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Jens Berthel Askou gives his thoughts on Motherwell’s 1-1 draw with league leaders Hearts. 

Motherwell moved a point closer to European football next season with a 1-1 draw against league leaders Hearts on Saturday night at Fir Park. 

A Stephen Kingsley own goal had the hosts ahead after 25 minutes, before Lawrence Shankland equalised right on the stroke of half-time.

Fir Park was bouncing ahead of kick-off, with 12,306 fans in attendance, which was the highest attendance since 2005. Motherwell fans brought colour to the stands to celebrate 140 years of Motherwell Football Club.

Regarding the Motherwell side, Jens Berthel Askou opted to change personnel for the crunch match against Hearts. The Motherwell manager made three changes, with Ibrahim Said, Liam Gordon and Oscar Priestman brought into the side. Tom Sparrow dropped to the bench, with Paul McGinn and Lukas Fadinger missing out all together.

With the action underway, Elijah Just raced forward as Motherwell looked for a strong start.. His cross found Slattery diving to head the ball towards the bottom corner, forcing Alex Schwolow to dive low to his left and palm the ball to safety.

Four minutes later it was ‘Well’s turn to prevent the Tynecastle side opening the scoring.

Jordi Altena’s dipping drive was palmed away by Calum Ward at full stretch, leaving Lawrence Shankland to stroke the ball into the net from six yards. O’Donnell had other ideas, sliding across to block the net-bound effort with a sensational recovery.

After that burst of action at either end, play was largely limited to the middle of the park, with the Steelmen keen to test the Hearts’ defence on the break.

And the visitor’s rearguard was exposed after 24 minutes when Motherwell took the lead. Tawanda Maswanhise and Longelo had a quick exchange on the left touchline before the latter fired a low ball across Schwolow’s goal. With Said waiting behind him, Stephen Kingsley could only divert the ball over his own goal line to stun the Hearts’ fans behind the goal.

As the Motherwell players contested every ball, giving Hearts no time in possession, the huge Edinburgh following had little to get excited about until three minutes from half-time.

Once again Altena hammered the ball towards Ward, and this time when the keeper’s block rebounded to Shankland eight yards from goal, the Scotland striker made no mistake, calmly smashing the ball home to level the scores.

The injury to Hearts’ Marc Leonard meant Alexandros Kyzirdis replaced him for the second half, and his pace down the right wing posed Motherwell an early threat.

However, it was a sweeping move from the home side after 53 minutes that almost restored their lead. Half a dozen passes stemming from Watt in the middle of the park ended with the overlapping O’Donnell sliding the ball behind the Tynecastle goalkeeper only for an offside flag to halt the goal celebrations.

Another Hearts injury saw Craig Halkett replaced by Frankie Kent, whose first touch conceded a corner. When the visitor’s defence failed to clear it, Callum Slattery’s cross picked out O’Donnell, who could only guide his header over the bar.

There was a nervous wait for Motherwell fans in the 67th minute with a VAR check after Longelo and Kyzirdis collided in the penalty area. But after being called to the monitor, referee Steve McLean waved play to continue.

With 77 minutes on the clock, the Fir Park boss made his first change of the evening, replacing Said with Johnny Koutroumbis.

It was Hearts’ turn to sweat over a potential penalty check when Maswanhise was tripped as he headed into the box, but again the referee stood by his on-field decision.

With five minutes remaining the Steelmen made a double substitution, with Calum Hendry and Regan Charles-Cook given the chance to find a winner.

In a dramatic eight minutes of added time the Fir Park men looked in more control, but neither side could create an opening that would earn them three points.

Motherwell Team: Ward, Said, O’Donnell, Gordon, Welsh, Longelo, Priestman, Watt, Slattery, Just, Maswanhise.

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, Sparrow, Koutroumbis, Ross, Halliday, Nicholson, Charles-Cook, Booth, Hendry.

“I’ve been lucky. There’s thousands in the stadium every week and their dream was to be a football player. I’ve been able to do that.”

Andy Halliday explains why the time is right to hang up his boots for the final time at the end of the season.

Andy Halliday has today announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2025/26 season.

The 34-year-old has taken the decision to retire from playing as he begins the next chapter of his life.

“I feel that time is right for me to step away from the playing side of the sport I adore,” Andy Halliday said.

“There have been some ups and downs along the way, but when I look back on my career, I have zero regrets. So many players may not get to experience some of the things I’ve managed over the years, and for that, I’m grateful.

“Being a footballer isn’t easy. It’s required a lot of sacrifice over the years, which is all part of what I signed up for, but for my loved ones, I owe them my deepest thank you. I simply wouldn’t have been able to get to where I got to without them. Their support has been incredible on this journey, and I don’t know what I would have done without them all.

“I want to thank my teammates and staff at Livingston, Middlesbrough, Walsall, Blackpool, Bradford City, Rangers, Hearts and Motherwell for being a part of my journey. I’ve met some friends for life through this sport, and at every club I hold the fondest of memories that will stick with me. Thank you.

