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Three Motherwell loanees were in action at the weekend.

Ross MacIver started for Morton in their televised Friday night Championship fixture at home to Hearts.

The forward played 75 minutes as the Edinburgh side ran out 2-0 winners.

PJ Morrison continued his run of form for Falkirk in League One, as the Bairns defeated Peterhead 2-1 to open a four-point gap at the top of the division.

Cove Rangers’ 2-1 home loss to Montrose contributed to opening that gap, with Jamie Semple coming on for the final 15 minutes.

We’re at home again on Saturday, as St Mirren come calling in the Scottish Premiership.

If you’re in the UK or Republic of Ireland, a live stream of the game is available to buy on a pay-per-view basis for £12.

Season ticket holders and international-based supporters can watch via their usual subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

Kick-off on Saturday at Fir Park is at 3pm.

Tale of the tape

St Mirren are unbeaten in three against the Steelmen, after a purple patch towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

A 2-1 win at Fir Park came a week after a penalty shootout victory in the Scottish Cup replay, and a 1-1 draw in Paisley before.

Prior to that, Motherwell were unbeaten in four, winning three and drawing one.

Form guide

Motherwell’s long run without league defeat to non-Old Firm teams ended on Saturday, with Hibernian running out 3-0 winners at Fir Park.

A total of 106 days and seven matches had passed without loss in the Premiership, coupled with conceding no goals from open play.

St Mirren sit second bottom but are now eight games without defeat in all competitions. Five League Cup games and three Premiership matches have yielded four wins and four draws.

Watch live

If you’re in the UK or Republic of Ireland, a live stream of the game is available to buy on a pay-per-view basis for £12.

Season ticket holders and international-based supporters can watch via their usual subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.

Motherwell endured a difficult day in defeat away to Rangers in SWPL1.

The full-time, professional opposition racked up nine goals without reply to make it an afternoon to forget quickly.

Rangers took the lead after 15 minutes when Kirsty Howat scored her first goal for the club. Then, ten minutes later, Lizzie Arnot got her first goal of the day, with Megan Bell scoring the third soon after, when she fired a shot across Khym Ramsay from the left-hand side.

Motherwell were finding it increasingly difficult to keep possession of the ball and create any meaningful chances and would go in five down at the break. Arnot got her hat-trick before the interval with two goals in two minutes, the first coming from a rasping free-kick and the other from the penalty spot.

With a mountain to climb in the second half, ‘Well’s afternoon did not improve, although their performance picked up in the second 45, keeping the ball more effectively and posing Rangers some problems.

Katie Rice had an opportunity to claw one back from Skelton’s cross, but her shot with her weaker foot was straight at the goalkeeper.

Howat scored twice after half-time to complete her hat-trick for the hosts.  Then, Motherwell conceded their second penalty of the game, with Daina Bourma converting it sending Ramsay the wrong way.

Bala Devi scored the final goal of the game to make it nine and, unfortunately, it would have been more but for the heroics of goalkeeper Ramsay, who made several excellent saves throughout the 90 minutes.

“It’s a tough one to take. Our defending had to be better but the key moments didn’t go for us.”

The manager reacts to the 3-0 loss to Hibernian.

A Martin Boyle goal early in the second half and a couple of late goals from Christian Doidge and Stephen McGinn was enough to give Hibs all three points.

It was a scoreline which flattered the Edinburgh side, as Motherwell saw a first half goal ruled out for an apparent push by Mark O’Hara.

For the second time this season, Motherwell carried no luck against the Easter Road side – although the main difference was the visitor’s ability to take their chances.

Despite controlling the first half, the Steelmen couldn’t find a way past Ofir Marciano.

The Easter Road ‘keeper was fortunate, though, to see a Bevis Mugabi netted effort ruled out before the Ugandan centre half hammered a header off the post midway through the second half.

Incredibly, for only their third league game at Fir Park since September, Stephen Robinson freshened up his side with five changes.

Jordan Archer, the fifth ‘keeper on ‘Well’s books, was given his debut while Nathan McGinley was preferred on the left side of the defence.

