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The women of steel head to Stenhousemuir this weekend encouraged by their spirited display over title-chasers Glasgow City, as they prepare face newly-promoted SWPL2 champions Queens Park.

The women of steel fell to a narrow defeat to the recently dethroned champions Glasgow City, with the visitors netting the solitary goal on the counter-attack against the run of play after positive passages of play had the hosts firmly in the ascendency in East Kilbride.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Motherwell return to competitive action after encountering back-to-back defeats to Partick Thistle and Glasgow City. Deadline day addition Laura Berry returned to the club on-loan from title-chasers Rangers and instantly featured in the starting XI whilst fellow late addition Lucy Barclay secured a place on the bench.

Motherwell will face Queens Park for the first time since the Spiders promotion to the Scottish top-flight last season.

Queens Park

The Glasgow-based side have maintained a tumultuous start to the 2024/25 SWPL campaign, defeating Spartans and Dundee United whilst encountering defeats to Hearts, Rangers, Montrose, Glasgow City & Hibernian.

Ticket information 

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £2
• Children – £2

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 Ochilview at 3PM.

Midfielder Andy Halliday says he has heard the stories about volunteers handing out leaflets, and informs us that the players are also aware of the extra effort that is going on in the town. 

Halliday feels the supporters’ energy has really driven the team to success in the last outings at Fir Park, and hopes for something similar on Friday night.

Manager Stuart Kettlewell has seen first hand this week just how much the club means to the supporters. With volunteers handing out leaflets and going door-to-door to get extra people to the game on Friday, the manager says it’s now his job to ensure the team put in a performance. 

With the prospect of reaching Hampden for the first time in six years in the cup on the horizon, Kettlewell says everyone is excited for the match but knows Dundee United will be visiting Fir Park with a similar mindset.

Our Women’s recreational team are looking to add players for the season ahead.

The women’s recreational team are open to players at all levels of ability, with no prior experience required.

The squad train on Friday evening’s at the Fir Park astro – located behind the John Hunter Stand and can be accessed through the entrance to the Tommy MacLean (South) stand.

Sessions take place on:

• Friday’s: 7.00PM – 8.00PM.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact:

Nathan.Wallace@Motherwellfc.co.uk

It’s a big one on Friday 20 September, as Motherwell take on Dundee United for a spot in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup. 

Kick off 7:45pm.

How to follow the game

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online.

The match will be streamed live on the Premier Sports website.

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.

What else is happening

Hospitality

Centenary Suite – sold out

Cooper Box – sold out

91 Lounge – limited availability. Details below:

• 2-course meal served to your table
• Pay bar available from 17.30, half-time and one-hour after the final whistle
• Half-time pie served with tea and coffee
• Match ticket
• Match programme and teamsheet
• Man of the match interview

Price: £45pp

Kids Price: £22 (12 and under)

Timings

Our ticket office will be open from 9am up until kick-off. The Cooper Bar will be serving food and drink from 5:30pm- it will also be open for one hour after the game.

The beer garden will be serving drinks to home fans only, from 5:30pm.

The Away Stand ticketing pod will be open from 6:45pm. Card and cash are both accepted.

Motherwell Season Ticket holders have until 5pm on Wednesday 18 September to secure their own seat.

Pedal to Pitch

Join Pedal to Pitch for a ride from Motherwell Centre to Fir Park, you can bring your own cycle or borrow a bike, for free. They are teaming up with Cairney Cycles for the trip who will have bikes available for hire. Please advise in advance if you would like to borrow a bike.

The ride will take about 15minutes and be almost entirely on quiet roads, allowing time for a rest.

You will be accompanied by trained ride leaders, who will ensure you have a safe and enjoyable journey to the match. Due to this being a night game, they will not be riding back after the game, we can direct you to the closest train station to allow you to get back to Motherwell and then proceed with your onward journey.

Register your interest here.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Injury Update

Callum Slattery, Harry Paton, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Ross Callachan, Sam Nicholson, Shane Blaney and Johnny Koutroumbis remain out for this game.

There are no new injury concerns ahead of this match.

Tony Watt is ineligible.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell’s road to the quarter-final stage has seen them overcome some hurdles.

An opening day win over Edinburgh City at Fir Park was followed by a penalty shootout win over Montrose, with the League One side levelling the game late on.

Ebiye, Miller and Stuparevic helped the Steelmen beat Clyde 3-1 before a 0-0 with Partick Thistle rounded off the group-stage action with Motherwell progressing top of the group.

Nigerian striker Ebiye was once again on hand to find the back of the net, this time in the last 16 against Kilmarnock.

A bright start to the league campaign sees Stuart Kettlewell’s side on seven points after five games, a point behind Dundee United.

Opposition Report

Dundee United have also made a bright start in their first season back in the top-flight. With two wins over St Johnstone and Hearts, and two draws against Dundee and Ross County, United are fifth in the table.

They opened their Premier Sports group-stage campaign with a shock defeat to Falkirk back in July, but bounced back against Buckie Thistle, Stenhousemuir and Ayr United to progress to the last 16.

