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[tab:Match report]

Ray Morrison at Tannadice

A screamer from substitute Mario Bilate eight minutes from time denied Motherwell a deserved point from tonight’s Tannadice clash.

After a fairly even first-half, United certainly enjoyed the vast majority of possession in the second, but rarely troubled Dan Twardzik in the visitors goal.

Indeed, the former Bayern Munich youngster’s only real moment of note in the game, other than a few comfortable long-range efforts, was to pick the ball out his net when Dutchman Bilate rifled home a sizzling twenty-five yard stunner.

It was harsh on the Steelmen, who had contained United for almost the full game and even hit the crossbar, had a decent penalty claim turned down and had the ball in the net, ruled out for a marginal offside call.

Stuart McCall made one change to his side that beat St Mirren in midweek – Jack Leitch came in to replace Lionel Ainsworth with the former Scotland midfielder opting for a 4-3-3, with Lee Erwin and Josh Law supporting John Sutton in attach.

And it was the Fir Parkers who made the better start, forcing a number of early corners, eventually leading to a Josh Law curler coming crashing back off the crossbar.

United, normally so potent on the counter, were struggling as ‘Well allowed them to have the ball and hunted in packs to close down attack after attack. The best they could muster was a Gary MacKay-Steven effort that Twardzik watched harmlessly wide.

Fraser Kerr just failed to connect with a Leitch corner and Nadir Ciftci had a bouncing shot from distance that again was comfortable for Motherwell’s young ‘keeper.

Stuart McCall was forced into a change at the break with Zaine Francis-Angol feeling his hamstring. Young David Ferguson replaced him, the 18-year old making his full debut in a position he’s not normally familiar.

However, there was a moment of controversy in the opening few minutes of the second half when Erwin appeared to be bundled down on the edge of the area by Paul Paton. It’s hard to tell if it was inside or outside the box; incredibly referee Kevin Clancy gave nothing.

United started to get a grip on the game in terms of possession, but were restricted to very little actual chances. A few teasing balls across the face and a few timely blocks by the Steelmen defence kept it at 0-0.

In the 67th minute, though, Motherwell had the ball in the net after Lee Erwin was put clean through on goal by Jack Leitch to slot past Cierzniak. A late, late flag by the assistant ruled the goal offside; television pictures were inclusive from the angle, but it was incredibly tight and could have gone either way.

Paton should have put the hosts ahead in the 80th minute but fired over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

However, just as the game looked to be heading for a stalemate an excellent point for the Steelmen, Bilate popped up with an unstoppable drive to ensure the three points stayed in Tayside. Incredibly though, with virtually the seconds remaining, Craig Reid came within an inch of converting a corner only for it deflect inches wide of the post.

Overall, McCall can be very satisfied with his side, even in defeat. The young Academy graduates showed up well with Lee Erwin again impressing.

[tab:As it happened]

 Ally Reilly at Tannadice

A battling performance that deserved more but a Bilate wonderstrike is enough to give Utd the 3 points.

FT: Dundee Utd 1 – 0 Motherwell #DUFCvMFC

92mins: Reid’s shot is deflected just wide of the post!

89mins: Utd running down the clock in the corner. 3 minutes added on.

87mins: Free-kick to ‘Well wide on the right, headed out for a corner.

And Dundee Utd changes, Mackay-Steven off for Erskine and Ciftci off for Telfer

85mins: Motherwell subs, McHugh and Ainsworth on for Sutton and Leitch

82mins: GOAL! Bilate sends a rocket into the top corner from 25 yards. 1 – 0

79mins: Ball falls to Dow from Mackay-Steven’s low cross. Should really hit the target from 12 yards but blasts over!

73mins: Great defending from McManus to swipe Mackay-Steven’s cross to safety! Goal was gaping there.

68mins: Succession of Utd corners. Bilate heads over from 10 yards. A bit of a let off.

