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The women of steel were hit for six when they faced a high-flying Hearts side in the Scottish capital on Sunday. 

Georgie Timms, Joely Andrews, Monica Forsyth, Lisa Robertson and an Emma Brownlie double comfortably surpassed Chelsie Watson’s consolation for the visitors in an afternoon of mixed emotions for Motherwell at the Oriam National Performance Centre.

Paul Brownlie and Leanne Crichton named one change to the starting XI from the side that were defeated by fellow Edinburgh outfit Hibernian last weekend. Chelsie Watson returned to the starting line-up, playing ahead of the back four of Gill Inglis, Jenna Penman, Jo Addie, and Katie Rice.

Motherwell started brightly and grew in confidence throughout the opening phases of play, however a sudden Hearts opener shifted the women of steel’s early momentum. The breakthrough came after only 14-minutes, with an unfortunate slip on the damp turf allowing the hosts to capitalise on an unanticipated counter, with Timms converting Jessica Husband’s whipped delivery across the face of goal.

The second followed shortly before the half-time break, with Andrews finding the target from close-range after a quick counter-attack.

Immediately following the restart, Motherwell narrowed the deficit. Morgan Cross fought through numerous maroon jerseys before being hauled down directly on the edge of the Hearts penalty area. Watson stepped up and coolly curled a magnificent free-kick into the top-left corner.

Almost instantly after pulling themselves back into the contest, Hearts netted two goals in a matter of minutes, with Motherwell continually struggling to defend crosses into the box.

The hosts continued to extend their advantage in the latter stages of the game, with Robertson and Brownlie coasting Hearts to their fourth victory of the 2024/25 SWPL campaign.

A dramatic finale at McDiarmid Park, as super sub Moses Ebiye fired home the final kick of the game to rescue the three points in an exhilarating ninety minutes under the Perthshire sunshine.

Irishman Dan Casey bulleted home the opener amid the early exchanges, powering home Andy Halliday’s whipped delivery across the 18-yard-box. Motherwell continued to control proceedings and toiled in search of a crucial second, that would’ve fairly reflected their assured first-half display, however the hosts soon punished Motherwell’s attacking woes by pulling themselves level in the latter stages of the second-half.

Motherwell’s first-half dominance looked a distant memory, as Benjamin Kimpioka’s unanticipated equaliser rejuvenated a strained St. Johnstone side, but Ebiye’s late heroics proved to be the difference, with the Nigerian striker capitalising on the final kick of the game, diverting Casey’s direct headed effort beyond the reach of Ross Sinclair much to the jubilation of the emphatic travelling support.

Manager, Stuart kettlewell named an unchanged side from last weekend’s comfortable victory over Hearts at Fir park. Deadline day addition Jack Vale was named amongst the substitutes, as fellow late arrival Jair Tavares watched on from the sidelines.

Motherwell almost certainly looked to have earned an early penalty kick after Paul McGinn was impeded deep into the St. Johnstone penalty area, but despite a four-minute VAR check, referee Iain Snedden ruled in favour of a St. Johnstone goal-kick.

The breakthrough emerged soon after with defender Dan Casey opening his account for the 2024/25 Premiership campaign, powering home Andy Halliday’s accurate delivery across the face of goal.

The visitors almost doubled their advantage soon after, with Maswanhise turning provider, teeing up Halliday at the edge of the box. The midfielder lent back before curling a magnificent finish into the top-left corner, but an offside in the build-up prematurely ended Halliday’s celebrations.

Motherwell were firmly in the ascendency and deserving of amassing more of an advantage, as the first-half drew to a close.

The hosts took advantage, with Kimpioka coasting across the left-flank before dispatching a composed finish into the bottom-right corner. The stands of McDiarmid Park firmly rose to the occasion, lifting an abject St. Johnstone side into life.

Motherwell thwarted numerous attempts on goal during a frantic period of the game, but Stuart Kettlewell’s side soon composed themselves, implementing the game-plan and pinning the Saints backline into their own penalty area.

