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Motherwell coasted to their second consecutive victory on the North-East coast, defeating Montrose by four-goals at Links Park on Sunday.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made two changes from the side that defeated Dundee United in the City of Discovery a fortnight ago. Goalscorer Sophie Black’s performance was rewarded with a place in the starting XI, as Amy Sharkey also lined-up alongside Laura Berry.

Louisa Boyes broke the deadlock within the opening phase of play, wrong-footing her opponent with a clever run into the box, before diverting Katie Rice’s whipped delivery past Kirsten Platt in the Montrose goal with a swirling header. After teeing up her teammate for the opener, Rice soon etched her name on the scoresheet, curling a magnificent free-kick into the top-left corner to seal a commanding two-goal cushion at the half-time break.

Laura Berry racked up her 16^th league goal early into the second-half, reacting sharply to volley home the rebound from Bailley Collins’ long-range strike. Collins dipping effort from distance rattled the face of the Montrose crossbar before ricocheting invitingly towards the striker’s feet, and Berry drilled home from close-range with a first-time right-footed volley.

Laura McCartney wrapped up an assured performance on the North-East coast, chasing down what appeared to be a lost cause long-ball. The midfielder caught the Montrose stopper in no-man’s land before dispatching a precise low-finish through the keeper’s outstretched leg. With the final kick of the game, McCartney sustained Motherwell’s advantage over closest-rivals Partick Thistle in the SWPL table.

The women of steel sit five-points clear of the Jags in the final top-six place, with Motherwell turning their attention to the Scottish Cup next weekend, when they welcome Bonnyrigg Rose to K-park.

The manager gives his thoughts on a late defeat in Perth.

Two late goals from St Johnstone meant Motherwell tasted defeat at McDiarmid Park for the second time in a week.

The Steelmen led from the third minute but were undone by two set-plays with five minutes to go.

The away side got off to the best possible start when with only 30 seconds on the clock, Sven Sprangler knocked a the ball away with his arm inside the box and the officials finally reached the correct decision.

Andy Halliday kept his cool and sent Fisher the wrong way.

From there it was relatively positive, with Tom Sparrow – deployed in a right wing back role – getting up and down the sides, combining well with Tawanda Maswanhise but the Zimbabwean couldn’t find the target from just outside the box.

New signing Ellery Balcombe was called into action midway through the first half, palming away Victor Griffiths effort before Shane Blaney prodded the ball clear.

Into the second half, a Motherwell side that had been on the front foot, appeared to start sitting deeper, with chances coming few and far between.

Tawanda Maswanhise and debutant Luke Armstrong had decent chances but failed to test Fisher in the St Johnstone goal.

Up the other end, Balcombe had a good double save to deny Carey then Sidibeh.

The home side drew level with five minutes to go after a corner was recycled by Carey which allowed Taylor Steven to fire in Nicky Clark’s layoff.

At that point a draw might have been a fair result but the home side had other ideas. With 88 minutes on the clock, a corner wasn’t properly dealt with and Jozo Mikulic was on hand to fire in from close.

Defender Dominic Thompson has signed a short-term deal until the end of the season, having left League One side Blackpool. 

A star of the prestigious Hale End academy, Thompson rose through the youth ranks at the Gunners before signing his first professional contract at Arsenal in June 2018. He soon traded sides of the English capital, signing for then Championship outfit Brentford in 2019. Loan spells at Swindon and Ipswich Town followed before signing permanently for fellow Championship side Blackpool in 2022.

The left-sided defender has already made over 100-appearances across the English footballing pyramid, including two in the Premier League, with the 24-year-old completing the first-half of the 2024/25 campaign on-loan to Forest Green Rovers.

“I’m excited to be here in Scotland,” Thompson said.

“I wanted to continue playing regular first-team football, and the opportunity to join Motherwell and play in the Scottish Premiership was an exciting prospect for myself personally.

“The manager has a real track record of developing players and enhancing their qualities on the pitch, and I felt that Motherwell would be the perfect place for me to develop my game.”

“This is another positive addition,” manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“Dominic is still a relatively young defender, who has already made a considerable amount of appearances across all levels of the English footballing pyramid.

“He has a quick burst of pace, physically strong, and technically skilled both going forward and when defending. We are looking forward to seeing Dominic in action this season.”

Fir Park will be the venue for the 2025 Sky Sports Cup final. 

Rangers and Hibernian will battle it out to lift the trophy on Saturday 22 March. Kick off is 3pm.

Tickets are available online here. Adult tickets cost £10, with concessions (under 16’s and supporters with a disability). costing £4. There will also be a family ticket available costing £25 for two adults and two children.

The John Hunter Stand will be open for this match, with both sets of supporters having a singing section. Should tickets sell out in this stand, more seats will be made available.

He may have only arrived a couple of weeks ago, but new signing Kai Andrews has played ample minutes and has been learning every week. 

The 18-year-old wasn’t expecting to take part in so many games this early on, but insists that it has been excellent for his development.

