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Buoyed by an exceptional display against title-chasers Celtic, Motherwell’s optimism was confidently restored, as the women of steel return to action this weekend in the second Lanarkshire Derby of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.

Paul Brownlie’s side will travel across the River Clyde to New Douglas Park, aiming to replicate the preceding derby day result at K-Park, with Motherwell cruising to a comfortable four-goal advantage.

As the final pre-split fixtures near, Motherwell will be preparing to retain their 100-percent Lanarkshire  derby record over Hamilton.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

Despite leaving East Kilbride without points to reflect their efforts in a closely-fought encounter with Celtic, Paul Brownlie’s side will be encouraged with their attacking and defensively-improved performances in recent weeks.

The women of steel recorded their first derby day victory over Accies this season in August, with a Carla Boyce hat-trick and Kaitlyn Canavan strike being the difference on that day.

The Lanarkshire Derby test will be the first of a triple-header of fixtures, with encounters with Glasgow City and Spartans to conclude the final pre-split fixtures of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.

January acquisitions Laura Berry and Sophia Martin will both be available for contention within the matchday squad for the first time since signing on-loan from Rangers and Glasgow City.

Hamilton

The Accies aided their SWPL relegation-survival efforts after an impressive 4-1 victory over Dundee United in the City of Discovery to achieve their first league victory this season, but a disappointing Scottish Cup exit to Celtic and a 6-0 defeat to Glasgow City in the league have resulted since.

Hamilton sit on six-points, three adrift from nearest rivals Spartans, with Montrose and Dundee United both one-point ahead of the Edinburgh side.

Ticket information

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £5
• Under 16s – Free to enter.

How to follow the action

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

Motherwell’s hopes of an extended Scottish Cup run were ended as Greenock Morton comfortably progressed to the quarter finals.

Start Kettlewell had warned that the trip to Greenock would prove a difficult cup tie and the ‘Well boss was proved correct as a goal in each half was enough to send an under performing ‘Well out of the Cup

There was nothing between the teams until ten minutes from the break when Liam Kelly’s disastrous attempts to deal with a corner ended with the ‘keeper tamely pushing the ball against the luckless Harry Paton and over his own goal line. Ten minutes into the second half Goerge Oakley doubled Morton’s lead and put he home side in the driving seat.

The ‘Well boss committed five subs in an attempt to prevent a shock exit to a Championship side for the second consecutive season. And six minutes from time Jack Vale pulled one back to set up a dramatic end to the game.

Overall, though, the Steelmen failed to match Morton’s desire and determination and can have no complaints about being on the wrong end of a Scottish Cup shock.

Incredibly this was the fifth time the teams had been paired in the Scottish Cup in seven seasons. And with Motherwell having emerged as winners in the previous four, Morton fans were convinced they were due a cup win over the Fir Park side.

Although both teams arrived at Cappielow full of confidence on the back of resounding 5-0 wins, ‘Well faced a Morton side on an excellent run of form, Dougie Imrie’s men boasting a 12 game unbeaten run, and quite rightly fancied to cause a cup upset.

Motherwell made one change from the from the emphatic win over Ross County, Lennon Miller coming in to the midfield as a straight replacement for Andy Halliday.

The Fir Park fans packed behind Liam Kelly’s goal watched Morton make a positive opening as the home side looked to go direct and test the ‘Well defence at every opportunity.

An early fumble from Kelly when he dropped an easy ball towards his goal, gave Morton encouragement to swing every ball onto the ‘keeper.

Although Motherwell settled into their passing game the Premiership side had a huge let off after 19 minutes.

A high ball into the box was nodded into the path of George Oakley, who got behind Calum Butcher before lifting his shot beyond Kelly’s stretch, only to watch the ball rebound from the face of the crossbar.

While the Steelmen were comfortable in possession, they lacked composure in the final third of the pitch, with Theo Bair too often isolated up front.

The game was highly competitive but needed a spark and it arrived in 35th minute when Morton took the lead.

It was a goal which Kelly will want to forget. Robbie Muirhead’s inswinging corner posed a real threat on the visitor’s goal but the ‘Well ‘keeper made a complete mess of things palming the ball against Paton and over his line and reinforce Morton’s belief that an upset was on the cards.

Conversely, while the Fir Park men ended the half around Ryan Mullen’s box, their play lacked a belief and conviction.

Although Motherwell aimed to regain possession and composure in the opening spell of the second half, they were dealt a killer blow ten minutes after the break.

Paul McGinn lost out in the middle of the park and as the ball was immediately sent forward to Oakley who surged into the box before firing the ball low across Butcher and Kelly and into the ‘keeper’s right-hand post for a solid finish and put the home side firmly in control of the cup tie.

Kettlewell immediately made a triple substation sending on full backs Adam Devine and Jili Buyabu, with Jack Vale joining Bair in attack.

