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Watch all ten goals from today’s Paterson’s Trophy Supplies Matchday Experience 3.

The Motherwell Away side ran out emphatic 3-7 winners in today’s Paterson’s Trophy Supplies Matchday Experience.

The visitors, coached by former Steelmen captain Scott Leitch, raced into a comfortable four-goal lead inside the first 35 minutes.

Scott Mullen netted the first, curling high past the ‘keeper and even provided a Colin O’Neil ‘Huge Sanchez’ style celebration (well, sort of) to mark the opener.

The second came after a mix-up in the home defence allowed Gordon Reid to lob home a 30-yard effort into an unguarded net after Allan Todd had raced off his line to head the ball clear.

David Farrell added a third shortly after, working hard to hold off a defender before tucking the ball home from a few yards out. The striker celebrated by taking his short off a revealing a poignant message to his brother in the crowd.

The whites threatened to run riot when they made it 4-0, Gordon Fell beating the outrushing Todd to the ball before slotting home.

However, the home side did manage to reduce the arrears shortly before the half-time interval, Scott Brazil winning a penalty kick before dusting himself down to cheekily dink it over stand-in stopper Allan Burton, who had replaced Stuart Reilly between the sticks after the ‘keeper suffered a nasty gash to the head.

Despite making a good start to the second half, the Claret and Amber men, led by Martyn ‘Kaiser’ Corrigan, missed a series of chances and eventually fell a further two behind when George Fell tapped home from close range and David Banks scored the goal of the day, collecting on the right flank before drilling it high past Todd into the top corner.

Callum Stewart added a second for Corrigan’s men, prodding home from a corner but any hopes of a miraculous comeback where dashed when Banks quickly grabbed his second of the game, firing a low shot that squirmed under Todd and into the net.

However, the scoring wasn’t done and the home side did get one back, Davie Tonner grabbing his customary Matchday Experience goal, capitalising on some slack defending to coolly slot home from eight yards.

It’s the second time in three years the Motherwell Away side have picked up the trophy, it’ll be all to play for when they 2015 version returns in May next year.

Motherwell Home Side: Allan Todd, Gordon Archibald, Stephen Frame, Louis McClymont, Iain Adam, Iain Mayer, Stewart Palmer, David Hendry, Scott McClymont, Davie Tonner, Jack Woodward, Martin Gilchrist, Scott Brazil, Calum Stewart:

Goals: Brazil, Stewart, Tonner

MOTM: Tonner

Motherwell Away Side: Stuart Reilly, Gordon McGuinness, Craig Ramage, Alistair Logan, Allan Burton, Iain Murray, George Fell, Scott Mullen, Gordon Reid, David Farrell, Scott Findlay, Phil Speedie, John Thomson, David Banks

Goals: Mullen, Reid, Farrell, Fell x 2, Banks x2

MOTM: Banks

Referee: Andrew Dallas

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Ladies Team

Motherwell Ladies secured an emphatic win last weekend, beating Bishopton 7-0 at home and giving boss Graeme McArthur the perfect birthday present.

Bishopton did well to hold off an early onslaught of Motherwell attacks and created a good few chances themselves, however it was the hosts who opened the scoring after twenty minutes. Bishopton, despite some great linking play, were unable to come up with a response and the ‘Well ladies grew in confidence, creating chances into the double figures. At 7-0, Graeme McArthur was happy with the result, but both he and his players know a better standard of play will be demanded of them next season.

Graeme said: “I’m delighted to continue our undefeated run in the league with a strong 7-0 victory, however there are improvements that require to continually be made as we are always looking to better ourselves.

“It was good to see our midfielders chip in with goals as well as well as Pamela Liddell, whose scoring record continues with goals in every game she has played this season.

“As a midfield unit, we were better in terms of controlling the game and it was great to see Toni Mason back in a Motherwell shirt, which I felt gave the team a lift with her presence and work rate.

“We now look forward to the Stranraer game this weekend having scored 15 goals in our last two games, despite introducing a new shape away from how we have set up for most of the season.

“We are now at the tail end of our inaugural season as a club and the final three games will allow us to try different things with a view to the next campaign.

“It’s important we finish the season strongly to give us a platform to kick on again next season with the squad we have built this year. I’d also like to give a mention to my assistant Chris Steele, goalkeeping coach Wes McQuarrie and physio Caitlin Whitson, who have been fantastic not only for me but for the club overall and I’m really pleased to have them on board.”