Striker Luke Armstrong has completed a loan deal from English League Two side Carlisle United until the end of the season, subject to international clearance. 

Armstrong came through the ranks at Middlesbrough before a short spell within the youth sides at Birmingham City. After being released from the Blues in 2015, Armstrong earned his first taste of Scottish football with Cowdenbeath.

Following a short stint with the Blue Brazil, Armstrong joined Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans, where he netted 23 goals in 42 appearances at Croft Park. His performances attracted one of his predecessors as he returned to the Riverside Stadium.

Armstrong continued his goalscoring form on loan at Gateshead before stints at Accrington Stanley, Salford City, Hartlepool United, and Harrogate Town. The forward netted 29 times in 103 appearances for the latter before completing a move to Carlisle United in 2024.

The Steelmen overcame a host of competition North and South of the border for the 28-year-old’s signature, with Armstrong choosing Fir Park as his preferred destination.

“I’m really excited to be here,” Armstrong said.

“The manager really sold me on his vision for the club and how I could fit into the system alongside the strikers already in the squad. There were other offers on the table, but I felt this one suited me and could get the best out of me as a player.

“I’m in the prime age of my career, and I felt that the challenge of the Scottish Premiership was one that I simply couldn’t miss out on.”

The forward, who has netted six times throughout his time at Brunton Park so far, had previously been a key transfer target for League One promotion-chasers Wrexham, but paperwork couldn’t be completed before the 2024/25 summer window deadline.

“We’re delighted to have Luke at the club,” Manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“There have been a lot of clubs competing for Luke’s signature, so to get this over the line, we are extremely pleased.

“Luke is combative, capable of finding pockets of space in the box, and an accurate finisher. We were looking for a player who held these attributes, and Luke perfectly fit the profile.”

Stuart Kettlewell says the team have spent plenty time in the video room following their defeat last weekend against St Johnstone. He says the players have no egos and have accepted that they were not good enough in front of a healthy travelling crowd. 

Offering updates on Liam Gordon and Harry Paton, the manager also speaks about the recent transfer speculation surrounding Lennon Miller, as well as commenting on recent VAR audio released by the SFA.

25-year-old shot-stopper Ellery Balcombe joins the Steelmen on a loan deal from Premier League side Brentford until the end of the season, subject to international clearance. 

A product of ‘the Bees’ academy, Balcombe has risen through the ranks in the English capital, featuring within the first-team squad just three weeks after his 17th birthday.

He made his competitive debut for Brentford in 2023, as the London side defeated Newport County in the EFL Cup, with Balcombe saving two decisive spot-kicks following a 1-1 draw after extra time. He soon signed a four-year extension at the club, with the option of an additional year.

Balcombe has since tested his talents throughout a variety of loan spells at Boreham Wood, Viborg FF, Doncaster Rovers, Burton Albion, Bromley, Crawley Town, Bristol Rovers and latterly St. Mirren.

“I’m delighted to make the move to Motherwell,” Balcombe said.

“One thing I noticed when playing for St Mirren was the competitiveness of the league and the atmosphere at most stadiums. This is a great opportunity for me to come back and do it again.

“I’m looking forward to getting started, and I can’t wait to see you all at Fir Park.”

Internationally, the goalkeeper has contested the fierce competition within the English youth ranks, making 18 appearances across Under-18, 19, and 20 age categories, including selection within the 2018 UEFA U19 European Championships and the 2017/2019 variations of the Toulon tournament. The Watford-born stopper also trained alongside the full England first-team during his U21 call-up.

“I’m really pleased to welcome Ellery to the club,” manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“We’ve not had our issues to seek with regards to injuries within the goalkeeping department. Ellery has played plenty of football this season in this league, so he won’t need a settling-in period.

“Having watched Ellery on numerous occasions for St. Mirren, you instantly recognise that he is a commanding presence in the box and a leader in the backline. We look forward to seeing him in action at Fir Park.”

The women of steel have secured the signature of highly-rated youth prodigy Mason Clark on a permanent deal from Rangers after a successful initial loan spell. 

The 18-year-old traded royal blue for claret of amber in the summer of 2024 after a productive loan move across the River Clyde at local rivals Hamilton last season. Clark featured 22-times in red and white, scoring five-times at New Douglas Park. The youngster was then awarded Accies’ Player & Young Player of the Year.

“I’m delighted to make the move to Motherwell permanent,” Clark said.

“It’s already been an incredible few months at the club. I feel my game has significantly progressed, and the competition for places in the squad has been a challenge that I’m proud to have taken on.

“I’ve been at Rangers since I was very young, but I felt that this was the right moment to make that step into regular senior football, and I felt that there was no better opportunity than to continue with the club.

The midfielder has already featured 14-times for Motherwell, netting once in a 6-1 victory against Queens Park.

“We’re delighted to have Mason remain at the club,” Head Coach Paul Brownlie added.

“She has came to the club with the correct attitude and the mindset to challenge other players for places, and strengthen the squads ambitions of a top-six finish this season.

“Mason has started to really hit her stride, and we are looking forward to continuing her progression this season.