65mins: Erwin is slid through and has the ball in the net but the linesman has his flag up! Close, but probably correct decision

65mins: Dunde Utd sub, Bilate on for Watson

59mins: Corner to Utd, which is dealt with by Erwin at the front post.

57mins: Great defending from Ferguson who manages to pick the pocket of Ciftci as he looked to shoot

United’s wall holds strong and deflects Law’s effort away to safety

55mins: Erwin spins Morris and wins a free-kick, 25 yards out in a good position

53mins: Utd manage to scramble Law’s low cross away. Was a decent ball in but no takers!

50mins: Armstrong booked. From resulting free-kick, Cierzniak manages to punch clear

48mins: Ferguson is booked for what you could call a tactical foul on Mackay-Steven as he looked to counter

46mins:Erwin dribbles forward and looks to have been fouled in the box!Ref disagrees and waves play on!Will be interesting to see that again

Second half is underway.

Half time change for ‘Well. Francis-Angol makes way for Ferguson who makes his first appearance in a ‘Well shirt.

No goals here at Tannadice but a decent opening 45. Law with the best chance of the game, his effort crashing off the bar after 3 minutes

HT: Dundee Utd 0 – 0 Motherwell #DUFCvMFC

35mins: Mackay-Steven cuts it back to Rankin on the edge of the box. This time he tests Twardzik but the stopper is equal to the shot.

33mins: Rankin scuffs a shot well wide from 25 yards. Lasley and Dow exchange words, after Dow went down in the box.

29mins: Booking for Leitch who crings down Mackay-Steven on the half way line.

27mins: Fraser Kerr’s front post flick-on header isn’t far over!

27mins: Corner to ‘Well after Fojut just got in ahead of Erwin to head to safety.

24mins: An ambitious effort from Ciftci some 35 yards out ends safely in the hands of Twardzik who was never trroubled

21mins: Townsend darts forward and wins a free-kick in a good position…..Wall holds strong to divert the free-kick for a corner.

18mins: Another, ‘Well corner, and it’s another short one. This time Law delivers well but Cierzniak comes out to claim it.

..’Well play it short but quickly lose possession. Utd break, but the final ball eludes Mackay-Steven and runs into Twardzik’s arms

17mins: Leitch does well to win a corner down the left wing…

12mins: Mackay-Steven cuts in from the right wing but his left footed shot goes harmlessly wide of Twardzik’s left post.

10mins: Bit of confusion in the ‘Well defence leads to a corner. Reid is there to head well clear.

3mins: ‘Well win another corner, this time it is short to Law who cuts in and rifles a shot off the bar! So close to the opener!

2mins: A bit of trickery down the left from Law wins ‘Well a corner. Townsend heads clear at the front post.

1min: Ciftci and Dow get the game underway #COYW

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall:

“I thought we merited a point. But you hold your hands up when someone hits a goal like that.

“We’ve given goals away in the past which have been sloppy but there’s nothing you can do when there’s a goal like that.

“I think we conceded 60 goals last season – even more than Hibs – but tonight they only really had a couple of long-range shots in the first half.

“In the second half, they came down the hill but I can’t really remember our keeper Dan (Twardzik) having a save to make. So against a good side I thought we merited a point.

Dundee Utd assistant manager Jackie McNamara:

“It was a lovely goal, worthy of winning any match.

“I thought we deserved it to be honest. I thought we put them under pressure in the second-half. We kept plugging away and we got there in the end.

“We’ve had two hard games already this season and Motherwell were difficult to break down here.

“In the first half, we found it hard to get in behind them to create any clear-cut chances.

“But I was confident we could get there in the end and so it proved.

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

[poll id=”196”]

Referee for this Wednesday’s clash against Dundee Utd at Tannadice is Kevin Clancy.

It will be Kevin’s first Motherwell appointment of the new season, but he’ll be a relatively familiar face, despite being a new referee, given he handled four matches last term too.

The first, ironically enough, was the swashbuckling 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Tanandice last September.