The Ladies have performed well in their last seven games, so far achieving their target of not losing any remaining fixtures, set to them by McArthur. With three games to go, Graeme continues to have has high expectations and every player is fully aware of what is expected not only at training, but also come match day.

“The girls have responded well to the challenge set, however we still have three games to go and there is no room for complacency. After that, we look to the close of season.

“The winter shutdown will allow us to work hard to improve our technical, tactical and physical attributes, whilst building a strong mentality to go on and challenge for promotion, which is our overall aim. The introduction of the new Under 17s squad will no doubt benefit us and give us an even bigger squad pool, with the opportunity for younger players who are progressing to come in with the senior team to train and be involved in games when required.”

On behalf of everyone at the club, I would like to wish Graeme a very Happy Birthday.

If you haven’t had a chance to get along and watch this season, there are only a few games left. Why not bring the family and pop down to Daisy Park (at Cathedral Primary) this Sunday to watch the ladies play against Stranraer. It is a 2pm KO and entry to the park is free!

Under 9s

The Under 9s were in action at K Park last weekend. The girls, as always, worked extremely hard in their games and came away with a mixed bag of results.

A win against Gartcairn saw the young Steel girls off to a flyer, but unfortunately the next two games saw much tougher opposition and both games resulted in a loss, firstly to East Kilbride and then to Hamilton Accies.

Unlucky girls, heads up and focus on the next challenge, good luck this weekend when you are back at the K Park, Sunday 12th October, 12noon -1.30pm

Under 11s

It was a tough lesson to learn for our Under 11s squad at the weekend. Despite a hard-fought effort against an older team, and Motherwell’s keeper suffering with illness and having to miss the match, the girls saw an 11-0 defeat to Central.

However, as ever, the Motherwell philosophy of hard work, grit and determination has kicked in and the girls have arranged a re-match this weekend, Saturday 11th October at Fir Park Astro, 11.30am KO.

It should be a good one to watc; your support on the sidelines is welcome as always. We hope to see some of you there, cheering on our girls.

Name: Graeme McArthur

Age: 27

Position within the club: Community Programme Manager, Ladies Team Manager and Youth Academy Coach.

Football qualifications: UEFA B Licence, SFA Advanced Children’s Licence.

How many years have you been coaching: This is my 11th year.

Previous managerial job roles: Elite Academy coaching roles with various age groups.

Were you involved as a player before taking on a managerial role at Motherwell FC: No, I was never good enough!

How long have you been at Motherwell FC: From six-years old! I previously attended community programmes before progressing on to coaching.

How did you get involved with the club: I was doing my Duke of Edinburgh Award and was encouraged by a coach, who is a PE Teacher and massive Motherwell fan, Stevie Odger, who used to work at the Community’s “Saturday Club” programme to give coaching a go and it pretty much went from there.

What impresses you the most about the set up at Motherwell FC: I would say the overall vision of what we want to collectively achieve. From the young ones coming in after school through to our first team, the hunger and desire to be involved in this environment and the happiness which it can bring.

Have you always had an interest in women’s football: Yes, I got involved back in 2008 when I took the girls Under 17s. I then also was the assistant coach to regional squad Under 19s for a season in 2011.

Are you impressed with the level of ability within the Scottish women’s game: Very impressed, especially with the squad I am working with. We have some very technically proficient players who are tactically sound and eager to learn and play the way we want to as a club.

Who’s coaching style do you admire the most: I’ve been lucky to have worked with, and been around, some excellent coaches within the Elite Academy at the club, and have certainly picked up some pointers from them. I think it’s unfair to pinpoint one coach I would admire the most due to the different methods and styles I’ve seen.

How would you describe your coaching style: I’d probably leave that for the players to describe! I like to think I put demands on players and always look to see the positives and get the best out of them, but at the same time I’m sure you’d agree I’m quick to tell you when it’s not good enough and doesn’t match the standards that I demand!

What inspired you to accept the managerial role at the women’s team: The challenge of getting the club to where we want to be and working with senior players again after coaching Elite Academy Under 11s and 12s the last few seasons.

This is Motherwell Ladies first competitive season, how do you feel it has gone: Fairly well considering we have had a lot of changes in coaching staff and playing personnel since I started working with the squad. The level of player we have to work with ranges from some excellent youngsters to more experienced Premier League players and the balance is about right now. Initially there was a lot of inexperience in competitive football, but we have acted on this and turned it around to the levels and standards we require. Performance wise there are more wins than defeats and draws on the board so that can only be seen as a positive.