“Despite this announcement and my appreciation for all the kind messages I’ve received recently, I don’t want any distractions for the boys as they look to finish this incredible season on a high. We’re all desperate to close out as strongly as possible and gather as many points as we can, starting tomorrow against Hearts. Thank you to the Motherwell fans for their support all season long, and let’s get stuck into these last three games.”

A professional career that spanned 18 years, Halliday burst onto the scene with Livingston in Division 1, making his debut in April 2008 against St Johnstone.

Following his debut, Halliday continued to impress in his early years for the Lions and scored his first professional goal in a 2-2 draw with Ross County in May 2009.

His big breakthrough year came in 2009/10 when Livingston were playing in Division 3. Playing 34 games, he scored 14 goals as an 18-year-old, and his dazzling displays caught the eye of many clubs. Middlesbrough would be his chosen destination, where he would spend five years, making 42 appearances in total.

At the Riverside, Halliday enjoyed three loan spells at Walsall, Blackpool and, latterly, Bradford City. His loan at the Valley Parade was made permanent at the midway stage of the season, and Halliday ended up scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a memorable 4-2 win in the FA Cup which saw his side go on a fairytale run to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Having made 32 appearances in his time with Bradford, Halliday opted to move back home to join Rangers in 2015, with the Gers looking to seal their place back in the top flight for the first time since 2012 at the second time of asking. His start at Rangers couldn’t have been any sweeter as he netted on his debut against Hibernian at Easter Road, with his side winning 6-2.

Rangers went on to lift the Scottish Championship title and thus were promoted back to the Premiership in what was a lively season that saw the Ibrox side defeat their rivals Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup before losing in the final to a last-minute header against Hibernian.

In his five-year stint in Govan, Halliday represented Rangers over 150 times and scored 18 goals. A brief spell in Azerbaijan in 2017 was the only short time he spent away from Ibrox during that time. The Covid-19 pandemic struck, and Halliday departed the club in May 2020 to travel along the M8 to sign for Hearts, who had just been relegated.

He lifted the Scottish Championship for the second time in his career at Tynecastle, with Hearts earning promotion back to Scotland’s elite at the first time of asking. Halliday played over 100 games for the Jambos during his two-and-a-half year stay in Edinburgh, as he helped his side finish third and fourth in the Scottish Premiership to secure European football.

In January 2024, Halliday arrived in ML1 seeking regular minutes on an initial loan deal with Stuart Kettlewell’s squad. He scored his first goal for the Steelmen in a 5-0 rout against Ross County at Fir Park and played 14 games between January and the end of the season.

His contract was made permanent in the summer of 2024, and Halliday would go on to win the Players’ Player of the Year vote for the 2024/25 season for his consistency and availability throughout the season. Halliday wouldn’t miss a game for the entirety of the season, playing 46 matches across the campaign, 42 of which were starts.

He may not have featured as heavily under Jens Berthel Askou this season, but Halliday was named as vice-captain by the Motherwell manager for the 2025/26 season, citing his experience and leadership qualities as his reason why he chose Halliday in his leadership group.

Ahead of the match against his former side Hearts tomorrow night at Fir Park, both clubs will come together to present Halliday with some gifts to thank him for his service to both clubs.

From now until the end of the season, Halliday will continue to train and continue to be available for selection, and when the time comes, we congratulate Andy for an exceptional playing career and wish him well in his future.

Matchday 23 and the final weekend on the road of the 2025/26 Scottish Power Women’s Premier League campaign awaits the women of steel this weekend, as they travel North to face Montrose at Links Park on Sunday.

With top-flight safety secured for the forthcoming season, and aspirations of finishing at the top of the split still firmly within reach, Motherwell head to Montrose knowing a victory could put them within touching distance of finishing above the Gable Endies.

Four successive victories have put Motherwell one-point shy of this weekend’s opposition.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Back-to-back victories in the Lanarkshire derby strengthened Motherwell’s grip on derby day, with the women of steel extending their record to seven straight victories over Hamilton Accies.

Motherwell have propelled themselves back into contention for finishing best of the rest, as they aim to finish at the top of the split. Player of the Year, Carla Boyce will be available for her first game since lifting the accolade at the Motherwell FC Player of the Year night this month.

Goalkeeper Emma Thomson will miss out after being recalled by parent club Hearts.

Montrose

Despite scoring fewer, and conceding more than the women of steel this season, Montrose have maintained a one-point advantage over Iain Robinson’s side, with two-games left to play.

Aside from last weekend’s narrow Scottish Cup Semi-Final defeat to Rangers, Montrose have won their last two SPWPL fixtures – defeating Aberdeen twice.

Sunday’s opposition will be focused on mounting a response, after suffering a five-one defeat when the sides last met in March.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at K-Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.

• Adult – £10.
• Concession (Over-65s and Under-17s) – £7.

Follow our live matchday coverage on the Motherwell Women X (formerly Twitter) account.

