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A tough week for the women of steel was further compounded, as visitors Hibernian narrowly edged a 0-1 victory to end Motherwell’s unbeaten home run in a closely-fought encounter at K-Park on Sunday.

Jorian Baucom’s second-half strike proved to be the difference, as Motherwell failed to capitalise on numerous goalscoring opportunities and were consigned to defeat, with Hibernian securing their third successive victory.

Head coach Paul Brownlie made one change from the midweek defeat to Rangers, as goalscorer Carla Boyce returned to starting XI, with Bailley Collins taking place on the bench. Injury woes have continued to hamper the side, as Morgan Cross, Morgan Hay and Eve Donald continue their return to full fitness.

Eagerly looking to impose themselves from the off, the visitors sprayed several deliveries across the Motherwell penalty area, with Baucom denied the opener early on by Emily Mutch. A skilful turn at the edge of the box allowed Baucom to evade Jo Addie before firing a low strike across the face of goal, but Mutch reacted well to produce a comfortable stop.

Motherwell came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock with unarguably the best opportunity of the opening 45-minutes. Amy Anderson’s incisive through ball accurately picked out Kaela McDonald-Nguah lurking within the penalty area, and the striker expertly shifted the ball onto her stronger right foot, but her dangerous effort drifted agonisingly wide of the top-right corner.

With both sides failing to break the deadlock before the break, Motherwell picked up where they left off, threatening the visiting goal. Captain Gill Inglis’ exceptional solo-run saw the defender cruise past three or four Hibs jerseys, before a late lunging tackle from former Motherwell defender Lauren Doran-Barr, denied Inglis from getting a shot on goal.

Inglis was again called into action moments later, this time at the other end of the pitch, as Abbie Ferguson’s driving run on the counter-attack allowed the midfielder to coast into the Motherwell penalty area, but a late tackle from Inglis diverted Ferguson’s effort wide of the target.

With both sides looking evenly-matched throughout and the game seemingly destined for a closely-fought stalemate, the visitors found the breakthrough.

Ferguson’s through ball from the right fell kindly to the feet of Baucom deep inside the Motherwell penalty area, and a clever turn allowed her to escape pressure from Chelsie Watson and Amy Anderson before picking out the top-left corner with an unstoppable strike.

Brownlie’s side pushed forward until the final whistle, but were unable to find the eventual equaliser and were consigned to defeat. The squad will now face a short international break before returning to cup action, with Montrose standing in their way of a place in the next round.

Stuart Kettlewell discusses today’s loss against St Mirren.

• The best we’ve played since February

• A draw would have been disappointing

• Avoiding this becoming a habit

Motherwell’s hopes of extending their fabulous unbeaten run to 11 games were ended as a rather fortunate St Mirren took all three points back to Paisley.

In a battle for second place, Stephen Robinson’s men survived a first half which the Fir Park dominated in terms of chances, before snatching the lead through Scott Tanser nine minutes after the interval.

Despite the Steelmen producing the bulk of the chances, they couldn’t find the killer touch in front of goal that would have earned them a point their efforts richly deserved.

Following some injury concerns to key players Stuart Kettlewell made only one change from the side which won at Tynecastle a fortnight ago, Shane Blaney replacing the suspended Paul McGinn.

With both sides boasting an unbeaten league record a tight contest was envisaged.

The Fir Park set the tone for the first half closing down Saints and pressing them deep into their own half.

And with Theo Bair warming to his role as target man, the Canadian’s touches released Blair Spittal and Callum Slattery on either channel.

Repeatedly the pair got in behind the Paisley side’s back three and a better final ball would have punished the visitors.

After 15 minutes Slattery’s deep cross was headed back by Spittal for the waiting Harry Paton but his firm strike on goal was blocked by Marcus Fraser with loud appeals for handball.

That move was repeated a couple of minutes later when Bair released Slattery on the right and his high cross found Spittal but from a tight angle he could only direct the ball straight at the Zach Hemmings.

A quick exchange at the edge of the box ended with Paton being blocked by Fraser. Spittal’s free kick was powerful but again straight at the waiting ‘keeper.

The ‘Well midfielder had another chance to test Hemmings following a fine pass from Lennon Miller but the Saints’ ‘keeper was well positioned too comfortably hold Spittal’s curing shot.

At this stage Liam Kelly was largely deployed as an additional defender sending searching passes deep into the visitors’ half.

The ‘Well ‘keeper was untroubled when Saints only chance of the half arrived after 30 minutes when his former team mate Mark O’Hara curled the ball high over the bar from 25 yards.

‘Well’s best chance came a minute later. A surging run from Stephen O’Donnell allowed Miller to thread a ball into Bair’s path. After advancing towards goal the striker dragged the ball beyond the advancing ‘keeper and a few inches beyond his far post.