What targets have you set your team for the remainder of the season: We lost our first game back after the summer break and I set the players a challenge to not lose for the rest of the season. We have since went seven on the bounce without losing, winning five and drawing two. If we can finish our last three games without a defeat, the target set will have been achieved.

I’m sure you have a rigorous pre-season plan for the girls, any chance you can give us a sneak peak of what’s to come: Haha, I don’t want to waste it for those reading! No, we will do a lot of conditioning work over the course of pre season as I feel we can certainly improve our fitness levels. It’s also my intention to work on a couple of different systems of play so that we are proficient in playing different ways for different games and any adjustments we may need during a game can be done smoothly.

What are your aspirations for next season: Promotion is obviously something we want to achieve and a Cup run would be nice in both the Divisional and the Scottish, as this is something we didn’t do too well in this year.

Chris Steele is your Assistant coach, what makes you such a great partnership: I met Chris over a year ago by chance in Largs when I was doing my B Licence Intro and he was over doing the assessment and had lunch with him. I was surprised when his CV landed on my desk a year later. We take a lot of time to discuss what we want to achieve within our week of work with the squad, detailing everything from our training plans down to how we will approach our next fixture. Nothing is left to chance as the more organised we are, the more organised our team will be, something I feel to be of massive importance. We view the game in similar ways and both want to be working at the highest level possible with this set of players.

Do you both have similar aims and targets for the team in the coming 2016 season: Absolutely, we are already planning for next season, how we will approach everything from pre season, our Christmas programme and starting to make plans for pre-season friendlies, which will set us up for the start of the season. We have targets for training, session to session, weekly targets and an overall target for the season and I believe we have the ability to carry them out at the club.

I imagine you eat, sleep and breathe football, can you give us some insight into what goes into coaching the women’s team: Planning, preparation and performance. It annoys me when we can be better or if something isn’t right in my eyes. You do take your work home with you at times but I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. I see at as wanting to be the best and not settling for doing just ok. We have some big personalities at the club, but they are very much focused on being as successful as possible and that is why they are playing here, they can see what we see, they want to be what we want to be and want to achieve this. We structure our sessions based on what we feel needs improving from the weekend and then set about how we are going to achieve our targets, so there’s the planning and preparation part. From there performance both in training and on the field of play is analysed by the coaching staff and we come up with our recommendations, so it is very cyclical our way of working. It’s good to work this way as it keeps us on our toes and constantly looking for the next improvement to be made.

What are your personal aspirations as a coach, where do you want to be in 5 years time: Working at as high a level as possible, I have my own personal goals but I don’t like to share them unfortunately!

Personally I am a fan of motivational quotes. For all your squad players reading this, what quote would you like to dedicate to them for the remainder of this season and into the next: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start being great”. It sums up what I want from this group of players to take forward into next season and beyond.

Thank you Graeme for taking the time to speak with me and giving the readers an insight into Motherwell Ladies FC. Good luck to you and your squad, we are all behind you for the remainder of this season and into next. Let’s hope the hard work, dedication and desire you, your staff and your squad has will see that move up the leagues quickly.

Motherwell FC, in partnership with Dundee United FC, is delighted to offer Season Ticket holders an away day incentive.

The joint scheme between the two clubs will allow Motherwell Season Ticket holders to gain entry to Tannadice on Saturday 24th January 2015 for just £10 for adults and £5 concessions/juveniles.

Steelmen should present ‘Special Voucher A’ from the back of their ‘Well Season book at the turnstile at Tannadice to receive the discount – one voucher per fan.

In return, United Season Ticket holders will get a similar offer at Fir Park when their side visits for the BT Sport Live Friday night game on 7th November 2014.

Arabs should use ‘Voucher F’ from their books and present it on the night of the game to receive their discount – again, one voucher per fan.

[pullquote]The Club is constantly working with, and listening to, supporters with the aim of making Scottish Football as attractive and flexible as possible[/pullquote]

Commenting, Motherwell General Manager Alan Burrows said: “The Club is constantly working with, and listening to, supporters with the aim of making Scottish Football as attractive and flexible as possible.

“Only last month we were the first SPFL Premiership club to introduce a ‘Flexi Ticket’, giving fans the opportunity to buy 5 or 10 game packages where they have the option of which matches they wish to attend.

