| 4 | Hibernian | 28 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 40 |
| 5 | Dundee United | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 40 |
| 6 | Motherwell | 29 | 11 | 4 | 14 | -14 | 37 |
| 7 | Hearts | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 36 |
| 8 | Ross County | 29 | 9 | 8 | 12 | -18 | 35 |
Scotland’s number one ABBA tribute duo Super Troopers are coming back to Fir Park.
Playing live at the Centenary Suite at Fir Park on Saturday 19 March, tickets are a bargain £6 per person to have a great night with friends.
Tickets are now available online at tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk, or you can give us a call on 01698 333333 to book your place.
“It was effort, commitment, unity, the lot. We got what we deserved. We have to ask ourselves now how we recreate that.”
Motherwell pulled off a battling comeback to progress to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.
Christian Ramirez’s early goal was cancelled out by Kevin van Veen’s exceptional strike, before Connor Shields won it in first-half stoppage time.
Mark O’Hara returned to the fold for the first time since appearing at Pittodrie in November. Van Veen, Connor Shields and Jake Carroll also came into the side, with Nathan McGinley out completely, and Callum Slattery, Jordan Roberts and Kaiyne Woolery dropping to the bench.
Within the first minute, it was almost a dream start for the Steelmen.
A ball over the top found Efford in the right channel. In behind the defence, he slotted away cooly past Woods but was ruled to be in an offside position.
Aberdeen responded in kind. Finding space on the right, McCrorie stood up a ball to the back post where Ramirez, having got away from Ojala, rose to power his header past Kelly with three minutes gone.
Worse almost followed four minutes later. Ojala again found Ramirez tough to deal with and the American got in behind his man on the right side of the box.
Thankfully, his chip over Kelly bounced in front of goal and then past the left-hand post.
Motherwell rallied, with Van Veen seeing a 30-yard free-kick deflected over and then, from the resulting corner, Shields heading just wide from Ojala’s flick.
Alexander’s men kept coming, establishing a physical superiority over their opponents higher up the pitch.
Goss’ free-kick from the right saw Solholm scoop a shot over the bar, although the flag was up, before the equaliser came.
Van Veen was proving a menace all half and got his rewards with 10 minutes left to play.
Twisting and turning against three men on the right side of the box, he got the ball out of his feet and sent an unstoppable shot into the top-left corner of Woods’ net.
‘Well thought they had their second five minutes from half-time. The ball broke kindly on the edge of the box for Goss and, needing to take the shot first time, came agonisingly close but found the left side netting.
They should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Goss free-kick from the left was headed back across goal by Solholm and, sliding in, Donnelly made contact five yards out but somehow poked it past the left post.
But the reward for all the effort to get back into the match would arrive in the final seconds of the half.
Goss’ corner from the right was spilled by Woods and, with Mugabi getting his body in the way first, Shields arrived to power the ball home from near in and send the home crowd wild.
It was exactly what Motherwell deserved for how they fought to get back into the match.
Motherwell started the second half in similar vein and had the perfect chance to make it three early on.
A great driving run inside from Efford saw him tee the ball for Van Veen. The Dutchman had work to and spun away well from Gallagher, but saw his fierce effort parried away by Woods.
The sting went out of the game in the middle part but both sides continued to have chances.
Efford saw an attempt at replicating Van Veen’s goal deflected over and O’Hara’s 30-yard piledriver clipped the bar, while Ramirez sent a half-volley wide from the left side for the visitors.
Van Veen should have put it out of sight with 15 minutes to go.
The Dutchman did all the hard work on the edge of the area, twisting himself into space but his attempt to bend a left-footed shot inside the left post dropped wide.
Aberdeen threw everything at it with four minutes of stoppage time, but Motherwell stood firm to pull off a big win and reach the last eight of the competition.
“We’re still fighting on both fronts in the cup and the league. There’s plenty to be optimistic about and compete for.”
The recent recruit speaks about adapting to life in ML1, and the tests which still lie in front this season, starting with Saturday’s Scottish Cup fifth round tie with Aberdeen.
Motherwell defender Georgie Rafferty has joined SWPL2 side Kilmarnock on loan for the remainder of the season.
The 24-year-old centre half has featured on the bench twice this season since recovering from a cruciate injury she picked up almost two years ago.
“This is an ideal move for Georgie right now,” head coach Paul Brownlie said.
“With her mostly recovered from her serious injury, it is now time for her to get some game time and build up her match fitness.
“We will be monitoring her progress closely and look forward to see how she gets on.”
It’s Scottish Cup weekend at Fir Park, as Aberdeen visit in the fifth round.
Kick-off is at 3pm.
Tickets are now available to buy online or from the Fir Park ticket office.
All tickets are now on general sale. The season ticket seat reservation period has now ended.
Our prices, agreed between both clubs, are:
Pay at the gate is not available. Alternatively, call 01698 333333 or email tickets@motherwellfc.co.uk.