That did fire some much needed life into the Steelmen and Buyabu’s low drive into the six box forced a first save from Mullen.

Andy Halliday and Jon Obika were then given 23 minutes to try and get ‘Well back into the tie.

And after passing up a few half chances which gave Mullen a couple of comfortable saves, ‘Well reduced the leeway with six minutes remaining.

Two of the subs combined with Devine firing the ball into the box before Vale’s touch directed it towards goal with a slight deflection carrying the ball beyond Mullen.

Although the Fir Park men pressed for an equaliser and caused some uncertainty in the home box, they never looked like finding an equaliser and sending the game into extra-time.

Stuart Kettlewell reacts to the 2-1 defeat that meant his side crashed out the Scottish Cup.

• Didn’t stand up to the challenge
• Let a lot of people down
• Lost our discipline and structure

Motherwell Football Club’s recent ‘Hollywood-style’ investment campaign has certainly had an impact.

With Well Society membership now through the 3800 barrier – and climbing – new members are joining all the way from Motherwell to Michigan.

To date the cheeky film – in which players invited Hollywood A-listers to support the club – has gone viral, with more than 2.4million views on X, and a whopping 92,000 views on YouTube.

Well Society members had a starring role in the film, with Junior Steel member Ruairidh McAtamney inviting singer Taylor Swift to “gie’s some dosh” at the end of the 90-second piece.

“We may not have signed Taylor Swift up yet, but it certainly galvanised fans into action,” said Douglas Dickie, co-chair of the Well Society.

“Since the campaign launched on Wednesday 10 January we’ve welcomed almost 100 new members. The vast majority of these are taking out adult membership, and we’ve also seen existing members increase their monthly contribution or restart lapsed memberships.”

Ann and Drew Duncan (pictured) are amongst the new members joining. Drew said: “I’ve been talking about doing this for a long time. The recent promo video was just the push I needed to stop procrastinating and just get it done.”

Dean Russell from Seattle said his boys George and Henry love watching and playing football and joining was a great way to expand their passion for the game.

“They can be excited to be owners of a club – that’s pretty cool,” said Dean. “We also talk about supporting the sport in different ways and keeping clubs local. That is not how clubs are here in the US. When I saw the chance to get them involved in understanding how a local club works in this model, I wanted the chance to get involved.”

Join the Well Society from as little as £5 per month and support the club on and off the pitch.

Call 01698 338009 for more information or email: well.society@motherwellfc.co.uk.

Jack Vale introduced himself in stylish fashion to the Motherwell support on Tuesday night, when he scored on his debut having come off the bench against Ross County.

Now, he is looking to continue that positive start into the next games as he looks for another special cup run in his career.

Stuart Kettlewell says that Friday night’s match against Morton has all the makings of a proper cup tie. He believes Morton are a better side than people say and that his side will need to be a full tilt to get through to the next round.

The manager was pleased with Tuesday’s performance against Ross County but knows it’s only one game and that he wants his team to replicate that level to the 1800 travelling ‘Well fans in Greenock.

From Springburn to the Spanish coast, January acquisition Sophia Martin has already had a unique experience to start her time in Lanarkshire, since joining the club from Glasgow City on a loan deal till the end of the season.

The 17-year-old striker joined fellow January addition Laura Berry on the plane to Murcia, as the pair travelled to the Pinatar Arena ahead of a Semi-Final encounter with Sweden, with Berry captaining and scoring in a 3-2 victory and Martin also featuring throughout. The pair have since faced a second test with England in the final of the U17 International MIMA Cup, with the squad finishing runners-up.

“Representing your country is always a dream,” Martin said.

“I’ve represented Scotland at 15’s, 16’s and 17’s and I am really excited with the opportunity of the friendlies in Spain that will prepare myself for the upcoming Euro’s.

“Laura and myself have played together at previous clubs and also at international level, its not always easy joining a new club, but having someone you know is always a positive. We link up really well, so it will be good to get in together at Motherwell.”

The Cambuslang-born forward makes the switch to K-Park, after making her debut for Glasgow City in last season’s title-deciding year, with Martin since netting three times for the Petershill Park outfit in 17-appearances.

The forward has moved to North Lanarkshire in search of regular game-time, with her goalscoring threat providing an exciting addition for the K-Park faithful.

“I first heard of the move at the start of January and for me it was a no brainer,” Martin explained.

“I’ve worked under Paul before, so I know his intentions at the club. His expectations are high and that has meant he’s been a great coach to work under.

“Glasgow City has been brilliant for me and my development, but I was one if the younger players and unfortunate to not get the game time I wanted. The loan move came at the perfect time and now it is time to get my head down, get back playing and hopefully add goals to the squad.”

A product of the Hamilton youth academy, Martin signed her first professional contract in Springburn only days after her 16th birthday, and is believed to be the youngest ever female player to do so.

Confident to feature in an array of positions and a keen eye for goal, the versatile forward will add a vital new element to the Motherwell forward line.