Henri Anier had ‘Well ahead at the interval but two quick-fire goals from United had McNamara’s men ahead. Step forward substitute Lionel Ainsworth, who smashed home a brilliant leveller to give the Steelmen a deserved point.

The second was the excellent 1-0 win at Pittodrie on Boxing Day when a resolute Steelmen came away with all three points thanks to Ainsworth’s winner.

The third, and most recent, was against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park back in February when Tommy Wright’s men ran out convincing 3-0 victors.

And, most recently, he was the man in the middle for the vital 2-1 win over Saints (again) with Ainsworth and Stephen McManus on the score sheet, helping to avenge that earlier defeat and put the Steelmen on the road to SPFL Premiership runners-up.

It would have been his fifth game, but John Beaton replaced him at the last minute ahead of the Aberdeen match back in August, after a hectic midweek European jaunt.

Prior to last season, his last Motherwell match was against Aberdeen at Pittodrie (again), back in March, when the teams drew a blank in a 0-0 draw.

It was one of two ‘Well fixtures the 30-year old took charge of during the 2012/13 season, his other being the 2-1 away win at Dundee when Michael Higdon bagging a double as Stuart McCall’s men came back from a losing position to pick up all three points.

His only other Motherwell match was in the 2011/12 Scottish Cup, where he was the man in the middle as the Fir Parkers demolished Queen’s Park 4-0, a certain Henrik Ojamaa smashing home a fabulous debut goal.

His overall record in charge of Motherwell reads seven matches in total, Motherwell winning four, drawing two and losing one. ‘Well have scored eleven and conceded seven.

There have been twenty-two cautions dished out in those seven matches, twelve of them to a man wearing Claret and Amber and zero dismissals.

He’s had a busy season in 2013/14, with some high profile matches including on Europa League duty when he handled Lokomotiva Zagreb’s match with Dinamo Minsk, managed by ex ‘Well defender Bob Maaskant. The Belarusian side ran out 3-2 winners.

Coincidentally, Kevin was in Russia the same time ‘Well faced Kuban Krasnodar. He was appointed to take charge of FC Rubin Kazan vs Randers in the second leg tie of the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Europa League.

He was also the man in the middle for the UEFA Under 21 Qualifier between Montenegro and Germany as well as the UEFA Youth Champions League matches Real Madrid vs FC Copenhagen and Man Utd vs Real Sociedad.

Kevin will be ably assisted by Joseph Lawson and Andy Milne with Craig Charlston on 4th Official duties. The referee observer is Douglas Yeats and the SPFL Delegate is Bert Donald.

Stuart Carswell has backed Lee Erwin to follow up his goal from Saturday and have a big impact on the Fir Park first-team.

The 20-year old made his full debut, and his first ever appearance in the SPFL Premiership, against St Mirren and impressed, not only with his drive and threat going forward, but his coolly taken goal to win the match.

The midfielder knows all about Erwin’s capabilities having played with him for many years coming through the ranks at the Motherwell Academy then into Gordon Young’s Under 19s.

Now having finally broke through, ending years of injury frustration, Carswell is hopeful it’s the start of something big for his fellow youngster.

Speaking to the gathered press, he said: “I came through the youth ranks with him and I know what he’s got in his locker and he’s got that ability.

[pullquote]Lee definitely deserved it with the way he’s trained and his performances in pre-season; he’s looking sharp.[/pullquote]

“You see what he did and the goals he scored when he was out on loan at Arbroath.

“Lee definitely deserved it with the way he’s trained and his performances in pre-season; he’s looking sharp.

“He brings goals but he’s not just a box player, he can link the play too. For a guy of his size, he’s very technical and prefers the ball into feet.

“Anyone who has watched him for the Under 20s will know that he is quick, always looks to get involved in the play and isn’t shy to take on a shot from distance either.

“He obviously got the nod on Saturday and took his chance; I am really delighted for him.”

‘Well boss Stuart McCall has called for an improved performance from his side as they prepare for Wednesday’s match at Tannadice.