The ‘Well boss welcomed the availability of Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire after both Scotland Under 21 players had to sit out two games due to Covid isolation protocols. Campbell’s inclusion in a three-man midfield meant that Devante Cole’s injury gave Christopher Long a starting place alongside Callum Lang and Tony Watt in the home attack.

Former Millwall ‘keeper Archer, signed as emergency cover following Trevor Carson’s injury, was anticipating some early action as efforts from Melker Hallberg and Joe Newell flashed wide of his goal.

After that, though, almost all of the play was towards the other goal.

In the 14th minute Liam Polworth sent Lang down the right and his low cross was met by the inrushing Watt but slightly impeded by Ryan Porteus he stumbled and knocked the ball wide from four yards.

A few minutes later after good work by McGinley on the left, Watt blazed his drive from the corner of the box over the bar.

The ‘Well ‘keeper meantime had to be content with vocally encouraging his defenders and some fine distribution with either foot off the deck. Archer’s only save came after 27 minutes when he comfortably held a flick from Hibs top scorer Kevin Nisbet.

Other than that all the play was towards and around Ofir Marciano’s goal. And the Hibs’ ‘keeper had a solid save to make when Campbell’s 20 yard drive had the ball moving in the air and Marciano was glad to punch the ball away as Watt chases in on a slip.

With 37 minutes played the ‘keeper was again in the thick of it scrambling the ball off his line, as Watt slid in front of him in an attempt to get a touch on Stephen O’Donnell’s low ball towards goal.

Hibs goal then had a narrow escape four minutes from the break. Polworth, who had been testing the visitor’s defence with a series of corners, found O’Hara in the six yard box. His downward header was immediately volleyed into the net by Bevis Mugabi, only for referee Andrew Dallas to award a free kick to Hibs for an alleged push on Paul Hanlon.

Despite having the upper hand in the first half, the Steelmen had nothing to show for their efforts as they kicked off the second forty-five knowing that Hibs would surely respond after the break.

And as the Edinburgh side stepped up their game,the first bit of work came Archer’s way after 10 minutes. The ‘keeper, though, perfectly lined up his wall to deflect a Nisbet free kick from 18 yards.

A minute later a lung bursting box to box run from O’Donnell set up Watt at the edge of the box but he fired the chance high over Marciano.

With 57 minutes on the clock Archer pulled off a terrific one handed save to beat away Martin Bolye’s shot from a couple of yards and keep the scores level.

The Hibs striker was not to be denied, however, and a minute later he latched on to Hallberg’s cross to smash the ball into the net and put the Easter Road men ahead.

The Fir Park men responded almost immediately and deserved to be on level terms again in the 64th minute. From yet another Polworth corner, Mugabi rose unchallenged and his thumping header rebounded from the inside of the post behind the static Marciano and across his goal to safety.

Three minutes later the home side had another opportunity to test the Hibs’ goal but from 20 yards O’Hara’s curling free kick sailed a couple of feet over the crossbar.

With 20 minutes remaining Sherwin Seedorf replaced Long as ‘Well searched for a deserved equaliser.

Jake Hastie was then given 10 minutes to make an impact but it was the Hibs’ sub Christian Doidge who wrapped up the points three minutes from time.

With ‘Well pushing forward until the final whistle Hibs found space and time for Newell to roll the ball in front of Doidge who stroked the ball low into the corner of the net and make certain that all three points were heading back to the capital.

In added on time, McGinn slipped the ball into the net to leave Hibs with a scoreline that was harsh on the home side.

Rainbow Laces has always campaigned to make sport everyone’s game.

They’ve focused on inspiring, educating and encouraging allyship to support LGBT inclusion in sport.

The events of 2020 have highlighted long-standing inequalities across society. We’ve seen the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on marginalised groups and the results of structural racism throughout society, including in LGBT communities and across sport.

The events of this year have also shown us how much community and allyship matter. We’ve seen the role that sport and fitness play in bringing us together, and so many LGBT people and allies have been doing amazing work to make sport everyone’s game.

To show our support again this year, we will proudly wear the rainbow armband during our game with Hibernian on 5 December 2020.

