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Kevin van Veen has been nominated for the PFA cinch Premiership player of the year. 

Voted by the players in the league, the Dutchman was the first Motherwell player in ten years to be named in the PFA team of the year.

Van Veen is one of four players nominated for the prestigious award, with the awards night taking place this coming Sunday.

Reo Hatate, Kyogo and Calum McGregor of Celtic are also up for the award.

Darren Randolph, Shaun Hutchinson, Nicky Law and Michael Higdon were all named in the 2012/13 team of the year however it would be only the latter who was nominated for the player of year.

Higdon scooped the award, having scored 27 goals throughout the course of the season.

Kevin van Veen has bolstered a similarly impressive tally this season, with the Dutchman sitting on 25 goals in all competitions with four games left to play.

Scoring in the last seven consecutive games, Van Veen has equalled Dixie Deans’ seven game consecutive goalscoring record in the 1968/69 season, however this was set in the second division.

The last player to score in seven consecutive games in the top flight, was Ian St John in 1959/60 campaign.

“To be nominated for the award is an incredible achievement in itself,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“Since my arrival, Kevin has shown determination, enthusiasm and 100% focus to everything that we have tried to do.

“We are lucky to have him leading the line up front but he is also an excellent team mate.

“When you look at the players who are also up for nomination, they are some of the best in the league.

“With the season that Kevin has had, he has every right to be in that illustrious group.

“I want to personally congratulate Kevin on this magnificent achievement.”

Van Veen’s prolific goalscoring form this season has seen him move into the top ten, all-time goalscorers at the club, just two goals behind James McFadden, despite playing 31 games fewer.

“It’s a real privilege to be up for the award,” Van Veen added.

“I said at the end of last season that I knew I could score more than I did in 2021/22 and I wanted to follow through on that.

“This season has been tricky for a number of reasons and the full team has had to really stick together throughout it all.

“There is a real togetherness at the club and that’s why I thank all my teammates, staff and fans, all of whom have helped me reach my targets this year. The support I have had this season has been incredible.

“I wouldn’t be nominated if it wasn’t for them.”

We travel to Perth to take on St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Saturday 13 May.

Kick-off is 3pm.

Tickets

Supporters are able to buy tickets online here.

Ticket Office open from 9am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility

Travel information

Due to the ongoing roadworks outside Tesco on the A85 Crieff Road, all Motherwell supporters are encouraged to take the following route to McDiarmid Park on Saturday:

Visiting Buses, coaches and cars are to head north from Broxden Roundabout to Inveralmond Roundabout.

Take the 4th exit signposted ’football traffic”

Take the first slip road signposted “Crieff/Crianlarich (A85) & Perth A85”

At the traffic lights, turn left and take the filter lane turning right through the blue North Gate at McDiarmid Park where stewards will direct you to the West side of the artificial pitch.

Ticket Prices

• • Ticket sales are online only (with the exception of the wheelchair & PA tickets – see attached).
  • Disabled/ambulant supporters must be in receipt of PIP/DLA and will be asked to verify this when purchasing online.
  • Personal assistant tickets cannot be added to an order without the age appropriate ambulant disabled ticket being added first.
  • U12 tickets cannot be purchased without an adult/concession ticket (max 2 x U12 per order), the adult/concession ticket must be added first.

How to follow game online

If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.

Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.

The Story of the Match

Saturday’s fine win over Kilmarnock gives Motherwell a nine point cushion over the relegation play-off place but work remains to be done to guarantee safety.

Saturday’s opponents are five points from safety after their crucial win over Dundee United last weekend.

The Perth side sacked Calum Davidson mid April and have shown signs of life under Steven MacLean with four points from their last two games.

The last game at McDiarmid ended as a draw after Blair Spittal’s free-kick cancelled out Drey Wright’s opener.

McDiarmid Park has proven to not be a happy hunting ground for the Steelmen, with their last win coming in September 2019.

Match Officials

• • Referee: Grant Irvine
  • AR1: Calum Spence
  • AR2: Michael Banks
  • Fourth Official: Scott Lambie
  • VAR: Gavin Duncan
  • AVAR: Dougie Potter

With only fives games remaining, Stuart Kettlewell wanted to see his team continue to reach the high standards that his side have set themselves. 

Kilmarnock were the visitors to Fir Park and Motherwell got off to, what is becoming a trademark, fast start.