There was still time before the interval for Bair to find Slattery who cut inside before presenting Spittal with a shooting opportunity only for his drive to be blocked.

Within a minute of the restart it was Spittal who was first to test Hemmings from 20 yards but again the Saints’ ‘keeper held firm.

A patient build up after 52 finished with Paton slashing the ball wide of target but ‘Well’s pressure a seemed likely to earn them the opening goal.

When the goal arrived, though, it was at the other end as Saints took the lead largely against the run of play.

Ryann Strain’s deep cross found Tanser lurking at the back of the six-yard area and his first time volley sent the ball racing past Kelly and into the far corner of the net.

That gave the Paisley Buddies in the Tommy McLean stand the chance to get on their feet for the first time.

They were almost silenced in the 63rd minute when Slattery’s curling free kick was sneaking inside Hemming’s left hand post until the ‘keeper at full stretch pushed the ball the behind.

As the Steelmen pushed for the equaliser Saints had chances to double their lead.

But it was the home side and Bair who passed up two chances to level. Firstly, the striker’s turn and shot from 15 yards was deflected behind. From the resultant corner Dan Casey nodded the ball down but Bair, from three yards out, could only nudge the ball to Hemmings.

That was his last opportunity as he was replaced by Oli Shaw after 78 minutes.

And within a minute the former Ross County man had an ideal chance to make it a dream home debut. But after Paton’s pass found him unmarked on the left of the penalty area, Shaw tamely side footed the ball to the waiting Hemmings.

Georgie Gent came on for his debut and his first contribution was whipping in a cross from the left which Shaw met but could only guide his header high towards goal allowing the ‘keeper to make yet another routine save.

In the final minute of regulation time, the on loan Blackburn Rover’s youngster was within inches of making it a dream debut.

His inswinging corner was only cleared as far as Paton. And when he lofted the ball back into the box it gave Gent an opening, only to watch his stunning left foot drive rebound from the underside of the crossbar and keep the Saints’ goal intact and leave the Paisley side with three points they scarcely deserved.

An intense week for the women of steel will come to a conclusion this weekend, as Paul Brownlie’s side get set to preserve their unbeaten home record, with Hibernian the visitors at K-Park.

Motherwell will be poised to enhance their impressive home record after struggling the break their misfortunes on the road. The hosts woes in Springburn were soon followed by defeat to Rangers at a rainswept Broadwood Stadium, with the side struggling to replicate their successes in East Kilbride.

Victory at K-Park has already proven to be a difficult proposition for visiting sides this season, with Motherwell achieving maximum points at home thus far.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

Motherwell will be looking to bounce back from the midweek defeat to Rangers, as Carla Boyce’s solitary goal proved to be insufficient as the hosts cruised to a comfortable 4-1 lead.

The women of steel’s most recent victory over the Hibees came at Meadowbank last season, as goals from Jo Addie, Lori Gardner and Amy Anderson sealed a historic 3-2 victory for Brownlie’s side.

Despite Laura McCartney returning from a long-term injury, which kept her out of action for 855 days, Motherwell’s recent injury concerns will continue to limit squad selection on Sunday. Morgan Cross, Morgan Hay and Eve Donald will all remain doubtful for a return following injuries sustained over the past week.

Hibernian

One win from their opening five league games proved to be a confidence-draining start for the visitors. However, Grant Scott’s side have since overturned their early struggles, building a positive run of form that has earnt a place in the top-six of the SWPL league table.

The Edinburgh side will travel to Calderglen, buoyed by successive victories over Aberdeen and local rivals Hearts in the first Edinburgh derby of the 2023/24 campaign.

American forward, Jorian Baucom has proven to be a dangerous asset this season, netting five times thus far, including an impressive hat-trick in a dominant 5-0 win over Aberdeen midweek.

Ticket information

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, and to 12–17-year-olds, with full-time students also eligible with a valid matriculation card.

Additional information – no pets allowed within K-Park.

How to follow the action

Supporters can follow Sunday’s encounter on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match. The match will also be available to watch live on the BBC Sport Scotland website. Kick-off is at 4PM.

Our home match against Celtic will be shown live on our pay-per-view streaming service. 

The match will be available for £15.

You will be able to purchase online.

Kick off is 12.30pm on Saturday 30 September.

Brodie Spencer speaks to the press ahead of our return to competitive action against St. Mirren.

Fresh off the back of an international campaign, Northern Ireland defender Brodie Spencer is keen for redemption over the Paisley side.

“The good thing about football is you’ve always got another chance to prove yourself,” said Spencer.

“I think the lads need to do that. I wasn’t involved in the last game as I wasn’t here yet, but I think all the lads know that they need to win this time, they’re already one up on us so we can’t let them go again.