It’s time to choose your Motherwell FC player of the month, in association with Paycare.

Tony Watt, Mark O’Hara, Robbie Crawford and Callum Lang are in the running for the prize.

To choose your favourite, just head to our Facebook page to vote.

Fans across the country have felt isolated and removed from their matchday rituals.

Sitting on sofas from the safety of your own home, watching a stream of your team from a distance has proven to be a necessary, if not deeply frustrating, process.

With that in mind, spare a thought for Allan Campbell.

For the last two weeks, the Motherwell midfielder was confined to his family home after being deemed a close contact of former clubmate David Turnbull, who contracted Covid-19 while on Scotland Under 21 duty.

It led to Campbell and Barry Maguire having to self isolate for two weeks at short notice before the double header with St Johnstone, a pair of matches a victory escaped the Steelmen in.

“It’s been the most frustrating thing,” said Campbell. “I’ve had to watch the games in the living room with my dad. It’s annoying because you want to be out there affecting things and helping the team try and get results.

“But you have to be grateful given everything that’s going on in the world that I’m safe, healthy and raring to go again.

“At least if you’re injured you can try and get back into the team and accept that there’s nothing you can do. You can focus on trying to get back. But I was feeling absolutely fine, and I couldn’t help.

“When you’re 100% okay it’s a bit strange and hard to get used to, you think ‘I’m absolutely fine’. But you just have to deal with it and carry on.”

It’s not in Campbell’s nature not to be competitively involved. Instead, he’s used the time to reflect and keep fit at home.

He added: “I was quite calm. I was just watching the team and what they are doing and asking myself what I’d have done if I was playing.

“Obviously you are cheering the boys on. There’s a frustration when they don’t score, or miss a chance or something. But that’s just the passion you have for the club. I just was desperate to get back around the place again.”

Motherwell’s resurgence has stalled somewhat in recent weeks.

Before the international break, a plucky performance against Celtic went unrewarded, while a draw and defeat with Saints, including a League Cup exit, has slowed the Fir Park side’s progress.

However, Campbell, who is due to be available for selection against Hibernian, remains confident that the only way is up for Stephen Robinson’s men.

“We have had a lot of good performances,” he said. “There’s a lot of quality in the team, and I think just trying to get a run going is the main thing. We want to put in consistent showings to climb the table.

“We know we need to focus on each game at a time. In football, if you do the basics well you can prosper, and that’s what we want to do now.”

Campbell’s international break was a bittersweet one for the midfielder.

The 22-year-old, who has 22 caps for the U21s, is now too old for the age group after three years of service culminated in just falling short of qualification for the European Championships.

However, despite progress being snatched away in his final game by defeat in Greece, Campbell says he will cherish his time with Scot Gemmill’s squad for the rest of his career.

“That’s me too old for them now,” he said.

“It was emotional. Because we put so much into the campaign and we had a brilliant team, we felt we could do really well. We did to a certain extent, but we came up just one game short.

“It’s something that I’ll learn from. You take the highs and lows in football and carry them on for the rest of your career. It’s a great learning experience for me.

“I’ve had the honour of representing my country and playing against top, top players in my age group. It’ll stand me in good stead for the rest of my career.

“Phil Foden is probably the best I’ve played against who has now kicked on. You can see his quality at Man City.

“From a young age, you could see that. When I played against him you could tell he had class. I always look at his game, try to take wee bits from it and pay attention to what he is doing and take it into my game as well.”

Inspiration for his next step on the international stage is not too far away.

With team-mates Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell both national heroes after helping Steve Clarke’s side qualify for Euro 2020, Campbell is keen to soak up as much as he can to help propel himself into Clarke’s thoughts for the senior side.

“You always try and learn from the older boys and those who have played against top-quality players,” he said. “That’s part and parcel of training with these guys every day.

“For me, my dream now is to make that step up. That comes from hard work and doing well for Motherwell. Seeing Deccy and SOD doing what they’ve done, it shows me there is a platform there if you can do well.

“That’s my aim. Keep my head down, work hard at Motherwell, and hopefully my chance will come.”