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Motherwell are your 2022 Foyle Cup Champions.

The Foyle Cup, based in Northern Ireland, is a 2005 age limit tournament consisting of 24 teams.

Motherwell, who were able to go on tour courtesy of a significant donation from the Well Society, were placed in group D alongside Institute FC, Ballymoney Utd and Strathroy Harps. Scoring 23 goals and conceding none, the young Steelmen comfortably progressed to the quarter-final.

A 3-1 victory against Inishowen YL seen the lads move on to the semis.

In the last four, Motherwell took on Derry City under 18s on Thursday night.

During the match, Richard Twambe suffered a horrific injury which has left the forward in hospital awaiting an operation.

It was agreed by both teams that the match should be abandoned and re-scheduled for the following (Friday) morning.

Despite witnessing the injury to their teammate, young Motherwell regrouped and went again. A convincing 3-0 victory booked a spot in the final, where they would face Altrincham FC.

Producing another fine performance, Motherwell once again won 3-0 and lifted the Foyle Cup, with Shay Nevans, Ally Goul and Adam MacDonald getting on the scoresheet.

“The boys have been brilliant during this tournament,” academy director Steven Hammell said.

“It allowed the group to form new bonds as we had some under 16s make the step up so it was as much a pre-season as a tournament.

“It’t been an excellent tournament and experience for this group. Despite a hectic schedule, they have coped remarkably and it should stand them in good stead for the future.

“To come to an unknown place and to win against unknown teams, is something they should be proud of.

”I would also like to thank the Well Society for their vital donation to allow us to take part in this competition. It’s so encouraging for the Academy to have the support and backing that it gets from the supporters, who are directly playing a part in unearthing what we hope will be future first-team players.”

The Motherwell squad on tour was:

Lennon Miller, Robbie Garcia, Max Ross, Brannan Mcdermott, Ally Gould, Arran Bone, Scott Williamson, Adam Macdonald, Dylan Wells, Olly Whyte, Richard Tambwe, Luca Ross, Shay Nevans, Mark Ferrie, Zack Tomany and Kyle Aitken (T)

Steven Hammell (Academy Director), Brian Kerr (Development Team Manager), David Clarkson (Head of Intermediate Academy), Paul Burns (Head of Junior Academy), Tom Jones (Performance Therapist) and Kelly McKenna (Physiotherapist)

Despite the disappointment of the first-leg result against Sligo Rovers, we would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our supporters who turned out in great numbers for the match.

The atmosphere, noise, and passion, particularly at the teams emerged from the tunnel, was amongst the best experienced in recent years.

We know supporters went to great lengths to collectively raise money to add to the colour of the occasion, and backed the club fantastically by buying nearly 7,000 tickets – one of our highest attended European games in recent times.

It is very much appreciated and all our focus is now on trying to win the second leg and progress to the third qualifying round.

We acknowledge and accept there were several issues relating to ticketing/seating in different parts of the ground, but particularly in the Phil O’Donnell stand. An internal review is now underway to try and identify why this has happened and what lessons can be learned, both in terms of ticketing and stewarding, at future matches.

We have already identified a number of areas where we must and will improve. We accept our responsibility for what happened and sincerely apologise to anyone who was inconvenienced or caught up in any difficulty trying to locate the seats they were sold.

It’s not good enough, but we will do better.

We were also very disappointed at an incident which took place late in the game where a plastic bottle was thrown towards the assistant referee from the north end of the John Hunter Stand.

Over the last few seasons there have been a couple of occasions where objects have been thrown onto the field of play at Fir Park. Our policy has always been to deal with individuals quietly and efficiently, and we have handed out indefinite bans to those who we have been able to identify.

To put it into some context, we are talking about a very small number of flash points over a few seasons, and the overwhelming majority of ‘Well fans who follow the team are passionate, noisy and colourful, but do not overstep the mark by endangering players, officials or staff.

The incident last night is now being investigated by UEFA and the likelihood is the club will be punished. We ourselves will work hard to identify the person responsible and will take firm action. It goes without saying, but throwing any objects onto the pitch is unacceptable at Fir Park or any other football stadium.

Despite a bundle of chances, Motherwell fell to a 1-0 defeat to visitors Sligo Rovers in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

An Aidan Keena goal in the first half was enough to give Sligo the advantage ahead of the second leg next Thursday in Ireland.

Motherwell created the first opening of the game in the opening stages. Summer signing Josh Morris found himself in the danger area and lashed a shot towards goal. The covering Sligo defender got enough of a touch to deflect the ball into the side netting.

Bevis Mugabi was next to try his luck. The Ugandan got up well from a Motherwell free kick and seen his effort comfortably gathered by McNicholas.

Despite the early chances, it would be the visitors who took the lead. A long ball forward found Mugabi back tracking, as he tried to nod the ball back to keeper Liam Kelly, former Hearts man Keena nicked in and knocked the ball over the top of the on rushing goalie to make it 1-0 on 27 minutes.

From then, Kelly wasn’t really troubled but the the Bit O’Reds defence stood strong and limited the Steelmen to few clear chances.

