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Motherwell were today handed a boost with the new Steven Saunders can step up his rehabilitation in the coming weeks.

The Scotland International cap is likely to resume training in a fortnight’s time after a couple of weeks of intense running.

The news comes at an ideal time for the Steelmen with Shaun Hutchinson, Fraser Kerr and Euan Murray all sidelined through injury.

Saunders told motherwellfc.co.uk, “The surgeon has given me the all clear to up my running and do some intense leg work.

“I can now see the end of all this and physiologically, that’s a big boost. I’ll do more weights, more running and, all being well, I’ll be back in training in about two weeks.

“The surgeon has been delighted with the progress and has now left the remained of the recovery with John Porteous here at Motherwell.

“If I can get back to training within two weeks, then hopefully it won’t be long before I can get some action for the U20s with the ultimate aim of getting back into the first-team.”

‘Well boss Stuart McCall is adamant his side will travel to Perth to face SPL high-flyers St Johnstone aiming for all three points.

The Steelmen have been on a disappointing run of late, losing the last four games and dropping to 8th in the table.

Saints on the other hand have won five from their last six SPL matches, propelling them to within touching distance of the division’s summit.

It is role reversals from the last time the teams met back in August but the Fir Park boss is focused on getting his side back to winning ways.

[pullquote]I’m confident in this group of players. We have the quality to cause them problems and that is what we aim to do.[/pullquote]

He told MFC TV: “We’ll go to St Johnstone, which is a tough place to go, and knuckle down and work hard.

“I’m confident in this group of players. We have the quality to cause them problems and that is what we aim to do.

“A couple of months ago St Johnstone were down near the bottom a month ago and after a good run of results got themselves up to the top half. It’s time to look forward.

“We can look back and say, yeah, we lost a 93rd minute equaliser against St Mirren and Aberdeen and last Friday everything that could have went against us did. We’ve got to keep the belief and the confidence and we’ve not become a bad team overnight.”

-WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLY ON MFC TV-

Young Liverpudlian Adam Cummins says Motherwell have all the motivation they need going into the Scottish Cup 4th Round clash with Aberdeen.

The Steelmen were paired with Craig Brown’s side in this afternoon’s draw at Hampden, the same side that sent Motherwell out at the Quarter Final stage last season winning 2-1 at Fir Park.

And the former Evertonian admits that match, and the 3-3 draw earlier in the campaign, will be fresh in the minds come the start of December.

“It’s a tough draw for us,” he told MFC TV immediately after the draw.

“They knocked us out at the Quarter Final stage last year and we will use the disappointment we felt after that match to spur us on.

“We are desperate to put that right. Even the 3-3 draw earlier this season, if you look at that match we were comfortable but lost two late goals. I remember their manager came out after the match and said we were the best team they had faced.

“That meant little to us on the bus on the way down the road so there is plenty of determination amongst our squad to go there and give a good account of ourselves. We also want to win this for the fans – they deserve a really good Cup run so it’s certainly one to look forward to.”

-WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-

‘Well winger Jamie Murphy insists confidence in the Fir Park dressing room is high despite a run of disappointing results.

The Steelmen will travel to Perth tomorrow looking to take all three points for the first time since winning 2-1 against Dundee at Dens Park in mid September.

Former Scotland Under 21 hitman Murphy is philosophical about the side’s recent run and senses an urgency in the camp to put things right at McDiarmid Park tomorrow afternoon.

[pullquote]We’ve been on bad runs in the past and the onus is always on the players to get us out it, hopefully that starts on Saturday.[/pullquote]

Speaking exclusively to MFC TV, he said: “No one wants to lose games but that’s football; sometimes that can happen.

“We’ve been on bad runs in the past and the onus is always on the players to get us out it, hopefully that starts on Saturday.

“I am a big believer that you create your own luck with how hard you work during the week at training and on a Saturday matchday. That said we’ve not had the rub of the green with losing some last minute goals and some decisions from the officials.

“We need to work even harder – if someone came along and watched on training sessions they would think we had won five games in a row such has been the intensity and training.

“We’re going to St Johnstone tomorrow looking to take all three points. We go into every game looking to win and tomorrow is no different. It will be a tough match, Saints are a very good side but the onus is on us to go and put some recent wrongs right.”

-WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-

Motherwell have been drawn to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the Fourth Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

The full draw:

Aberdeen v Motherwell

Partick Thistle v Dunfermline

Kilmarnock v Queen of the South

Hibernian v Hearts

Airdrie or Raith v Deveronvale

Turriff United v Albion Rovers or Morton

Livingston v Dundee

Rangers v Elgin City

Forfar or Nairn County v Ayr United

Ross County v Inverness

Celtic v Inverurie or Arbroath

Dumbarton v Hamilton

Cowdenbeath v St Johnstone

Stranraer or Queen’s Park v Dundee United

Stenhousemuir or Berwick v Falkirk

St Mirren v Brechin or Bonnyrigg Rose

Ties to be played on the weekend of December 1st / 2nd 2012.

Darren Randolph has once again been named in the Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly against Greece on November 14 in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Giovanni Trapattoni has named a strong 26-man squad for the match as the Irish look to build on their last match, a convincing win against the Faroe Islands.

Randolph has won one cap when he appeared as a second-half substitute against Oman a few months ago. He will battle it out with Keiren Westwood (Sunderland) and David Forde (Millwall) for the number one jersey.

FULL SQUAD:

Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall), Darren Randolph (Motherwell), Seamus Coleman (Everton), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Darren O’Dea (Toronto), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Paul McShane (Hull City), Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Duffy (Everton), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Keith Andrews (Bolton Wanderers), James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic), Keith Fahey (Birmingham City), David Meyler (Sunderland), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Conor Clifford (Chelsea), Andy Keogh (Millwall), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), James McClean (Sunderland), Robbie Brady (Manchester United), Wes Hoolahan(Norwich City), Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest), Jon Walters (Stoke City)

Motherwell’s proposed Under 20s match with Inverness, due to take place tomorrow night at Fir Park, has been postponed due to fixture congestion.

The Steelmen have a first-team match against Dundee Utd scheduled for Wednesday and the decision has been made to re-arrange the match with the Highlanders at a later date still to be confirmed.

Thanks to funding from the Scottish Football Partnership, the Environmental Key Fund and WREN Ltd, the astropitch at Fir Park has been upgraded with a fantastic new surface, which is now available for community use.

Over the summer the old pitch has been uplifted and replaced with a brand new Fifa approved surface which will be playable in all weathers.

Stuart McCaffrey from the Scottish Football Partnership dropped in to view the new facility and commented: “The Scottish Football Partnership are delighted to support Motherwell F.C’s Community Trust by part funding the new 3g training surface at Fir Park.

“The new facility will help participation, enjoyment and football development in the area and the SFP would like to wish everyone associated with the Community Trust every success in the future.”

[pullquote]The new facility will help participation, enjoyment and football development in the area and the SFP would like to wish everyone associated with the Community Trust every success in the future.[/pullquote]
 
Charlie Bennett General Manager of Motherwell FC Community trust echoed Stuart’s views and added “We are really pleased to have secured the funding to upgrade the facility. It has already proven very popular with local football clubs, and is regularly used for sports days and football festivals.”
 
Stuart is pictured with players and coaches from the Trust’s community coaching programme having a great time on the new pitch.

To check availablity or to book the Astro pitch, contact the Motherwell FC Community Trust on 01698 23926

A reminder for fans in possession of a ‘Match Abandoned’ voucher that it should be used to enter the re-arranged match this Wednesday night.

Entry for this game will be by Match Abandoned Voucher, pay at the turnstiles or by tickets purchased at the ticket office. 

If you weren’t able to attend the original match or weren’t in the ground at the time of the abandonment, then you can use Voucher 5 to enter the re-arranged.

2012/13 season ticket holders who were at the match but did not take a voucher will gain entry but only by contacting the club prior to the match and, ideally, not on the day of the game as the ticket office will obviously be very busy as no voucher from Season Ticket will be used.

Referee for Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park is Brian Colvin.

Brian will be handling his very first Motherwell match of his four-year senior career in Scottish Football.

He is no stranger to our opponents or McDiarmid Park having handled Saints’ 2-1 win over Kilmarnock the last time Steve Lomas’ men were at home.

It’s been a busy start to the season for Brian. He has also been the man in the middle for the SPL clashes at both Inverness Caley (vs Kilmarnock) and Aberdeen (vs St Mirren).

Other notable games include Dundee’s Scottish Communities League Club tie against Queen’s Park at Hampden and Hamilton’s home defeat by Raith Rovers at the weekend.

He will be assisted on the day by Graham Chambers and Dougie Potter with Calum Murray on 4th Official duty.