Although a patched-up Steelmen ground out a 1-0 victory over St Mirren four days ago, McCall admitted his side has to improve.

Dundee United were a thorn in the side last term and although there is no positive news on the injury front, McCall insists his side will draw on inspiration from previous matches when they were written off.

Speaking to the gathered press at Motherwell’s pre-match news conference, McCall said: “Prior to last season, we have a fairly decent record up there [Tannadice].

[pullquote]Over the years we’ve gone to places where people have expected us to get nothing and shown a lot of character to get a result and we’ll need that again tomorrow.[/pullquote]

“Ironically, we had players who would hit them at pace on the counter; Chris Humphrey, Henrik Ojamaa and Jamie Murphy but it was a role-reversal last term.

“They’ve got a good, effective way of playing and this season, they’ve strengthened their defence and look tight.

“It’s got the makings of a really tough game for us, even if we were at full strength.

“Having said that, over the years we’ve gone to places where people have expected us to get nothing and shown a lot of character to get a result and we’ll need that again tomorrow.

“We will most certainly need an improvement in performance both individually and collectively from what we had on Saturday, as well a strong resilience.

“Most people will have them as certainties but we’re going there looking for a result.”

‘Well boss Stuart McCall declared himself pleased after his threadbare side edged out St Mirren this afternoon.

With Vigurs, Hammell and Ramsden in the stand and Reid, Francis-Angol and Kerr patched up, it was always going to be a difficult afternoon for the Claret and Amber men.

However, the home side should real steel and won the game thanks to a full debut goal for Lee Erwin midway through the second half.

With selection limited, McCall admitted the only priority today was to try and grind out all three points.

[pullquote]We lacked a little bit of quality in certain areas but things will get easier in the coming weeks, when some of the injuries clear up and we get new faces in.[/pullquote]

Speaking to MFC TV on Motherwell’s Official You Tube channel, McCall said: “I wouldn’t be making excuses if we lost, but I can say it now we won.

“It’s been a tough week and three of the lads who started hadn’t trained since the Stjarnan game. Did we deserve to win? Probably not!

“But, because of what we have gone through during the week, we said to them that the important thing was the result.

“We lacked a little bit of quality in certain areas but things will get easier in the coming weeks, when some of the injuries clear up and we get new faces in.

“I wouldn’t say it was a case of smash and grab. There were a lot of our players under par but you have to dig in and find a way. And it was a terrific debut from Lee Erwin. I’m really pleased he scored the goal and he looked dangerous all day.”

Action pictures from this afternoon’s hard-fought 1-0 win over St Mirren at Fir Park.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix.

[svgallery name=”stmirren090814″]

[tab:Match report]

Phil McGhee  at Fir Park

An understrength, patched up Motherwell started the new league campaign with a hard earned 1-0 victory over St Mirren.

And despite Saints having the bulk of the play, it was a dream league debut from Lee Erwin whose goal midway through the second half gave Stuart McCall’s men all three points.

While Erwin might have earned the man of the match for his winning goal it was Dan Twardzik, on his second domestic debut, who denied Saints a share of the points blocking numerous attempts on the home goal.

Injuries to Simon Ramsden and Stevie Hammell forced the novel pairing of Fraser Kerr with Stephen McManus at the heart of an understrength defence. Zaine Francis-Angol and Craig Reid both passed late fitness tests to take their place at fullback. While at the other end, John Sutton was partnered with Erwin for the first time.

Not surprisingly, St Mirren, under new manager Tommy Craig, made a furious and direct start to test a nervous looking home side.

However, after surviving a series of crosses from Gregg Wylde it was ‘Well who had the first strike on goal. On his SPFL debut, Josh Law was eager to add to his two Euro goals but his shot was straight at Marian Kello.

At the other end Twardzik had to react quickly to nip the ball off the toes of Callum Ball at the edge of the ‘keeper’s six yard box. As Saints continued to press, Twardzik was the busiest player blocking a couple of efforts from James Marwood before palming a stinging John McGinn drive over his crossbar.

