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Stuart Kettlewell discusses Kilmarnock defeat.

• Tried to change shape
• Quick turnaround
• Fans right to be aggrieved

He has made an instant impact at Motherwell but Mika Biereth is remaining composed as he builds up his match sharpness. 

The Dane has just recovered from a knee injury and has said he doesn’t want to rush back too soon. He says he is thriving in a good group of players and remains confident that results will soon follow for the team.

Lennon Miller has been named in the Scotland’s Under 19 squad.

The group head to Bulgaria for three matches this month in UEFA Under 19 Championship 23/24 Qualifying Round action.

Taking on Bulgaria on Wednesday 15 November, the youngsters will face Andorra on Saturday 18 November. They then face Serbia on Tuesday 21 November before travelling back to Scotland.

• Scotland v Bulgaria 
• 12.30pm KO
• 15th November 
• Stadion Spartak, Varna

• Scotland v Andorra
• 9am KO
• 18th November 
• Stadion Albena 1, Albena

• Scotland v Serbia 
• 12.30pm
• 21st November 
• Stadion Spartak, Varna

Stuart Kettlewell isn’t getting to down about the recent run of form. The manager references keeping a level head and refers back to when he first came, the team went on an exceptional run. Back then, he didn’t get too high.

He discusses the potential impact of playing on a astroturf pitch against Kilmarnock in the cinch Premiership on Saturday and how that does play into discussions with regards to team selections.

Motherwell play their third game in seven days on Saturday, when they travel to Rugby Park to take on Kilmarnock. 

Kick off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

Tickets are now available for our match against Kilmarnock. You can buy online now.

Away support will be situated in the Chadwick Stand.

For an under five year old to go free, this must be arranged with the ticket office. 

To purchase ambulant & carer tickets please contact the ticketing team – email: tickets@kilmarnockfc.co.uk Tel: 01563 545311

For Wheelchair & Carer tickets, please contact the disabled supporters association representatives;

MAE ORR
07909 713098

PETER ORR
07759 616945
peterorr45@yahoo.co.uk

*Away End tickets will be available in the Chadwick Stand only, if an away supporter purchases a home end ticket, they will be denied entry. Tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable and T&C’s apply.

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.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our away kit for this match.

Injury update

Jon Obika remains out, whilst Pape Souare is set to spend at minimum four months on the sidelines.

Motherwell’s fortunes

It’s been a tricky run of form of late for the Steelmen, with their most recent match ending in 4-2 defeat against Aberdeen.

Stuart Kettlewell will take some positivity from the match. Mika Biereth scored his third league goal in as many matches, whilst Theo Bair found the back of the net for the second time this season.

The two sides have faced off this season already, with Harry Paton’s last minute winner proving the difference in a 2-1 win at Fir Park.

Opposition report

Kilmarnock were also in action midweek, against St Johnstone. The Ayrshire outfit were beaten 2-1 at McDiarmid Park, in the Perthshire side’s first post-Steven McLean match.

Kilmarnock are currently fifth in the league standings, just two points ahead of Motherwell. They have won two and lost two in their last four matches in the league.

Skipper and striker Kyle Vassell has found form of late, scoring in his last two outings. The number nine is currently on four goals this season and is pivotal man in the Derek McInnes machine.

Having sought and achieved a late comeback against Ross County at the weekend, Stuart Kettlewell had hoped that would be a catalyst for his team going into their midweek fixture against Aberdeen at Fir Park. 

However, a sub-par performance seen Motherwell two down at the interval, sparking the half time introduction of Mika Biereth and Calum Butcher.

The home side would see a stronger foothold in the game, but it wasn’t enough stop Aberdeen from racing into a 4-0 lead thanks to goals from Luis Duk and Jamie McGrath.

Motherwell’s substitutes once again had an impact, with Biereth and Theo Bair scoring. Despite a couple of half chances towards the latter stages of the match, the Steelmen suffered a 4-2 defeat ahead of a trip to Ayrshire to take on Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Motherwell suffered 4-2 defeat to Aberdeen on Wednesday night at Fir Park. 

Another poor first half cost ’Well dearly. Two down at the interval to goals from James McGrath and Nicky Devlin, there was no dramatic comeback on this occasion for Stuart Kettlewell’s men.

Even the introduction of Calum Butcher and Mika Biereth at the start of the second half failed to lift the Fir Parkers as they slumped to a miserable defeat.

Two quick goals from McGrath and Luis Duk midway through the second 45 settled any doubts where the points were heading. Theo Bair scored a with 12 minutes remaining and although Beireth claimed his third goal of the season in added on time, it did little to disguise ‘Well’s failings.

The crisp passing and swift attacks that have been the hallmark of their play this season was missing as the no-nonsense Dons defence was rarely threatened.

Reverting to their more familiar formation, ‘Well made two changes from Saturday. Lennon Miller resumed in the midfield after his one match suspension and, after coming off the bench and scoring against Ross County, Conor Wilkinson retained the role of leading the home attack.

After six minutes Bojan Miovski thought he had nipped between Bevis Mugabi and Paul McGinn as they headed towards the ‘Well penalty area but an outstretched toe from the Uganda international squeezed the ball safely back to Liam Kelly.

