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With a spot in the quarter finals of the Viaplay Cup up for grabs, Motherwell travelled to St Mirren in what was always going to be a tightly contested match. 

Manager Stuart Kettlewell said in the lead up to the match that it was going to be close between the two matches and it would prove to be just that.

St Mirren took lead after nine minutes, through a wonder strike from Caolan Boyd-Munce from the edge of the box.

1400 Motherwell fans were in attendance in Paisley and they continued to bring the noise for the rest of the game. Theo Bair went close after half time, with Conor Wilkinson also going agonisingly close thereafter.

Still trailing, there were strong appeals from the ‘Well when former defender Charles Dunne smashed into Mika Biereth, subsequently injuring the striker. The referee seen it only worthy of a yellow and the game would end 1-0, with St Mirren advancing to the next round.

Motherwell dusted off Sunday’s disappointing defeat after securing a hard-fought victory over league rivals Spartans at K-Park on Sunday.

Kaela McDonald-Nguah rifled home the only goal of the afternoon deep into the latter stages of the second half to secure the first three points of the new SWPL campaign.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made three changes to the side that suffered defeat at Balmoral stadium last weekend. Goalscorer McDonald-Nguah had to settle for a place on the bench following a midweek injury setback, with Kaitlyn Canavan leading the line up-front.

Amy Anderson also made her return from a brief injury spell, with Tara McGonigle also earning a start.

The women of steel had to settle for three successive draws and a defeat against Spartans last season, and the hosts eagerness to break that duct was certainly evident from the opening exchanges.

McGonigle’s delivery from the left ricocheted between several players in the box before finding Carla Boyce at the edge of the six-yard box, but the striker couldn’t apply the finishing touches.

Motherwell continued to press and almost caught the visitors off-guard, as Katie Rice directed a quick free-kick from the left to the feet of Bailley Collins at the edge of the box, but the forwards ambitious effort drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.

With neither side breaking the deadlock in the opening 45-minutes, Brownlie made an alteration to his side early into the second half, with Canavan making way for McDonald-Nguah.

The forward made an instant impact, almost setting up the opening goal, as Boyce raced through on goal, forcing a smart stop from the Spartans keeper.

As the full-time whistle neared, it looked as if an inevitable draw and an opportunity missed for the women of steel would be the outcome. However, with just under 10-minutes remaining, the breakthrough finally materialised.

Jo Addie’s floated free-kick, yards ahead of the halfway-line, sailed invitingly into the path of McDonald-Nguah in the box, who superbly controlled the ball with an accurate first-touch before drilling an unstoppable strike into the top-left corner.

Spartans flooded the Motherwell final third in search of a late equaliser, but the hosts stood firm to record their first three points of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.

Brownlie’s side will return to action midweek, with a short trip to Springburn to face Glasgow City at Petershill Park on Wednesday.

Motherwell were knocked out of the Viaplay Cup by St Mirren on Saturday, falling to a 1-0 defeat on Saturday. 

Caolan Boyd-Munce’s first half strike proved to be the only goal of the game.

The Northern Irishman’s strike gave St Mirren the early lead after just nine minutes. He smashed home first time from just outside the box, before Keanu Baccus went close to doubling their lead.

Dan Casey claimed for a handball in the penalty area following a Motherwell corner, however referee Willie Collum waved away any claims.

At the start of the second half, Motherwell looked brighter. Theo Bair shifted the ball onto his left foot before smashing the ball goal bound. It would take a tremendous save from Zach Hemming in the St Mirren net to tip the Canadians strike over the bar.

Conor McMenamin looked set to double the hosts’ advantage on 74 minutes, when he found himself through 1v1 with Liam Kelly. Casey raced back and managed to get the block in before the winger could get a strike away.

Lennon Miller and Mika Biereth were second half substitutes and it was the latter who created one of the best chances in the match. Callum Slattery drove the ball forward, waited for the opportune moment to play in Danish Under 21 international Biereth, he played the ball across goal in search of strike partner Conor Wilkinson but the number 99 couldn’t get on the end of it. Still 1-0 St Mirren.

Toyosi Olusanya had the golden chance to ensure progression to the quarter finals but couldn’t convert past Liam Kelly.

The game would end in controversy, with Charles Dundee lunging in two-footed on Biereth. Collum only adjudged the tackle worthy of a yellow card with the Arsenal loanee picking up an injury in the process.

The manager reacts to the Viaplay Cup exit at the hands of St Mirren.

• Fine margins
• Avoiding a knee-jerk reaction
• A thank you to the fans

Barry Maguire has joined Kidderminster Harries on loan until January 8 2024.

Maguire has made three appearances in the Viaplay Cup this campaign.

Kidderminster have played three games so far in the National League season and are currently on four points.

The 25-year-old now heads south having been on loan at Dundee last season.

We wish Barry the best of luck.

Midfielder Blair Spittal has only been on one cup run in his career, which was back in 2015 when he was on the bench for Dundee United in the league final. 

He never appeared that day and it has made him realise how often chances to go deep in the cup come around.

Spittal is enjoying life at Motherwell and says the 1991 Scottish Cup winning team are renowned at Fir Park for what they achieved, and that is something the players here today should be looking to replicate.

Our match against Hearts at Tynecastle next month has a new date. 

The match will now place on Sunday 3 September.

Kick off is 3pm.

This is due to Hearts’ participation in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The women of steel return to K-Park for the first time this season, as the squad prepare to redeem themselves following an opening weekend defeat to Aberdeen.

Motherwell left the Granite City empty-handed despite Kaela McDonald-Nguah netting twice from the penalty spot to narrow the hosts initial three-goal advantage.

Paul Brownlie’s side face a tough return to action with Spartans also looking for redemption after suffering a heavy opening weekend defeat to Rangers.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

The hosts will be looking to kickstart their season with the first three points of the new campaign, as ambitions of a top-six finish remain firmly in their sights.

The women of steel have maintained a prolific record against Spartans, netting six times across the 2022/23 campaign, with Kayla Jardine and McDonald-Nguah both finding the target twice.

Amy Anderson will be available for a return to the matchday squad after being sidelined following a brief spell with an injury.

Murron Cunningham and Laura McCartney will both continue their return from long-term injuries but will be doubtful for this weekend’s match. Lucy Ronald will also be unavailable, as she continues her long-term return to competitive action.

Spartans

Like Motherwell, the visitors narrowly missed out on a place in the top-six last season, but seven successive victories ensured a seventh-place finish for the Edinburgh side.

The visitors suffered a disappointing opening day defeat to Rangers, with the Glasgow side cruising to a comfortable 6-1 victory.

However, both shared several closely fought encounters last season, with three successive draws preceding a narrow 3-2 post-split defeat, as Rebecca Galbraith’s first-half hat-trick cancelled out strikes from Tiree Burchill and Kayla Jardine on that day.

Ticket information

Sunday’s encounter will see season-ticket holders at K-Park for the very first-time, with supporters requiring their season ticket card upon arrival. Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £3
• Under 11s – Free to enter

*Concession tickets apply to those over 65, 12–17-year-olds and full-time students with a valid matriculation card.

How to follow the action

Supporters can follow Sunday’s encounter on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match.