As the first half progressed, Motherwell became more organised and comfortable on the ball and an in-swinging corner from Lionel Ainsworth was headed off the line by Kenny McLean.

A cross from Ainsworth was chested down by Erwin allowing Stuart Carswell to drive a low shot which Kello got down to block.

Another smart exchange at the edge of the box finished with Sutton playing in Law but his curling effort was well saved by the Saints ‘keeper.
That spirited spell from ‘Well before half-time, though, was forgotten as Saints made a blistering start to the second forty-five.

Within a minute Wylde had raced away from the home defence only to watch his angled drive touched beyond the post by Twardzik at full stretch.

The ‘Well ‘keeper then had to deal with two thumping shots from Ball as the Buddies came closer to an opener.

Instead, though, it was the Fir Parkers who snatched the lead after 64 minutes.

Ainsworth unleashed a powerful drive from 25 yards, which Kello leapt to beat out, but Erwin reacted swiftly to stab the ball between the keeper and his left hand post for his first senior goal for the club.

It was Twardzik to the recue again when the keeper punched out a fierce McLean drive.

Saints hopes for an equaliser were dented 16 minutes from time when they were reduced to ten men after Jim Goodwin was shown a second yellow card by referee Calum Murray for an off the ball incident.

To their credit the Paisley side continued to push forward but Erwin came close to a rounding off a very impressive 90 minutes with a second goal, curling a 20 yard free kick over the cross bar.

[tab:As it happened]

 Alastair Reilly at Fir Park

FT: Motherwell 1 – 0 St Mirren

90+2mins: McAusland booked for throwing the ball away in frustration

3 minutes added on.

89mins: Motherwell sub, Law off for Leitch

88mins: Another great save from Twardzik, this time to deny Caldwell from the edge of the box

83mins: Free-kick in a decent area for ‘Well. Erwin curls it just over the bar.

82mins: Penalty shouts for Saints after the ball looked like it might have hit a ‘Well hand. Ref waves it away.

80mins: Tesselaar wins Saints a corner, which Sutton heads clear. Still 1-0

76mins: St Mirren sub, Ball off for Caldwell

73mins: Red card! Goodwin receives a second yellow, presumably for dissent.

72mins: Ball AGAIN has a great chance but fires well over the bar from close range!

66mins: Good chance for ‘Well there! Ainsworth got into a good area on the wing and cut it back to Erwin who couldn’t get it under control

64mins: Ainsworth’s shot is palmed straight back to Erwin who pokes it home from 8 yards on his first start for the club!

LEE ERWIN MAKES IT 1-0!!

GGGOOOOAALLLL!!

57mins: Another St Mirren chance. Again, Marwood shoots straight at Twardzik. St Mirren should be a few up but for poor finishing.

50mins: Ball should have burst the net for Saints but yet again it is fired straight at Twardzik. Saints have came flying. out the traps

46mins: Great save from Twardzik to tip Wylde’s shot past the post. Looked a certain goal!

Second half is underway #MFCvSMFC

HT: Motherwell 0 – 0 St Mirren

44mins: Wylde gets plenty of space again in behind the ‘Well defence but again, shoots straight at Twardzik.

43mins: Ainsworth tries to work some space inside the box and manages to get a shot away but it’s sliced well wide from 15 yards.

40mins: Ball falls to Law just outside the box. He tries to place his shot but Kello makes a comfortable save.

33mins: Didn’t look the best challenge there from Goodwin on Lasley. Not unlike the challenge he was booked for earlier

30mins: Booking: McManus is booked for obstruction on Naismith as he looked to sprint past him.

25mins: Ainsworth’s ball in is chested down by Erwin to Carswell. He shoots, but it’s straight at Kello. Bit more positive now.

24mins: Francis-Angol wins ‘Well’s first corner of the game…McManus is inches away from connecting with it at the back post!