“I would say I am a strong powerful player,” Martin noted.

“I can play anywhere in the front three, am capable of using both feet even though I am more dominant with my left and I like to score goals and hopefully I can add that to the team”

Composure in the final third and capitalising on key goalscoring opportunities has been a frustrating component to the women of steel this season, with positive performances not accurately reflected in the scoreline or SWPL league table.

Despite the top-six no longer within reach, as the final pre-split fixtures approach, Martin is keen to finish the season on a high.

“The aim for the rest of the season is to finish top of the bottom-six,” Martin said.

“My own personal aim is to get as much game time as possible, be consistent in my performances and score goals. I had my first session on Tuesday and got to meet the team, they were very welcoming and I can’t wait to play alongside them.

“I can’t wait to get started, I am really excited to see the fans at the next game and hopefully I can show them what they want.”

Oli Shaw has returned to the club following a successful rehabilitation period with his parent club Barnsley. 

He returns on loan until the end of the season.

The striker went back down South to undergo treatment on a hamstring injury but Barnsley have now informed us he should be eligible for selection in the coming weeks.

Shaw has made 16 appearances in his time at Motherwell thus far, recording two assists.

“There was always the possibility of Oli coming back here,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“He returned to Barnsley as both clubs agreed there would be a chance he could reduce his recovery time down there.

“Oli will now enter the final stages of his recovery at Motherwell and will join up with the group when ready.”

A valiant display from the women of steel almost ensured an historic result in East Kilbride, but title-chasers Celtic narrowly edged to victory at a frost-covered K-Park on Wednesday evening.

Desperate to atone for their comprehensive 6-0 defeat to the Glasgow-side in October, Motherwell tactically nullified Celtic across both halves, with countless goalscoring opportunities evading the visiting goal. However, the breakthrough failed to materialise, as Celtic capitalised upon Motherwell’s attacking complacency, netting twice against the run of play, with Caitlin Hayes and Amy Gallacher both adding their name to the scoresheet.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made three changes to the side who suffered defeat to Hibs in the capital last weekend, with Jo Addie returning to partner Chelsie Watson in the Heart of the Motherwell backline and Sarah Gibb featuring alongside Amy Anderson and Katie Rice in the midfield.

Goalkeeper Rebecca Cameron made her competitive Motherwell debut after last featuring for the women of steel ironically against Celtic in a pre-season friendly in the summer.

The shot stopper was immediately called into action, as Gallacher escaped the offside trap before drilling a close-range effort across the six-yard box, but Cameron reacted sharply to produce an exceptional late block.

Moments later, Motherwell almost found the breakthrough. Katie Rice’s whipped free-kick midway through the Celtic half accurately picked out Murron Cunningham at the back post, with the defender’s looping header teeing up Addie within the six-yard-box, but before the centre-half could react, Daugherty’s forceful challenge left the defender on the frozen surface.

Optimistic penalty pleas were soon dismissed, with Cunningham’s close-range rebounded effort also denied by the Celtic stopper.

Despite a positive opening to the game, Celtic soon broke the deadlock against the run of play. A floated corner kick from the right sailed invitingly across the Motherwell penalty area, with Hayes bulleting home a direct header.

As the second half resumed, the hosts quickly regained their rhythm, with Gill Inglis almost netting an equaliser. The Motherwell skipper and Kayla Jardine combined on the right-hand side, with the experienced defender chipping a dangerous delivery across the face of goal, but once again the women of steel were unable to capitalise on a vital moment in the game.

Motherwell continued to threaten the Celtic penalty area, with their consistent attacking patterns of play, as Morgan Cross’ chipped through ball narrowly evaded the lurking forwards in the Celtic six-yard-box.

The pacey forward soon sliced through the Celtic backline, capitalising upon the high defensive line to race through on goal, but a perfectly-timed tackle from Hayes salvaged a crucial moment in the game for the Glasgow-side.

With the women of steel continuing to flood the Celtic half in search of an equaliser, Celtic caught the hosts on the counter-attack, netting a decisive second to secure all three points in a closely-fought evening in Lanarkshire.

Paul Brownlie’s side will face a sharp return to action when they travel across the River Clyde to local rivals Hamilton, with the second Lanarkshire Derby of the season on the horizon.

With Motherwell coming into the game five games unbeaten, the performances had been encouraging but the result had been missing. 

Prior to the Tuesday night match against Ross County, the Highlanders were 11th with the Steelmen directly above them in 10th. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

If there were any pre match nerves in the stands, that wasn’t reflected on the pitch.

Andy Halliday, Blair Spittal and Theo Bair had Motherwell leading 3-0 by the break, despite missing a number of chances. They continued to blow County away in the second half, with Spittal and debutant Jack Vale adding to the tally.

A 5-0 win ahead of a Friday night trip to Greenock in the Scottish Cup fills everyone associated with the club with optimism and encouragement.