vale.

Robinson was signed by former boss Ian Baraclough in late August 2015, but only managed three starts over the next five months.

He has left to join the Valiants on a deal until the end of the season.

[pullquote]This is a good opportunity for us to try and reshape the squad a little during the January window.[/pullquote]

‘Well boss Mark McGhee said: “It’s not quite worked out for Theo here at Fir Park, but that can happen, particularly if the manager who signs you leaves so soon after you arrive.

“This is a good opportunity for us to try and reshape the squad a little during the January window.”

Everyone at Motherwell FC would like to thank Theo for his contribution at Fir Park and wish him every success in his future career.