23mins: Booking: Goodwin flies into a challenge on Erwin and enters the ref’s book.

20mins: Another good save from Twardzik, this time low at the feet of Wylde. St Mirren well on top here,

17mins: Corner to Saints after Twardzik does well to tip McGinn’s effort over the bar.

15mins: Ball gets his head to Wylde’s cross from then left but it’s not enough to trouble Twardzik. Routine save from 12 yards

9mins: McLean whips in a great cross from the right which Kerr tried to intercept. He missed it and the ball thankfully sneaked just past

7mins: Half a chance there for Saints as a quickly taken free-kick almost falls for Ball in the box but its scrambled away to safety by Dan

3mins: Law pounces on a flick on and from the edge of the box opts to shoot. Doesn’t have the power to test Kello.

2mins: Good spell of pressure for Saints. Wylde has seen a lot of the ball wide on the left, just lacking the final ball.

1min: Marwood and Ball get the action underway. COYW!

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall:

“We had a lot of quality missing and we’ve not replaced the three lads we lost at the end of last season (James McFadden, Henri Anier and Shaun Hutchinson).

“I wouldn’t be making excuses if we lost, but I can say it now we won. It’s been a tough week and three of the lads who started hadn’t trained since the Stjarnan game. “Did we deserve to win? Probably not. “But, because of what we have gone through during the week, we said to them that the important thing was the result.

“We lacked a little bit of quality in certain areas but things will get easier in the coming weeks, when some of the injuries clear up and we get new faces in.

“I wouldn’t say it was a case of smash and grab. There were a lot of our players under par but you have to dig in and find a way. “And it was a terrific debut from Lee Erwin. I’m really pleased he scored the goal and he looked dangerous all day.”

St Mirren manager Tommy Craig:

“Can anyone tell me how we lost that game? If I was going to ask my team how to perform in the next game, I would ask them to give a repeat of that.

“For the majority of the game we dominated. I could cut my tongue out, because I said beforehand how good Motherwell are at getting results when they are not playing so well.

“Stuart has done this over the last three or four years, and you have to say well done. That’s what we need. To go with our performance, we need that resilience to carve out a result.

“My beef with St Mirren for a long time has been that they don’t normally win games they don’t deserve to win. Motherwell showed that determination and resilience to hang in.

“If we can add to what we were trying to do with passing the ball, then we will be fine. The players proved they are right behind me. They looked like a team and I’m enthusiastic and excited about the season ahead. I want supporters to enjoy what they are seeing.”

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

[poll id=”195”]

The first domestic Steelmen Matchday Magazine of 2014/15 is on sale when St Mirren visit Fir Park this afternoon.

But what is inside the 68-page issue?

‘Well boss Stuart McCall and Captain Keith Lasley both return with the regular columns. McCall chats about going into his fifth season at Fir Park and how he keeps himself and the players motivated whilst Las talks candidly about the European result and bouncing back in the domestic competitions.

The feature interview is with last season’s top scorer, and former Saint, John Sutton. The big striker reflects on pre-season as well as his hopes and aspirations for the new season, including potential new strike partners.

Sutty also features as the next in the centre-page souvenir poster collection.

But that’s not where the features stop!

There is an in-depth section dedicated to our visitors, St Mirren.

As ever, Ray Morrison introduces the Paisley side and talks through four vital characters in the Buddies side likely to cause issues.

Graeme McGarry catches up with Brian Martin who played for both clubs during his long career. ‘Buff’ speaks candidly about his time at Saints, the disappointment and suddenness of it coming to and end and his life and times at Fir Park too.

The big features keep coming…

‘From the Press Box’ returns with regular host, the Herald’s Scott Mullen and there’s a new column from ‘Well fan Eddie McGuigan, who heads up the ‘Voices from the East Stand’ blog, who gives a fans viewpoint as the new season gets underway.