Blair Spittal got the ball rolling after just four minutes giving his side the lead and after Sam Walker making numerous saves in the Killie goal, and a couple of chances missed from Motherwell, it took until stoppage time for the second Motherwell goal to come to seal the win. But it was worth the wait.

Scoring in his seventh consecutive match and reaching 25 goals for the season, Kevin van Veen continued his electric run of form with a world-class touch and finish.

With Motherwell moving 10 points clear from the bottom of the table, Kettlewell still has eye on the ball and wants to see his team rack up the points and finish strongly this season.

Motherwell continue their hectic SWPL schedule with a Tuesday night match against Glasgow Women at John Cummings Stadium. 

Kick off is 8.15pm.

How to follow the game

Adult tickets cost £6, with Under 16s entry costing £3.

Under 12 entry is free.

Story of the match

Glasgow Women are yet to pick up a point this season in SWPL.

The two sides last met at Fir Park, with Motherwell winning 4-0 in front of a bumper crowd.

Jemma Hughes netted two that night, with Niamh Noble and Chelsie Watson also getting on the scoresheet.

The women of steel will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats in the league.

Consecutive defeats against Hamilton and Dundee United has meant Spartans have leapfrogged the ‘Well in the table, with the Edinburgh side now sitting in the seventh position.

The hosts secured all three points in the City of Discovery with a comprehensive 4-2 victory to complete a disappointing week for the women of Steel.

First-half strikes from Robyn Smith & Jade McLaren had United firmly in the ascendency at the break.

Carla Boyce restored some optimism with an accurate finish moments after the restart, but a quickfire response from Danni McGinley & Neve Guthrie looked to have put the game beyond the visitors.

Boyce netted her second and a late consolation for Motherwell in the dying stages, as they bowed out with a defeat.

Manager, Paul Brownlie made two changes from the side that conceded their first Lanarkshire Derby of the season midweek.

Lauren Doran-Barr and Louisa Boyes both had to settle for a place on the bench, as Gill Inglis and Katie Rice both returned to the starting XI.

With all to play for in their current fight for survival, United wasted no time in their pursuit for safety.

With only two-minutes on the clock, a hopeful long ball caught the Motherwell defence off-guard, and Smith raced through before calmly placing her effort high into the roof of the net.

Motherwell’s woes continued moments later. Gill Inglis drilled cross from the right looked to have blatantly struck the hand of Rebecca Foote in the box, but the referee waived play on, much to the bemusement of the Motherwell technical area.

With minutes left in the opening-45, United doubled their advantage. McGinley’s looping delivery sailed towards the back post, where the lurking McLaren poked home from a yard out.

As the second half resumed, Motherwell toiled for a route back into the game.

An exceptional solo Kayla Jardine run gave her the time and space to whip a dangerous delivery across the six-yard box, and Boyce was on hand to power home a precise header.

However, less than a minute later, United restored their advantage with Motherwell the architects of their own downfall.

A mix-up at the back allowed McGinley to race through on goal, before coolly placing her strike under Emily Mutch.

The Motherwell shot-stopper was soon forced off after a collision in the box, with substitute Katie Andrews playing the remainder of the second half.

With 15-minutes left to play, the hosts looked to have put the game beyond any doubt.

Footes’s unpredictable long-ball was latched onto by Guthrie, who chipped a simple effort over the goalkeeper to put her side firmly in control.

In the dying stages of the game, Motherwell were denied their second penalty call of the game.

Gill Inglis’ low cross was brought down well by Burchill, who appeared to have been hauled down under a late challenge, but the referee again waived play on.

Motherwell would find a late consolation, as Boyce punished a defensive error to net her second of the evening, but the damage in the first half was too much to overcome and they were consigned to defeat.

Paul Brownlie’s side will face a short turn-around before facing Glasgow Women midweek ahead of a tough test against Spartans at the weekend.

“Today was a real showcase of what we are trying to become.

“That was a big three points today but I’m really thinking about where we can go in the next four games and how that sets us up moving into the summer and beyond.”

A hard fought win over Kilmarnock hoisted Motherwell to the 40 point mark and almost certainly removed the spectre of relegation or even the play-offs.

Blair Spittal’s goal within the first five minutes should have set the home side up for a comfortable win over a Killie side languishing second bottom of the league table. But in a drab first half noted for a lengthy VAR check and little cohesive play from either side, the Steelmen failed to get into their free flowing and passing game.

Despite creating a handful of good openings in the second half, it took until the final minutes for Kevin van Veen to grab his 21st league goal of the season and erase any fears of the Ayrshire side grabbing a point.