In the previous round, they overcame St Mirren at Tannadice 1-0, thanks to a Ross Graham winner.

Kristijan Trapanovski has made a promising start to life in Tangerine, with North Macedonian netting four goals in his ten games so far.

Aberdeen had made a flawless start to their season. Nine wins on the bounce meant Pittodrie was packed for the arrival of Stuart Kettlewell’s Motherwell, who themselves were coming into this one with three wins out of three. 

Wearing their brand new third kit, the Steelmen made a slow start to proceedings and found themselves behind at the break. Half time changes and early second-half substitutes improved the performance but Aberdeen would find the back of the net again, to seemingly kill off the match.

That wasn’t to be the case however. Moses Ebiye once again found the back of the net in the latter stages of the match and had it not been for a brilliant Mitov save from Gordon’s effort in stoppage time, it could have been all square.

In the end, Aberdeen hung on and Motherwell came away with nothing, something they could feel slightly aggrieved about. But there is no time to ponder, with a quarter-final match against Dundee United on the horizon.

Jack Dalziel, Aaron Thomson and Lucas Weir have been called up to Scotland’s Under 16 squad. 

The young trio will travel to the Scottish camp for a friendly tournament in Spain, where they will play Faroe Islands and Indonesia/Switzerland.

Dalziel, a centre-back, Thomson, a left-back, and Lucas Weir, a winger, will now join up with their Scottish teammates ahead of their first match on 18 September.

Good luck, lads.

The women of steel valiantly fought against title-chasers Glasgow City, but couldn’t capitalise on their attacking dominance, as Glasgow City converted against the run of play to secure the three points under the South Lanarkshire sunshine.

Emily Whelan netted the decisive solitary goal, with experienced shot-stopper Lee Gibson proving to be a vital component, as the 32-year-old stood resolute to deny several goalscoring opportunities from Laura Berry, Bailey Collins, and Amy Sharkey in an afternoon of mixed emotions for Motherwell at K-Park.

Paul Brownlie named five changes to the starting XI from the side that were defeated by Partick Thistle at Fir Park last weekend. Chelsie Watson & Sarah Gibb both returned to the starting line-up, playing ahead of the back three of Gill Inglis, Jenna Penman, and Katie Rice. Rebecca Cameron & Amy Sharkey both made their first competitive starts, with deadline day addition Laura Berry also making an immediate return to the starting XI after completing a season-long loan deal on Friday evening.

Motherwell started brightly and grew in confidence throughout the opening phases of play, with Berry coming closest following the early exchanges. A clever shift of the ball and an unpredictable turn of pace allowed the forward to freely escape her marker before solely bearing down on goal. The striker attempted to curl a weighted effort past Gibson, but the Scotland international stood strong to parry clear.

Motherwell continued to control the early proceedings, limiting and frustrating the visitors into trading possession deep into their own half. However, despite the encouraging start, City netted the opener against the run of play.

Catching Motherwell on the counter-attack, City instantly progressed forward with ease, slicing through the scrambling Motherwell backline before Whelan fired past Cameron in the home goal.

As the second-half resumed, Motherwell firmly picked up where they left off, with Bailey Collins forcing Gibson into making an exceptional close-range save after an intricate piece of build-up play.

Cameron was soon called into action, as Whelan again pressured the Motherwell goal. The forward drilled an effort towards the near post, but young shot-stopper reacted well to parry over the crossbar.

Motherwell penned the struggling City side deep into their own half in the final stages of the game, but ultimately couldn’t find the fundamental equaliser, as City held out for the three points.

A frustrating afternoon in the North-East for the Steelmen, as Aberdeen narrowly sought off a late Motherwell resurgence to earn the three points in the Granite City.

A Pape Gueye double fired the hosts firmly into the ascendency, with substitute Moses Ebiye inspiring a late sense of optimism for the visitors, but the forward’s precise finish proved to be only a consolation, as the Dons held onto their slim advantage in the final phases of play.

Manager, Stuart kettlewell named an unchanged side from the late victory over St. Johnstone over a fortnight ago whilst naming deadline day arrival Jair Tavares on the bench for the first-time.

The hosts started brightly, forcing Motherwell into trading possession within their own half, with Jamie McGrath coming closest after the early exchanges, but the midfielder dragged his effort wide of the target.

The breakthrough came shortly before the half-hour mark, with Gueye accelerating behind the visiting backline before wrong footing Aston Oxborough with a low-drilled effort off the near post.

Motherwell came close to an equaliser in the second-half, with debutant Tavares bending a hopeful effort across the face of goal, but the forward’s attempt failed to trouble Dimitar Mitov.

The second soon followed in the latter stages of the game, with Gueye converting Devlin’s initial effort following an exceptional save from Aston Oxborough.

Ebiye narrowed the deficit in the latter stages, prodding home Tony Watt’s whipped strike across the face of goal, but the Steelmen were unable to overcome Aberdeen’s advantage in the game and were forced to leave the Granite City without any points.

Stuart Kettlewell gives this thoughts on defeat against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.