Following two identical miraculous saves to deny Casey from netting a brace, Casey soon headed Lennon Miller’s dangerous delivery across the face of goal, and super sub Moses Ebiye converted from a yard out; sending the visiting support into raptures.

Stuart Kettlewell gives his thoughts on a dramatic late win in Perth.

Manager Stuart Kettlewell and Assistant Manager Stephen Frail have signed new contracts at the club. 

The Motherwell manager and Assistant have agreed to new rolling contracts.

“It’s been a huge honour to lead this team since February 2023,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“Remaining at the club was always something I wanted. I’m proud of what we have achieved as a team so far.

“When I first joined, the outlook was bleak, and we needed to turn the form around quickly. Fast forward 18 months, and we have gone on a scintillating run at the end of the 22/23 season, just missed out on top-six last season, increased the revenue from player sales, and progressed to the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup.

“The development of players has been something I’m particularly proud of.

“But what made this decision so easy was the unwavering support I’ve received from staff, the executive board and most importantly, the supporters.

“Since my first day at the club, the backing has been immense. We’ve had lots of good moments that we have celebrated together.

“I said right at the very start of my tenure that there was lots we could achieve here. That included producing a team that the supporters could buy into.

“The work towards that doesn’t stop here; if anything, it increases. I will continue to do as best I can, work as hard as I can, to reach our goals and aspirations.”

Stuart Kettlewell named Stephen Frail as his assistant back in March 2023, having had experience at both international level with Northern Ireland and at club level.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at this fantastic club so far,” assistant manager Stephen Frail added.

“I love working with the players, the staff and the manager. I didn’t know the manager prior to coming here, and it’s been rewarding to work with him.

“I’m privileged to have been offered these new terms and hopefully we can have a very successful season.”

Stuart Kettlewell was named Motherwell boss in February 2023, having won his two games in interim charge.

He made the best start of any Motherwell manager since Roger Hynd in 1977, winning a manager of the month award in the process.

With the side joint bottom of the league at the start of February, Kettlewell led the team on an incredible few months of results, which included wins against Hibernian, Hearts, Livingston, Dundee United, St Johnstone and St Mirren. Motherwell also earned a point against Celtic at Parkhead. That run of form saw the Steelmen finish on 50 points, with Kettlewell at the helm for 30 of them.

That impressive run of form continued into the 23/24 season. Going into the September international break last year, Motherwell were undefeated on the road under Stuart Kettlewell, and they had extended their top-flight undefeated streak to 10 games, their longest run since 2010.

A run of winless games followed next. The team picked up six draws in 15 games, but a win over Livingston in December 2023 brought the Steelmen back to life.

Five wins and six draws from 15 games in all competitions prior to the split, which included our first win at Ibrox since 1997, saw Stuart Kettlewell’s side narrowly miss out on top-six on match day 32.

Two wins and a draw from the final matches saw Motherwell finish well above any of the relegation spots to secure our 40th consecutive season in the top flight.

Now, into his second full season at the club, Kettlewell has steered the team to the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup and to our first win of the league season against Hearts.

Luca Ross has joined League One side Annan Athletic on loan until January. 

The 18-year-old has made five first-team appearances for Motherwell, scoring a last minute equaliser against Ross County last season at Fir Park.

Annan have picked up two wins out of their first four matches, defeating Inverness CT and Cove Rangers.

“It’s no secret that we have been looking to get some of the young boys some regular minutes,” manager Stuart Kettlewell explained.

“Luca is part of our ‘development group’, and these loan moves can really aid their development.

“We’ve seen in the past that a loan move away from the club is not a punishment. It’s an opportunity. We’ll be tracking Luca’s progress closely and I hope he makes a big impact from the off as he’s a player I think really highly of.”

Motherwell’s 17th signing of the summer window is Jair Tavares, who joins on loan from Hibernian until the end of the season. 

The 23-year-old joined Hibernian in June 2022, having came through the youth system at Benfica.

“Signing Jair is an excellent piece of business,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“We’ve got a player who has experience in this league, came through at a top academy at Benfica and will now get the opportunity of regular minutes here at Motherwell.