“Of course that’s very good for everyone’s confidence, but I think it’s still very early in the league, I think we need to keep our heads on and just stay grounded, humble, take each game by game and try to win every game we can.”

The Steelmen will refocus their attention back to league action this weekend following a short international break, with Spencer looking to develop upon his recent international experience.

“Going away with Northern Ireland is one of the best things ever,” Spencer explained.

“It’s everyone’s dream, so to be able to do that with the senior team is obviously unbelievable.

“Being around the best players in the country, I’ve learned so much from them and they’ve probably found me annoying with how much questions I ask them. I think going away with them is a massive learning curve and you just need to take everything you can from it.

“Northern Ireland are going through a sort of transition stage at the moment, a lot of young players coming through which is good for us but I think it’s the responsibility on the team, it’s going to be quite tough for a few years until people start getting a bit of experience in senior International football but I think they’re on a very good road.”

Several promising young Northern Irish talents have since thrived and built the foundations of their career in Scottish football in recent years, and Spencer is keen to build upon that list.

“I’m seeing other players from Northern Ireland in the league who are thriving and they’re really enjoying the football.

“They’re playing week in week out and getting the most out of the league that they can, so as soon as I see that, I think that’s what I want to be, that’s what I want to be doing; I want to be playing week in week out in a competitive league.

“I think the league is obviously very competitive, you can’t guess who’s going to finish where, so I think that’s what I wanted. Motherwell are a big club in in Scotland and a very competitive club and that’s what I think I needed.

“At some point in everyone’s career, especially as early on as you can get, you need to be exposed to that men’s football who fighting every week for three points, that’s another stepping stone in your career.”

Three successive victories in East Kilbride has preserved an impeccable unbeaten home record for the women of steel, but replicating their success on the road has proven to be a strenuous undertaking and midfielder Tara McGonigle believes finding their rhythm will be key to success.

“I think we’ve found it difficult to find our rhythm in away games so far,” said McGonigle.

“We’ve let ourselves down so far with away ties, but we’ve looked back on areas we need to tighten up on, and we look to do this in the tough run of away fixtures we have coming up.”

The first Lanarkshire derby victory of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign was complimented with commanding performances over Spartans and newly promoted Montrose, with Paul Brownlie’s side achieving maximum points at home thus far.

“It’s extremely important we keep our momentum at home,” McGonigle explained.

“I think we’ve shown a lot of resilience at home so far. We’ve had a few tough battles, but keeping our composure especially in-front of goal has really helped us to settle into our game and play our style of football.

“We don’t want this to be an easy place for teams to pick up points and we’re working hard on and off the pitch to be tactically hard to break down at all times.

“At home, we have been performing better although still not at the same level we are capable of, and battling for results is something we need to take on the road with us to really push our season on”

A late goal in Springburn denied Motherwell their first points on the road last weekend, with Partick Thistle salvaging a late victory in a game of defensive prowess and limited goalscoring opportunities for both sides. A tough 4-1 defeat to league leaders Rangers at a rainswept Broadwood Stadium followed, as the women of steel continue to seek their first points on the road.

“It was extremely disappointing to concede the late goal against Thistle. We looked strong defensively and were on top throughout the second half, but one moment of switching off gave them the lead.

“It’s something we need to learn from and be alert at every moment during the game, especially during set pieces.”

As the side look to get their form back on track, McGonigle detailed what Brownlie’s message was to the players for the upcoming season.

“The message was that we need to recover from the game and focus on the next challenge. We will definitely reflect and look over aspects of the game, but this gives us a good chance to bounce back

“We believe in ourselves and want to prove we are good enough to take points from the top of the table sides, and hopefully on Sunday we can take something from the game.”

Stuart Kettlewell speaks to the press prior to our return to competitive action against St. Mirren.

The Steelmen will refocus their attention back to league action this weekend following a short international break, as Motherwell look to preserve their unbeaten start to the 2023/24 campaign, with Manager Stuart Kettlewell keen to avoid complacency after a positive start.

“We’re always going to strive for more, we’re always going to think that we can do more”, said Kettlewell.

“We’ve had a good start that’s all it is. We’ve gave ourselves a decent platform, started the season relatively well and we now come into a real tough string of games.

“The one thing I know is that if we can keep applying ourselves and keep performing to the levels that we have done, we give ourselves a chance.”

Whilst the squad continue to make strides on the pitch, recent injury woes have continued to hamper the options at their disposal, but Kettlewell is hopeful to have more back to fitness in the coming weeks.

“We’ve not had our challenges to seek in terms of injuries”, Kettlewell explained.

“I think a lot of the long-term ones; John Obika, Mika Biereth, Connor Wilkinson, Pape Souaré, we know where they are, but unfortunately we had a few to add to that over the last week and a half.