“However, the true value will always be with the Season Ticket and I hope this pilot scheme between Motherwell and Dundee United can act as a catalyst for something bigger.

“All too often, visiting fans have been ignored and in my view, the deterioration of the travelling support is one of the key overriding factor in the general decrease in average attendances in top flight Scottish Football.

“The home crowds at Fir Park have, by and large, remained fairly steady over the last few decades, whereas it is the travelling contingent that has really suffered. As a league, we could perhaps examine this in greater detail, gauge its success with a view to perhaps extending it further, if the interest is there.”

Motherwell FC is looking forward to welcoming players for the third annual Paterson’s Trophies Matchday Experience this weekend.

‘Well fans from across the County bid on shirts that will allow them to take their place in Saturday’s big match.

The event takes place at Fir Park, Motherwell, on Saturday, October 11th 2014, kick-off 12 noon.

We’ve made the kick-off earlier this year so participants and spectators can still attend/watch Scotland’s game with Georgia later that evening.

Special guest managers Stevie Kirk and Martyn ‘Kaiser’ Corrigan* will take the teams and Category 1 official Andrew Dallas will be the man in the middle for what is sure to be another great day.

If you want to come along and cheer on the teams, turnstiles will open at 11.30am with adults at £2 and concessions £1. If you cannot make it along, we’ll have match updates on Twitter, a brief report on the website afterwards and further updates in the Dundee Matchday Magazine.

*Coaches are subject to late change.

Extended highlights from Fir Park as Motherwell and Inverness share the points in a Development League thriller.

Under 20s boss Jonatan Johansson was frustrated his side didn’t win, but declared himself pleased with tonight’s performance.

The young Steelmen side created a barrel-load of chances, but lacked that bit of composure in the final third to see the game through for a win.

Instead, it finished all square with ‘Well having to come from behind after Ibra Sekajja had put Duncan Shearer’s men ahead in the second minute.

It means the Under 20s have gone almost two months without defeat and will take plenty of confident into next week’s game against Rangers.

[pullquote]It was a positive performance, we took the initiative, and we took the game to them. We looked confident and sharp, all of which we will take into next week’s game against Rangers.[/pullquote]

“We could have beat them given the chances we created,” the Finn told MFC TV after the match.

“In saying that, it was a very free-flowing game and they were good on the counter-attack with two dangerous strikers. I’m not pleased with the point, but I will accept it.

“Today was a great learning curve for our players though. It was a positive performance, we took the initiative, and we took the game to them. We looked confident and sharp, all of which we will take into next week’s game against Rangers.

“In terms of things we can work on, we can improve on our fitness. We had a few players cramping, so that’s something we can certainly work on, along with some defensive work.”

Motherwell and Inverness Under 20s shared the spoils after a terrific 1-1 draw at Fir Park this evening.

The visitors took an early lead after just two minutes courtesy of new signing Ibra Sekajja, only for Steven Higgins to level things ten minutes later.

‘Well were on top for the most part, but Caley defended valiantly and always looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

However, both sides failed to add to their tally and the game eventually finished all square.

Jonatan Johansson made two changes to the team that beat Hibs three weeks ago. Ross Stewart and Jack Leitch dropped out, replaced by Max Currie and Ross McLean.

Caley had new signing; former Crystal Palace front man Ibra Sekajja in their starting eleven and he made an immediate impact for the Highlanders, scoring after just two minutes.

Liam Polworth’s whipped corner form the left found the former England Youth International unmarked and he was left with the simplest of tasks, heading home from inside the six-yard box.

The same player almost doubled his, and Caley’s, tally five minutes later but found Currie in top form, tipping away his shot from the edge of the area.

‘Well eventually settled down and with their first meaningful attack, leveled the game.

Steven Higgins was the scorer, but Chris Cadden deserves a lot of credit for the assist. The midfielder collected and drove towards goal, eventually playing a neat ball inside Blair Maclennan; Higgins held off the fullback before firing past Cameron Mackay for his fifth of the campaign.

After drawing level, ‘Well went immediately in search of a second and Higgins shot over before Dylan Mackin curled an effort a yard or so over the crossbar.

Higgins then brought out the best in Mackay with a stinging volley that forced the Caley stopper to beat away. Seconds later, the visitors roared up the park and Calum Ferguson replied with a shot from distance, but it was straight at Currie who gathered comfortably.