Aberdeen fans are asked to buy directly from their club.
Due to a change in legislation by the Scottish FA, Covid-19 certification checks will not be in place.
Only venues with over 10,000 in attendance are required to carry out checks.
We advise that all fans take a lateral flow test before travelling to the match, regardless of their vaccination status.
In the UK and Ireland, you can buy a pay-per-view pass for £12. To buy, go to ppv.motherwellfc.co.uk.
If you’re based abroad, you can watch via subscription at live.motherwellfc.co.uk.
Both sides are in a challenging spell of form going into the fixture.
Motherwell are now six league games without victory, drawing two and losing four, with the most recent defeat coming at Dundee United on Wednesday.
Aberdeen are without a win in five league matches, losing 3-2 to Celtic in midweek.
Both Motherwell and Aberdeen did taste victory in the cup in January, defeating Greenock Morton and Edinburgh City respectively.
Motherwell have the upper hand in encounters so far this season.
Two 2-0 victories have come the Steelmen’s way. Kevin van Veen and Juhani Ojala were on target at Fir Park earlier in the campaign, before Van Veen scored two more to seal the win at Pittodrie.
We head to face Rangers in the cinch Premiership on Sunday 27 February.
Kick-off at Ibrox is at 3pm.
To buy tickets, you can get them from us now, or visit the ticket office at Fir Park.
Prices are:
Covid-19 certification checks will be in place. Venues with over 10,000 in attendance are required to carry out checks. Please bring vaccine certification with you.
We also advise that all fans take a lateral flow test before travelling to the match, regardless of their vaccination status.
“We have to look inside ourselves and ask if we really want a good season or be in a bang average position. That’s the challenge for us.”
Motherwell were punished for a lack of cutting edge as Dundee United ran out 2-0 winners in the cinch Premiership.
Goals from Dylan Levitt and Tony Watt sealed the win for United in a game where ‘Well should have been out of sight with their spurned chances in the first half.
Motherwell saw four changes from the team which lost to Celtic at home at the weekend.
Juhani Ojala, Kaiyne Woolery and Jordan Roberts were restored to the side, with Joe Efford making his first start. Stephen O’Donnell, Jake Carroll, Dean Cornelius and Kevin van Veen dropped to the bench.
It was almost an incredible dream start for ‘Well.
With just 10 seconds on the clock, Slattery’s pass inside to Goss saw the midfielder unleash a shot on goal from 30 yards.
Siegrist was completely beaten, but Goss saw his shot rattle the crossbar and bounce clear.
Seconds later, Goss had another chance on goal with a free-kick from 25 yards, but the ball just wouldn’t come down quick enough as it landed on the roof of the net.
‘Well were by far the brighter but almost came undone with 10 minutes on the clock.
Harkes’ defence-splitting pass through the middle caught Ojala on his heels and allowed McNulty in behind.
The forward shrugged off the desperate late attentions of the Finn, before sending his shot on an angle from the left into the side netting.
Motherwell continued positively, sending bodies forward and looking to get crosses into the box for the forwards to attack.
Donnelly would see a half-volley from 20 yards blocked as he tried to smash it through a sea of bodies while, at the other end, a superb last-ditch intervention from Mugabi denied Niskanen as he went to pull the trigger.
A clear chance would also fall the way of Efford at the midway point. Bursting forward and with Woolery and Roberts other side to assist, the American elected to shoot from just inside the area after getting free, but saw his effort fly over.
The chances kept coming. Next, Woolery took flight down the left, squaring to the penalty spot for Roberts, but he flashed his effort wide.
Remarkably, a sucker punch would arrive on the half-hour mark.
A cross from the right was cleared to the edge of the box where Levitt was waiting unopposed. With a challenging ball to get under his spell. he smashed it straight into the t0p-left corner of the net to leave ‘Well scratching their heads at how they found themselves behind.
Motherwell persisted, with Slattery firing over from distance and with the attacking players consistently linking together high up the park.
The second half started slower but the visitors came out with the same intent.
A Goss free-kick from the left brought the first chance of the half, with Mugabi being blocked as he tried to steer it in at the back post, and then Slattery’s placed follow-up being diverted away from goal.
United would, however, go two ahead on the hour mark.
Niskanen was able to maraud all too freely down the left and – firing across the face of goal – he found Watt at the back post who just had to get something on it to double his team’s advantage against his old side.
Motherwell struggled to get back in it after that, despite the introduction of four substitutions, as United saw the game through.
Headers from Tierney and Solholm troubled the United goal, but it would end with another defeat for the Steelmen.
Motherwell: Kelly, Mugabi, Solholm, Ojala, McGinley, Donnelly (Shields), Goss, Slattery (Cornelius), Woolery (Tierney), Roberts (Van Veen), Efford.
Subs not used: Fox, O’Donnell, Carroll, Grimshaw, Shaw.