“Blair Spittal, Liam Kelly, Shane Blaney, so again probably another three to add into the mix, but for those guys, they are edging closer towards fitness but again they remain doubts for the game unfortunately.

“It’s just a case of whether we can get enough work into them, get them on the park and see whether they are available for Saturday, but as it stands just now with all three, there’s absolutely no certainty on that.”

Goalkeeper, Liam Kelly has maintained an impeccable level of fitness in recent seasons, playing in 112 consecutive games, but a recent knock forced the Scotland international out of their recent Euro 2024 Qualifying campaign.

“He had a problem with his back, but he had to pull out of the squad”, Kettlewell announced.

“I think that anyone who knows Liam understand his professionalism and his will to play. He has been working away tirelessly since he left the Scotland camp, been through a few appointments and a couple of procedures, and it is just a case of how that settles over the next day or two.

“We’ll find that out, but he’s done a lot of travelling to make sure he’s seen the best people to put him in place to try and have a chance to play in the game, but I can’t confirm that at this minute in time unfortunately.”

One further squad departure in Joe Efford has limited Kettlewell’s attacking options, but insists that it has been a financially beneficial step for the club.

“There’s a couple of factors in the Joe Efford situation, it had been stop starts in my time coming in. Joe had a bad injury in his quad before I’d came in and was fighting his way back to fitness.

“Joe’s never been a problem with me and I need go on record in saying that, but I think sometimes in football you need a fresh challenge, you need a fresh start and that’s how I see it.

“My voice isn’t going to resonate with absolutely everybody. My message, my methods isn’t going to measure up with everybody. He’s been a kind of model professional in terms of how he goes about his business here, but sometimes you almost have to hold your hands up and say that there needs to be a fresh start and there needs to be a bit of change.

“Managers don’t get a lot of credit for it, but it’s the financial side it as well. Joe was one of the top-earners at the football club and I’m immensely proud with the work that’s been done over the summer in conjunction with the board, the chief executive, head of recruitment, myself and other members of staff at the football club, that will have managed to really kind of trim things down.”

Our kick-off time for our home match against Celtic later this month has been brought forward.  

Originally kicking off at 3pm, the match will now start at the slightly earlier time of 12.30pm on Saturday 30 September.

Motherwell’s matchday woes on the road persisted in Cumbernauld, as the women of steel suffered a 4-1 defeat to league leaders Rangers under the lights of a rainswept Broadwood stadium on Wednesday.

Kirsty Maclean got Rangers off the mark after half an hour to give Jo Potter’s side a slim advantage at the break. Rio Hardy doubled the advantage early into the second half, with Rachel McLaughlin adding a third on the hour mark.

Carla Boyce pulled one back in the latter stages of the second half, but a 90^th-minute Kirsty Howat strike settled an assured 3-goal advantage for the hosts.

Head coach Paul Brownlie made three changes from Sunday’s late defeat to Partick Thistle, with Kaitlyn Canavan, Sarah Gibb and Hannah Cunningham returning to the starting XI, as Katie Rice, Tara McGonigle and Carla Boyce settled for a place on the bench.

Looking to put a halt to their recent away record, Motherwell started brightly, testing Victoria Esson in the Rangers goal. Canavan shielded the ball well at the edge of the box before being impeded at the edge of the Rangers penalty area. McDonald-Nguah stepped up and drilled an exceptional effort that looked destined for the top-right corner before curling agonisingly over the crossbar.

The Gers broke the deadlock midway through the first-half, as Middag’s short corner caught the Motherwell defence off-guard, and Laura Berry coasted through the visiting penalty area before coolly dispatching an accurate finish into the bottom-right corner.

The hosts netted a second moments after the restart, with Mclaughlin’s pinpoint delivery from the right sailing invitingly into the path of Hardy, who headed home with ease.

The third of the evening came shortly after, with McLaughlin converting with a composed finish, picking out the bottom-corner.

A late Motherwell resurgence saw a flurry of chances narrowly evade the Rangers goal. A floated delivery from the right was accurately met by an unmarked Chelsie Watson in the air, but the centre-backs wayward header failed to trouble the Rangers stopper.

Amy Anderson tried her luck from distance, with a spectacular effort from over 30-yards out rattling the crossbar, but the breakthrough failed to materialise.

As the full-time whistle approached, Motherwell finally got their reward. Indecision in the Rangers backline allowed Boyce to capitalise, with the striker curling a precise effort into the bottom-left corner, leaving Esson caught in no-man’s land.

Motherwell pushed forward in search of a second and found themselves caught on the counter, with the hosts netting a decisive fourth, as Howat volleyed home Mia McAulay’s delivery.

Motherwell will return to home this weekend looking to preserve their unbeaten record at K-Park, with Hibs the visitors in East Kilbride.