Elijah Just believes if Motherwell finish lower than fourth in the league, then it’ll be disappointing and knows a big performance is needed to get that first win over Hearts this season. 

Just describes how focused he’s been this season and why external noise doesn’t bother him.

Jens Berthel Askou says his team have a lot of pressure on their shoulders to secure European football in the coming games, and is insistent that although Hearts and Celtic are going for league titles, Motherwell are also playing for a huge prize.

Askou knows the dangers that Hearts pose to his team, but believes previous matches against Derek McInnes’ side show that Motherwell can get the win if they tighten up in a couple of areas.

Emmanuel Longelo has won the G4 Claims April Player of the Month award.

Winning his first award of the season, Longelo scored the opening goal at Tynecastle, before finding the back of the net twice in the 3-2 win at Ibrox.

Now on nine goals for the season, the full-back is closing in on a double figure goal count for his first campaign in Scotland.

Well done, Manny.

Hibernian have provided 700 more tickets for our final day match at Easter Road.

Tickets are on sale now and can ONLY be purchased online.

You can do so by clicking HERE.

Due to the short window, ticket sales will be through Hibs ticketing platform, providing digital tickets only.

Motherwell supporters will need to create an account, verify their email and then click back in through the link again to access the matchday tickets. To register, click here!

For a step by step guide on registering please direct supporters here.

Block 36 is available online and once this sells out, Block 35 will open.

Ticket pricing is as follows:

• Away Adult: £26
• Away Over 65: £16
• Away Under 18: 14
• Away Under 13 (with full paying adult): £12

The club are also running supporters buses to the match that will depart Fir Park for Easter Road.

 They will leave from outside the Cooper stand at 10.15am and price is £18pp.

The link to buy your seat is found by clicking here.

Sunday night saw the Motherwell FC family come together to mark and celebrate the achievements of the Motherwell FC first-team, Academy and Women’s team.

A sold-out Dalziel Park watched Carla Boyce collect her Women’s Player of the Year award in her first season back with the Women of Steel. Top goalscorer for the side, the number nine has been instrumental in Iain Robinson’s side retaining their top-flight status for next season.

An interview with Carla can be viewed by clicking HERE.

The second award of the evening was for the Academy Player of the Year, which Zander McAllister won. In a breakthrough season, Zander has not only been operating at a top level for the youth side but has also played a part in Jens Berthel Askou’s first team. Making his professional debut against St Johnstone in the Premier Sports Cup, the 18-year-old has gone to play three further games this season.

Whilst also being a regular for the Scotland youth sides, McAllister has shown that he is one to keep an eye on for the future. Well done, Zander.

Zander spoke following the collection of his award and can be watched by clicking HERE.

The next award up for grabs was Young Player of the Year, with Tawanda Maswanhise, Ibrahim Said, Oscar Priestman, Tom Sparrow, Luca Ross and Matty Connelly up for nomination. Following a stunning season which has included 22 club goals, Maswanhise won the accolade.

Also nominated for the PFA Player of the Season, Maswanhise has shone for club and country this season. A worthy winner, well done, Tawanda.

You can watch an interview with Tawanda by clicking HERE.

Goal of the Season was the next voting category. Following a season of wonderful individual goals and team moves, the fans had their say and voted Emmanuel Longelo’s goal against Livingston as their Goal of the Season.

In a move that lasted over 60 seconds and involved 10 players making 25 passes, the stunning team goal was voted the best goal scored this season. Longelo himself hasn’t been shy in front of goal this season, scoring nine times in total this campaign.

Emmanuel Longelo spoke following his win, and you can view the full interview by clicking HERE.

The Top Goalscorer award was next to be presented, with Tawanda Maswanhise heading back on stage for the second time on the night to collect the award. His 22 goals have him top of the goalscoring charts in the Scottish Premiership this season, as he aims to collect the Golden Boot in the division this season.

A second interview with Tawanda is available to watch HERE.

The coaching staff had their say next, voting for the Coaches’ Player of the Year. With a full squad of players who have impressed all season, Elliot Watt picked up the accolade after an immense season in the middle of the pitch. His twists, turns, goals and pinpoint passing got the vote from the backroom team.

Bouncing back from a disappointing season last year, Watt has caught the eye of many, and plenty think he should be up for international recognition soon.

For now, he is our Coaches’ Player of the Year and you can watch an interview with him HERE.

The penultimate award was all about the players. Every player had their say, and Elijah Just was voted Players’ Player of the Year. Many were in with a chance with Lukas Fadinger, Elliot Watt, Calum Ward, Paul McGinn and Tawanda Maswanhise all nominated, but it was Just who got the nod following his maiden season in Scotland.

Also nominated for PFA Player of the Year, Just’s performances have earned him a lot of praise from various supporters up and down the country.

And the final award of the evening also went to Just. Voted Player of the Year by the Motherwell FC supporters, he capped off a wonderful night picking up his second trophy.

You can watch an interview with Elijah by clicking HERE.

A big thank you to all our sponsors and those who attended. Your support is much appreciated.