Andy Paterson recalls opening day fixtures from previous seasons, including a memorable win at Love Street in Mark McGhee’s first year, and Eddie Ferguson starts a new feature looking at every Motherwell manager in history, starting of with greatest: John ‘Sailor’ Hunter.

Our match reports section takes a look back at the 3-0 closed-door friendly defeat by Spaniards Real Betis. There’s also an in-depth report from the Under 20s 1-0 defeat to Lanarkshire neighbours Hamilton Accies in their season opener.

We have the latest from The Ticket Office, Commercial and Community Departments, and update from the Well Society as well as the latest stats, facts and figures from the 2014/2015 campaign.

We also take a statistical look at the match official and the new GIRFEC sponsored ‘Junior Steel’ kids page returns and is sure to test the youngster’s quiz minds with puzzles and ‘Did you know’ facts.

The programme is available for £3 and is will be on sale from the Club Shop as well as the usual sellers located in and around the ground pre-match.

You can also order back editions or take a season-long subscription to the magazine by visiting the website of our publishers – Curtis-Sports – CLICK HERE.

Josh Law wants to build on his goalscoring start to his Motherwell career by hitting the ground running in the SPFL Premiership.

The 24-year old former Alferton Town midfielder hit two quick-fire goals in the ultimately unsuccessful European tie against Stjarnan.

But on the eve of the new league season, Law hopes he can continue some of his own form into the domestic game.

[pullquote]Obviously I want to try and hit the ground running. My brother obviously has a close connection with the club so a lot of focus will be on me to see how I do. My aim so is to carry things forward now into the new season.[/pullquote]

“I was very pleased with how it went for me personally, if not a little bittersweet,” he said.

“I was happy with two goals and an assist, but everyone was hugely disappointed to lose the tie and for the contribution to count for nothing, really.

“Obviously I want to try and hit the ground running. My brother obviously has a close connection with the club so a lot of focus will be on me to see how I do. My aim so is to carry things forward now into the new season.

“From a collective point of view, the team has achieved a lot in previous seasons and our aim is to try and continue or replicate that as best we can.”

Stuart McCall is targeting another strong league campaign as ‘Well prepare to get the 2014/15 SPFL Premiership season underway tomorrow.

The former Scotland midfielder has guided the Steelmen to a Scottish Cup final and three consecutive ‘Best of the Rest’ finishes in his three and a half years in charge, but finds his team written off by most commentators.

It’s a familiar theme, it was the same last year when seven first-team stars headed for exit door only for the re-shaped team to set a new post-war points record in securing a second consecutive runners-up spot with a last-gasp win at Aberdeen.

Despite only a couple of players leaving this year and the prospect of new faces still to arrive, many expect the Motherwell bubble has burst.

However, McCall insists the joy of securing second spot last year can motivate both the management staff and players in what is certain to be an ultra competitive top league.

[pullquote]There will be challenges, there will be ups and downs. There’s no doubt, just like we did last year, we’ll have some massive blips and bad results and fans will say they’re not going back again, but if we can maintain the consistency and keep bouncing back, then that’s what we’ll try to do.[/pullquote]

Speaking to the broadcast press at Motherwell’s pre-St Mirren news conference, McCall said: “We are very much looking forward to the new season.

“We need to start on the front-foot and put the disappointment of the European defeat firmly behind us which we obviously didn’t go the we wanted or hoped for.

“That’s all gone, it’s in the past now and all our focus is on the league season and St Mirren on the opening day.

“People always say ‘what can you do next? You have been there a long while’. You only have to look back at the last minute of last season. That’s what I’m in football for.

“All right, we didn’t win a trophy or do anything outstandingly spectacular, but the enjoyment for the group of players that had produced what they had to get to 70 points and finish second, that’s why we’re in the game.

“There will be challenges, there will be ups and downs. There’s no doubt, just like we did last year, we’ll have some massive blips and bad results and fans will say they’re not going back again, but if we can maintain the consistency and keep bouncing back, then that’s what we’ll try to do.”