| 6 | St Mirren | 33 | 12 | 5 | 16 | -9 | 41 |
| 7 | Hearts | 33 | 11 | 7 | 15 | -1 | 40 |
| 8 | Motherwell | 33 | 11 | 6 | 16 | -19 | 39 |
| 9 | Kilmarnock | 33 | 9 | 8 | 16 | -20 | 35 |
| 10 | Ross County | 33 | 9 | 8 | 16 | -23 | 35 |
Shea Gordon will spend the 2018/19 campaign on loan with Partick Thistle.
The Northern Irish midfielder, who has made four first team appearances for the Steelmen, moves to Firhill as the Jags look to bounce back to the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Everyone at the club wishes Shea well and will continue to monitor his progress in the Championship. Motherwell have the option to recall him from his loan in January.
Motherwell travel to face Darlington in their next pre-season fixture on Sunday, 8 July.
Fans can pay on the gate at Blackwell Meadows, with entry prices £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.
Motherwell fans will not have access to the home stand on the east of the ground but will access to all other areas.
Watch the best of the action as the Steelmen win 1-0 at Crusaders, courtesy of Danny Johnson’s late headed winner.
Danny Johnson, Allan Campbell and Elliott Frear speak after Motherwell claim victory away to Crusaders.
Stephen Robinson speaks after Motherwell open their 2018/19 pre-season schedule with a win away to Crusaders in Belfast.
Motherwell kicked off their 2018/19 pre-season schedule with a friendly win away to Crusaders.
Danny Johnson scored with the last touch of the ball to secure a 1-0 victory in Belfast, with his back post header finding the net in Jordan Owens’ testimonial match.
The Steelmen played two different XIs in each half, giving the majority of the squad who travelled playing time.
New goalkeeper Mark Gillespie and left back Aaron Taylor-Sinclair both got starts, with Peter Hartley also making his return from injury.
The heat at Seaview took the tempo down somewhat, with both sides having a handful of chances to open the scoring.
An acrobatic effort from Ryan Bowman was the visitors’ best attempt, while the hosts were denied by an offside flag and an incredible save from Gillespie.
The second half saw the introduction of a whole new 11 players, including summer recruits Alex Rodríguez Gorrín, Liam Donnelly and Danny Johnson.
And it was the latter who would find the net just before the referee’s whistle.
Elliott Frear, who had been industrious down the left flank, swung the ball to the back post where Johnson was on hand to nod the ball home.
Next up for Motherwell is a closed doors game with Morton on Tuesday, followed by the trip to Darlington next Sunday.
We’re on the lookout for staff to join our hospitality team here at Fir Park.
With bar, catering and kitchen roles available, we’re holding a recruitment night at the stadium on Thursday, 12 July between 4pm and 6.30pm.
If you’re interested in the event, please register in advance by getting in touch with our hospitality team via our contact form.
Tickets for our trip to face Crusaders on Saturday, 30 June can be purchased on the gate.
Motherwell will head to Belfast for Jordan Owens’ testimonial in the game at Seaview. Kick off is at 1pm.
Adults can get in for £10, while concessions are priced at £5.
Twenty-four players have travelled to the club’s pre-season training camp in the Republic of Ireland and all will travel north, with the likelihood most will see playing time.
From our pre-season base in Ireland, defender Cédric Kipré and new midfielder Alex Rodríguez Gorrín have a go at understanding some Scottish humour by reading out some funny tweets.
The 2017/18 season provided plenty cause to be optimistic about what’s being built at Motherwell, with the team having reached both national cup finals and narrowly missed out on a top six finish.
With the core of the group retained for the new campaign, and further depth added to the squad in key positions, manager Stephen Robinson’s decision to take the team back to Carton House in Ireland for pre-season training was very much about trying to set the same standards again.
Defender Peter Hartley wasn’t a Motherwell player this time 12 months ago, but he quickly became aware of the level expected.
A pivotal figure in the backline before injury curtailed his season last year, the Englishman says the return across the Irish Sea is about more than simply trying to replicate what’s gone before. Instead, he says, it’s about raising standards further and finding another level.
“We’re not planning on standing still,” he said. “We are planning on moving forward and breaking into the top six.
If you stand still, you’ll get overtaken. We have to improve. The only way to do that is to grow, get fitter and instil the principles again.
“If we do that, the target is to win a cup final this time, or get into the top six.”
A foot injury picked up in January ruled the former Plymouth Argyle man out for several months at the start of 2018.
Having maintained his status as an important figure behind the scenes during his layoff, Hartley says he’s now completely ready to impose himself again on the field.
“I feel great,” he said. “I am pain free. I am making sure I am getting my match sharpness when I can and getting involved with practically everything.”
