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Stephen Robinson says Motherwell must show the performance levels that gave them wins over Edinburgh City and Queen of the South, as they prepare to face Clyde.

The Steelmen must win at Broadwood to finish top of their Betfred Cup group and qualify for the knockout stages, but the manager has warned against the sort of form that saw the team draw at Stranraer.

Eddie Wolecki Black, manager of the Motherwell women’s team, is to leave in mid-August to become the new head coach at Celtic’s women’s team.

The 53-year-old was appointed at Fir Park in late 2017 and has led the team to a 13-point lead to the second tier of the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

Recruiting a wealth of new players in the summer, Motherwell have thrived under his stewardship and currently have a +47 goal difference on their push to reach the top flight.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Motherwell,” he said. “I had a very difficult decision to make and I leave with a heavy heart, but this is a big opportunity.

“I’m staying with the team with a view to staying with them until the title is won. They are in a very good position and I want to see it through.

“We did a lot of recruitment in the summer and there’s so much talent in the squad. They’ve played their way into title contention through hard work and ability, and they are a fantastic group.

“I want to thank everyone involved at Motherwell. They’ve been so supportive and I’ve really enjoyed my time.”

Alan Burrows, chief executive at Motherwell FC, added: “We are sorry to see Eddie go. He has transformed our women’s team since joining late last year and has put them on course for promotion to the top flight.

“He has put foundations in place now for his successor to build on and we are grateful for the work he has put in. We wish him well in his new position when the time comes.”

Everyone at Motherwell wishes Eddie well for his new position and are looking forward to continuing to work with him until the SWPL2 title is decided.

Charles Dunne is expected to be out for a minimum of three months with a groin injury.

The defender suffered the injury when making a clearance during our Betfred Cup match at Stranraer last Saturday.

Following scans earlier this week, Dunne will likely require an operation, ruling him out for a significant period of time.

“It’s a blow to lose Charles,” manager Stephen Robinson said of the news. “He is a key part of our defence and showed last season how important he is to the team.

“We wish him a quick and full recovery. The onus now is on the other defenders in the squad to step up and nail down a first team place.”

Motherwell travel to take on Clyde in the final fixture of Group G in the Betfred Cup on Saturday. 

Nothing less than three points will do in the bid to top the table in the competition in which the Steelmen were runners-up last term.

Winning momentum

Following the disappointments of the 1-1 draw and penalty shootout defeat against Stranraer, ‘Well returned to strong form against Championship side Queen of the South.

A Conor Sammon double led the Fir Parkers to a 2-0 victory over Gary Naysmith’s men, and maintained the unbeaten start to the season for Stephen Robinson’s side.

With a trip to Broadwood Stadium up next, Motherwell will be searching to carry winning momentum in to the crucuial fixture against the Bully Wee.

Must-win cup clash

The only guaranteed way to progress to the knockout stages is by finishing top of Group G.

Queens currently occupy that spot, having played a game more, but three points would put ‘Well one ahead of the Doonhamers and guarantee first in the table.

A draw would leave Robinson’s men in second spot, and even a bonus point through penalties wouldn’t guarantee progression, with only the four best second-placed sides making it through to the last-16.

Injuries to deal with

Ryan Bowman was forced off the field of play after being on the receiving end of a horror tackle against Queens on Tuesday,  and the striker is a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Cumbernauld.

Charles Dunne, who picked up an innocuous injury against Stranraer, is one of the biggest losses for Stephen Robinson, with the defender now facing a spell on the sidelines.

Craig Tanner, who is stepping up his recovery, is still not due back till later this year, but Curtis Main looks set to be back from a slight knock and fully fit for the final game of the group.

It’s Clyde next for Motherwell in the final Betfred Cup group stage match of the 2018/19 campaign.

Here are some key numbers and statistics you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game.

Three

The simple permutation for Motherwell to top the group is to take all three points from the match. A win would put us on 10 points, guaranteed top spot.

A bonus point win on penalties after a draw would put us on nine points and by no means guaranteed to qualify through second spot.

33

It’s been a while since Clyde claimed a competitive win over Motherwell – 33 years to be precise. Their last victory came in a 1-0 win at Shawfield in March 1985, as the Fir Parkers briefly stalled on their way to winning the First Division title.

Since then, Motherwell have won all five cup games between the pair, recording an aggregate scoreline of 19-2.

11

The amount of consecutive Betfred Cup group stage games Motherwell have scored in. You have to go back to the very first in July 2016 for the last time we failed to net in a group match, when Rangers won 2-0 at Fir Park.

Five

Eight goals scored, five different scorers so far in the 2018/19 Betfred Cup for Motherwell. After Elliott Frear’s opening day hat-trick, four other players have also found the net: Richard Tait, Curtis Main, Peter Hartley and Conor Sammon.