“He’s a winger who is direct, exciting and will add a lot to our team.”

A regular for the B side in Portugal, the pacy winger made the switch to Scotland for an undisclosed fee and has made 41 appearances for the Edinburgh side.

He has also continued to progress through his nation’s youth ranks being capped at U17, U18, and U19 level.

Tavares has featured three times for the Hibees this season, with all appearances coming in the group-stages of the Premier Sports Cup.

The women of steel travel to the Scottish capital this weekend looking to regain their early signs of momentum after encountering back-to-back defeats following two victories to open the 2024/25 SWPL campaign, as Motherwell prepare to face Hearts at the Oriam Performance Centre on Sunday.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Motherwell swiftly return to competitive action after two games within the last week, as a midweek defeat to defending champions Celtic preceded a defeat to Hibernian at K-Park. Morgan Cross netted her third consecutive goal against Celtic after finding the target against Montrose and Spartans across the previous fortnight, but couldn’t prevent the hosts from coasting to a comfortable five-goal victory at the Albert Bartlett stadium.

After a disappointing result in South Lanarkshire, Motherwell will be determined to earn three points ahead of a highly-anticipated return to Fir Park to face Partick Thistle.

Jenna Penman will return to face her former side after departing the Jambos in the summer transfer window. Motherwell will be without Murron Cunningham after the defender departed the club by mutual consent in the past week.

Hearts

The Edinburgh-side have maintained an emphatic start to the 2024, securing three wins from four, netting 25-goals during that time; including an assured 11-goal victory over newly-promoted Queens Park.

Ticket information 

Tickets can be purchased on the Hearts ticketing website here:

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £3

How to follow the action 

Supporters can follow Sunday’s encounter on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match. Kick-off from the Oriam at 1PM.

Welsh forward Jack Vale has re-joined the club for a second spell after agreeing a season-long loan deal from EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers, subject to international clearance.

A product of the Blackburn Academy, the Welsh 23-year-old frontman joined Motherwell on deadline day in January, as the Steelmen sought to bolster their attacking options throughout the latter stages of the 2023/24 league campaign.

Vale instantly became a favourite amongst the Fir park faithful, netting twice over thirteen appearances whilst becoming a key component in a prolific partnership with striker Theo Bair.

“It’s a nice feeling to be back at Fir Park,” Vale explained.

“The time I spent here last season was really good, because I learnt so much in a short space of time.

“That was only from January onwards so I’m hoping with this move being for the season, I can accomplish more. There’s new faces but I know everyone around the place and some of the players from last time. It should be an easy transition and hopefully I can hit the ground running.

“I’ve been following all the results and everything about the club over the summer. It’s good to be back.”

Vale has made 27-senior appearances for Blackburn Rovers, with his debut coming in 2020, scoring two goals. Since leaving Fir Park following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, Vale has continued to train with the first-team squad, making two appearances in the Carabao cup against Stockport County and Blackpool.

“Getting Jack back for another season is great,” Stuart Kettlewell reiterated.

“Everyone witnessed the impact he made last season. He has all the qualities to score goals at this level. We have been trying to get him back since the end of his previous loan deal, but Blackburn wanted to see his over the summer which is understandable.

“He’s in the building, he’s match fit and he’s ready to go.”

18-year-old Lennon Miller remains fully focused on his football on a Saturday, as he shuts out all the outside speculation about his future.

Miller discusses the team’s performance on Sunday against Hearts and how everyone is looking to follow that result up against St Johnstone this weekend.

Murron Cunningham has departed the club by mutual consent.

The experienced defender joined the women of steel in the summer of 2021 after earning the Hearts player of the year award during the previous season.

Cunningham’s time in claret and amber was almost immediately cut short after the then 23-year-old sustained a serious ACL injury during her first season at the club. A two-year rehabilitation process soon enabled Cunningham to return to action during the latter stages of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.

Keen to return to regular competitive action, Murron informed the club of her decision to play elsewhere. We thank Murron for her efforts in ML1 and wish her well for the future.