There was barely time to catch a breath with Caley’s Maclennan almost turned McLean’s drilled low cross into his own net, only for it to squirm just wide before Mackin snatched a shot after industrious wing work from Higgins on the left.

Caley weathered the onslaught and came within an inch of taking the lead for a second time. Liam Polworth’s thundering drive cannoned off Currie’s crossbar, bounced down on the line before eventually being scrambled clear. Caley claimed it had crossed, but the officials were having none of it.

Minutes later, Sekajja had a half chance inside the area after a corner had fell kindly for him, but ‘Well’s defense quickly charged out to make the block.

The first action of the second period came from the visitors and Polworth was again unfortunate not to find the net. The youngster collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and his shot hit a wicked deflection, only for Currie, who was going the wrong way, to expertly block with an outstretched leg to keep it at 1-1.

Both teams were again trading chances, Mackin firing over before Sutherland almost completed a quick Caley counter, his looping shot from the edge of the area went narrowly wide.

‘Well were gaining the upperhand though and enjoyed a period of dominance without being able to get another goal. Half chances came and went for Mackin and Thomas, but the score remained level.

Caley were content to soak up the pressure and hit with a long-ball counter, using the pace of Ferguson and Sekajja to great effect. They almost got their rewards when Sekejaa wriggled into space on the edge of the area but could only drag a low shot wide of target.

Mackin chipped over again, McLean flicked a header wide and Higgins ballooned a shot as the Steelmen continued to knock at the door, though.

As the game headed towards its conclusion, Thomas again fired over before Cummins should have won it with a close range header. Thomas was the architect, his stinging free kick was perfect for the former Evertonian but his little flick was an inch wide of target.

With five minutes left, ‘Well continued their relentless pressure at the visitors goal. After a quick counter from a Caley free-kick, Mackin’s shot from distance deflected wide for a corner when he had better options either side of him. Neil blazed over the resulting kick from the quadrant.

Higgins then had an effort straight at MacKay and with virtually the last kick of the ball, Craig McCall curled an effort at goal only for the Caley keeper to pluck it comfortably out the air.

The final whistle brought about a standing ovation from the small group of fans and family in the Phil O’Donnell Stand. It was pulsating, exciting and, at times, gung-ho and frustrating, but a great advert for U20s Development League football for sure.

Motherwell: Currie, McMillan (Watt – 73mins), Ferguson, Cummins, Neill, McCall, Mackin, Cadden (Leitch – 75mins), Higgins, Thomas, McLean (Anderson -79mins)

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Hall, Campbell, McNulty

Topps Match Attax, the world’s most successful football trading card game launches its all-new Scottish Premiership 2014-15 collection today at Hampden Stadium, Glasgow.

Steelmen of all ages can get involved in this years’ collection, which features all-new card types and the introduction of Championship players.

Every Scottish Match Attax card in the 2014-15 collection features player star ratings and a range of statistics, so that collectors can rank the Premiership and Championship stars according to power, skill, passing, shooting, speed and tackling. New Attack and Defence categories will make the game even more exciting than ever.

The very latest players’ photos feature on the cards, alongside player values, enabling fans to build their own £100million super-squad. The values also act as an aid to help collector’s trade cards fairly in the school playground.

Rod Pearson, Marketing Director for Topps, comments: “Scottish Match Attax is set to be a huge hit and brings fans all the action, all of the top players and all 22 teams from the Scottish Premiership and Championship. It offers a great accompaniment to the new season and enables fans of all teams to take part in the action that this trading card game of super skill, stats and tactics brings.”

The 2014-15 Match Attax collection is on sale from 2nd October and features over 280 cards to collect, including Star Player Man of the Match cards, plus new Trophy cards, duo cards and 100 Club cards.

Scottish Premiership Match Attax 2014-15 Starter Packs (£4.99) contain everything needed to get straight into a competitive game upon opening and include a sturdy plastic binder, A2 play pitch, an exclusive Limited Edition card and supersize wall chart. Packets of 9 cards will retail at £1 and multipacks of 50 cards, including a Bronze, Silver or Gold Limited Edition, will retail at £5.

For further information about Topps Match Attax, please visit www.toppsfootball.co.uk Catch all the latest Topps collectibles news at www.facebook.com/MyTopps and via Twitter @MyTopps.

Highlights from Firhill as Motherwell slump to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Partick Thistle.