10

The consecutive number of games Clyde have scored at least one goal at home. You have to go back to January for the last time they failed to score at Broadwood in a 3-0 defeat to Stenhousemuir. Their aggregate home score since then is 20-8.

Motherwell’s young on-loan talent continue to impress in the Betfred Cup, with Jake Hastie grabbing his first goals for Alloa Athletic in a 3-0 win at Elgin City.

Having already impressed with his direct style against Dundee United at the weekend, he scored the first and third in a victory that puts the Wasps top of their Betfred Cup group.

Shea Gordon was the only other loanee in action on Tuesday night, impressing again for Partick Thistle in a 2-0 win at Albion Rovers.

The result put the Jags level at the top of Group E with Ayr United, ahead of a showdown clash at Firhill on Saturday.

Ross MacLean and Neil McLaughlin, on loan at Morton and Stirling Albion respectively, were not in action as their sides both had their free fixture date.

Photo courtesy of David Glencross / Alloa Athletic FC

When looking back over the past 12 months, Trevor Carson described it as a “fairy tale”.

The goalkeeper enjoyed an outstanding debut season with Motherwell, picked up multiple player of the year awards and collected his long-awaited international caps for Northern Ireland.

And now the Fir Park stopper is desperate for the dream to continue, just 12 months after signing for the Steelmen.

“It was a fairy tale season for me personally last year,” the 30-year-old admitted. “Coming here and doing well was a great start, then making my international debut was something I’ve dreamed about for a long time.

“But now it’s time to turn our attentions to the season ahead, and we’re all excited to try and build on everything we did last year, which means an important final game in the Betfred Cup group stage on Saturday.”

Stephen Robinson’s side face Clyde in the final fixture of Group G, with top spot up for grabs.

“We have the main aim of going out there and finishing top of our group, but in the back of our minds we can’t get away from the Hibs game on the opening day of the league campaign, so we need to be sure to be fully ready for Saturday.

“A trip to Easter Road is a great way to start the season, at a good stadium against a good side, and it’ll be a big challenge for us. But coming off the back of the Scottish Cup final last season, the boys are hungry to get over the disappointments and get the feel-good factor back around the club.”

The disappointments of the 1-1 draw with Stranraer were put to bed with a convincing 2-0 victory over Championship aside Queen of the South.

And following the highs and lows of the 2017/18 campaign, the squad are eager to make big strides this term.

“I don’t necessarily think that we’re a side who sit down at the start of a campaign and pick our objectives. We take games one at a time and I think that’s what brought us the success we had last season.

“We’re in a good, competitive league, but we’ve got nothing to fear and deep down I know we’ll have a part of us aiming as high as possible this season. We know the cups can be huge for the supporters and for the momentum it brings the club as a whole, but the league is something we’ll obviously be particularly focussed on.”

The Northern Irishman was subject to a lot of transfer speculation after such impressive performances for the club last season, but it didn’t distract the stopper from his goals.

And two goals in particular lie away from the football pitch.

“I always want to make my family proud,” the father of two said. “I’ve obviously got a daughter and just recently had a son, and that just adds to that special bond you have with your children.

“It makes things like football seem so insignificant at times, and that’s why I make all the sacrifices I do, to try and give them the best life possible.”

But sometimes parenthood isn’t all that plain sailing, Trevor joked: “When Rex was born he made us wait. He was eleven days late and those eleven days felt like eleven months at times! But it was well worth it.”

Amid the hectic season enjoyed by the ‘Well stopper in the last year, both on and off the pitch, Trevor allowed himself some pause for thought in the small break he had.

“The break allowed me to sit down and reflect on what I’d achieved last season,” he revealed. “I don’t allow myself to do that during the season or after particular matches, so it was nice for me to sit down, have a beer, and look back on it all fondly.

“But to be honest, it’s only made me hungrier. There might have been points last season when I thought I was working as hard as I possibly could, but this pre-season I’ve been sure to give that bit extra and it’s made me hungrier and made me realise what I can achieve, and want to achieve in football.

“And now that I’m back for the season ahead, it’s made me determined to push on and have a successful season here at Motherwell.”

Go behind the scenes and see the game from a number of different angles in our first Story of the Match feature of the 2018/19 campaign.

Motherwell defeated Queen of the South 2-0 in the Betfred Cup on Tuesday night, setting up a final-day showdown with Clyde on Saturday.

Conor Sammon was at the double as Motherwell ran out 2-0 winners over Queen of the South.

The Betfred Cup group stage win means the Steelmen can secure top spot with a win against Clyde on Saturday.

Conor Sammon, Trevor Carson and Allan Campbell were pleased to get back to winning ways against the Queen of the South.

After a disappointing draw at Stranraer at the weekend, the Steelmen responded with a 2-0 victory, to put qualification in their own hands.