Stuart Kettlewell made one change from the side which earned a fabulous point at Celtic Park. And following that resounding performance it was a tactical change for the Steelmen as Harry Paton made way for Mikael Mandron to join Kevin van Veen in attack.

There was a terrific atmosphere prior to the kick-off especially from the 1800 Killie fans crammed in the Tommy McLean stand.

However, after a five minute delay while referee Kevin Clancy sorted out his faulty communication system, the away support behind fans behind Sam Walker’s goal were quickly silenced as ‘Well opened the scoring.

In a swift move upfield Sean Goss found the overlapping James Furlong. He picked out Spittal with his cut back and after taking a touch the former Ross County man slammed the ball across the ‘keeper and into the far corner of the net.

That was the perfect start against a nervous looking Killie and Spittal came close to a second when his shot was deflected wide of goal. From his corner Callum Slattery’s shot from the edge of the box took a similar touch from a defender before whizzing narrowly past Walker’s other post.

A clumsy challenge from Callum Butcher 24 yards in front of Liam Kelly gave the Ayrshire side its first glimpse of goal. With the ‘Well ‘keeper rooted to his line Danny Armstrong’s free kick clipped the outside of the Kelly’s right-hand post.

Another break at speed from the home side after 16 minutes finished with ‘Well claiming a second goal. However, Goss’ pass to Mandron found him in an offside position before his ball inside was convincingly hammered into the net by Van Veen.

To be fair the Dutch striker’s reaction suggested that his attempt would be disallowed although it took VAR four minutes to run its check.

That delay and a series of fouls from both sides made the first half a real stop – start affair with little goal mouth action as the first 50 minutes came to a close.

Before the break, though, van Veen had a chance to add to his impressive goal haul. Slattery held off a couple of challenges in the middle of the park before finding van Veen in the box but after side stepping Joe Wright his powerful drive was battered away by Walker.

The second half just had to be an improvement.

And the Fir Park men immediately looked to atone for that first half showing.

Another great ball from Slattery found van Veen racing to the left of the visitor’s box. With Wright in pursuit his cute backheeler set up Spittal who cut into the middle before hammering the ball off Walker’s legs when he should have finished off a sublime move with a second goal.

Ten minutes into the half and with his side needing to take something from the game, Derek McInnes made a double substitution. That gave Liam Polworth the opportunity to emulate his fantastic equaliser on his return to Fir Park in December.

It was van Veen, though, who came close to extending the home side’s lead. Fastening on to another long ball towards the visitor’s box the ‘Well striker cut inside Wright before his low shot was curling inside the ‘keeper’s left-hand post only for Walker at full stretch to push it wide.

A minute later Dan Casey, from just beyond the corner of the six-yard box, attempted to lob the ball over Walker but the Killie ‘keeper stood his ground to make an easy catch.

With 15 minutes remaining and only trailing by a single goal and feeling that his side still had the chance to grab an equaliser McInnes made another double substation to go with four players up front.

That put real pressure on the ‘Well defence for the first time, as the Killie fans behind Kelly’s goal urged the Ayrshire men to press forward in numbers.

With six minutes remaining Mandron made way for Stephen O’Donnell as Stuart Kettlewell decided to reinforce his defensive options and see out the game.

Ironically, three minutes from time, it was a ‘Well defender who came within a couple of inches of settling the game.

Spittal’s corner caused a bit of mayhem in the six-yard area and when the ball found its way to Paul McGinn, he stroked it goalwards only to watch the ball rebound off the post and along the line to a relieved Walker.

The killer second goal was only delayed a couple of minutes as van Veen finally found the net for the 25th time this season.

Yet again a long ball, this time direct from Kelly gave the Dutchman the chance to turn Taylor at the edge of the box. And this time van Veen didn’t pass up the chance as he calmly side footed the ball to Walker’s left and into the net for the seventh consecutive game.

Motherwell will be looking to bounce back from midweek defeat, when they face Dundee United in SWPL on Sunday. 

Kick off is 4pm at Gussie Park.

How to follow the game

Tickets for the match can be bought online.

Adult tickets are £5, with concession entry free.

Story of the match

Dundee United also suffered midweek defeat in the league. They took on Spartans, with the Edinburgh side coming away with a 4-2 win.

United are two points above the relegation play off position.

Motherwell were on a seven game unbeaten run in the league until Wednesday night.

Hamilton came away with a 3-1 victory for their first win against Motherwell in over a year.

Motherwell are unbeaten against Dundee United this season.