Kevin van Veen looked to bring the game back on level terms shortly after the Sligo goal. He burst through but instead of going for goal, he opted to square to Morris who couldn’t get the ball out of his feet in time to get a shot away.

Barry Maguire tried his luck next with a curling effort which McNicholas produced an excellent stop to keep his side ahead.

On the stroke of half-time, Connor Shields saw his effort go agonisingly wide of the post.

Motherwell continued to press in the second half. Morris had a go from a 20-yard free kick but McNicholas was once again a match for the effort.

Substitute Ross Tierney was introduced from the bench on 64 minutes and immediately was involved in the action. The Irish forward drove into the box and fired a low strike into the side netting.

It would continue to be a frustrating night when Morris fired a header on target but once again the keeper saved in the closing stages.

Motherwell now travel to Ireland next week looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and keep their European campaign alive.

The G4Claims brand will again feature on the back of first team home and away kits at the bottom.

G4Claims are an accident management and hire car company. They are a family run business who pride themselves on their customer service. Having an accident can be a stressful experience and the company ensure all their customers are cared for to the highest standard.

“We are delighted to continue our relationship with Motherwell Football Club and continue our partnership for the coming season,” G4Claims Director Nicole Rudder said.

“We wish the team all the best and can’t wait to see the boys play in European Competition”

“We’d like to invite supporters of Motherwell Football Club to follow us on our social media platforms for give-aways and competitions.”

“You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube”

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with G4Claims and thank Nicole for her continued support of the club,” Suzanne Reid, head of commercial and marketing at Motherwell FC added.

“We share many values with the company being a family business in the local community and I very much look forward to working with the team this season.”

Our UEFA Europa Conference League first leg match against Sligo Rovers will be streamed online for £12. 

The match is now available to buy here.

Kick-off is at 7:45pm.

Bevis Mugabi says Motherwell are eager to get their UEFA Europa Conference League campaign underway after a gruelling pre-season is now under their belt.

The Ugandan was part of the squad that qualified in Motherwell’s last European adventure in 2020 and wants go a step further this time round.

Graham Alexander is looking forward to his first venture in domestic European football.

He says his side have performed well in pre-season and have completed everything that has been asked of them Despite only a couple of friendly matches, the manager reckons his side are ready for competitive football again and are focused on getting to the next round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

We’ve entered a new, exciting partnership with popular high street brand Footasylum.

The Footasylum brand will feature on the back of first team home and away kits for a minimum of two years.

With over 65 stores across the UK, Footasylum are always one step ahead when it comes to streetwear.

From high-profile trainer releases to the latest clothing, you’ll find the freshest drops from sportswear giants Nike, adidas Originals and Jordan, and premium pieces from Alessandro Zavetti, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein.

Guy Walker, head of football commercial partnerships commented: “Footasylum is delighted to be associated with Motherwell Football Club. A very exciting season for the club awaits as they embark upon a football journey into the UEFA Europa Conference League.

“We wish the club well and look forward to seeing the Footasylum brand feature on the back of the players shirts.

Suzanne Reid, head of commercial and marketing at Motherwell FC, added: “We are delighted to welcome Footasylum to our partnership portfolio and I very much look forward to working with Guy and his team to grow the partnership.”

Motherwell begin their UEFA Europa Conference League adventure on Thursday 21 July when they take on League of Ireland Premier Division side Sligo Rovers at Fir Park. 

Kick-off is 7:45pm.

Ticket Information

You can buy tickets for the game here. Sligo Rovers supporters should select the Tommy McLean stand.

Alternatively, you can get yours by calling 01698 333333 or visit the ticket office at Fir Park.

How to Follow the Game Online

The match is now available to buy here. The price is £12.

There will be live radio coverage on BBC Scotland. This can be found on FM at 92.5–94.7 and MHz AM at 810 kHz.

Tale of the Tape

Motherwell and Sligo Rovers have faced off in cup competitions before.

In 2018, The Bit O’Reds travelled to Fir Park to take on Motherwell Colts in the Irn-Bru Cup.

In a side that featured the likes of David Turnbull, James Scott, Barry Maguire and Jake Hastie, the youngsters made history by becoming the first colts side to reach the Quarter-Finals of the competition after a 2-0 victory.

Christian Mbulu and Jake Hastie the scorers that day.

Form Guide

Motherwell come into the game off the back of a strong showing in pre-season.

During their camp in Austria, Motherwell took on Austrian Second Division side SK Vorwarts Steyr, where the ‘Well won 5-1. Kevin van Veen scoring a hat-trick and Barry Maguire bagging a brace.

In their most recent run out, Motherwell took on Partick Thistle on Saturday. Joe Efford scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory.

Sligo Rovers are currently 23 games into their league campaign, they occupy fifth place in the table.

They lost 2-0 in their most recent game against University College Dublin, their first league defeat under new manager John Russell who was appointed at the start of June.

Despite losing 1-0 at home in the second leg, the Irish outfit went through in a penalty shootout against Bala Town in the first round of the Europa Conference League, scoring all five penalties in the shootout.