A couple of quick breaks from the Steelmen towards the visitor’s goal showed promise but too often a poor final ball left Kelle Roos untroubled.

Out of nothing Dons grabbed the lead after 26 minutes.

Nicky Devlin’s hopeful cross into the box should have posed little threat, But after Dan Casey missed it, McGrath nipped in behind Paul McGinn to stoop and calmly nod the ball past a bewildered Kelly.

And with the Fir Park men looking ragged and incapable of retaining possession, relieving the pressure around Kelly’s area, Barry Robson’s men grabbed a second goal minutes before the interval.

McGinn stepped across Miovski to prevent him getting a shot on goal but the ball broke favourably to Devlin who steered it low past Kelly to put the Dons firmly in the driving seat.

The second half was delayed and the players recalled from the pitch as referee Colin Steven required seven minutes to sort out his faulty communication system.

It gave Kettlewell some additional time to work out how the introduction of Butcher and Biereth, at the expense of Bevis Mugabi and Calum Slattery, could change ‘Well’s fortunes.

Butcher’s arrival and charged with shackling Miovski, momentarily tightened up the home rearguard. Although five minutes into his first game since May, the former Dundee United defender picked up a yellow card after using a hand to prevent the Dons striker breaking from the halfway line.

At the other end of the pitch Roos was largely inactive as the game approached the hour mark.

As the referee threatened to lose control of the game, Biereth picked up his first yellow card north of the border. More importantly the official’s inconsistent decisions, served to produce some response in the ‘Well players.

Wilkinson’s lobbed pass through the middle sent Biereth racing towards goal as Roos raced from his line to smother the ball for this first save of the game.

Any thoughts of a ‘Well comeback were erased after 68 minutes when Aberdeen grabbed a decisive third goal. A terrific tackle from Casey prevented Miovski from firing a shot on goal. But as the ball trundled back towards Kelly, McGrath nipped in to squeeze it beyond Butcher protecting the goal line.

Things got worse five minutes later when Duk got his head to Ryan Duncan’s corner to nod the ball past a stranded Kelly and make it 0-4.

Throwing caution to the wind Kettlewell added strikers Theo Bair and Oli Shaw to the action. And with 12 minutes remaining Bair pulled a goal back when his left foot shot from the edge of the box bounced past a diving Roos.

In added time, Biereth collected Harry Paton’s deep cross before sliding the ball across the Dons’ ‘keeper and put a better perspective on the scoreline.

Although the Steelmen showed a bit of fight until the final whistle it was too little, too late on a night to forget.

The manager reacts to tonight’s defeat to Aberdeen.

• Our poorest 90 minutes since February
• Decision making poor
• To get out of this run we need to be together

Signing from Glasgow Women in the summer of 2022, Lucy Ronald quickly established her place at the core of the Motherwell midfield, but a serious injury sustained in the latter stages of the league campaign would suddenly rule the midfielder out of action.

“We were playing Spartans away from home in the league and just before half time my biggest football fear became reality,” Ronald explained.

“Running towards the ball, I took a really unfortunate landing, and I knew instantly it was bad. I was stretchered off and told the knee was just dislocated.

“In the following days, it became apparent that there was a possibility that I sustained more of a serious injury than just the dislocation. It was then decided that I was to go for an MRI scan which confirmed that it was in fact an ACL rupture.”

A physically and mentally demanding challenge for the 21-year-old, as the women of steel prepared to step onto the Fir Park turf against Glasgow Women ahead of an historic Scottish Cup Semi-Final encounter with Rangers at Hampden Park less than a week later.

“I was absolutely heartbroken to miss out on the opportunity, as it’s been my dream since I was a little girl to play at Hampden,” Ronald said.

“It was the toughest month I’d ever experienced as a player and as a person, missing out on both Hampden and Fir Park.

“It really has taken me awhile to accept that it happened and is in the past. However, I’m also an incredibly determined person and will do everything in my power to get that opportunity again.”

Even at 21, the youngster has had a wealth of experience in the women’s game, captaining Glasgow Women at only 18 and has since become an integral part of the Motherwell squad, playing through the majority of her maiden season in claret and amber.

However, the road to recovery is a daunting process for any player, and Ronald acknowledged that the severity of the injury and the expected duration on the sidelines was tough to comprehend.

“I was aware of the time scales attached to ACL injuries. Having witnessed many teammates go through it in the past, I knew how long the process would be.

“I think I was a little bit in denial waiting for the results back and praying that it wasn’t as severe as an ACL, so overcoming the initial shock of knowing what’s in store was really hard.

“I have never really sustained any injury in my career before, let alone one as severe as an ACL injury and the thought of being unable to play the sport I love was obviously the hardest pill for me to swallow.”

With teammates Murron Cunningham and Laura McCartney both recently returning from severe long-term injuries, that collectively amounted to almost three seasons on the sidelines, Ronald expressed the importance of having those with related experiences to aid the recovery process.

“There’s obviously a lot of worry and nerves of the unknown at what exactly the process involves and preparing for the surgery as well, Ronald noted.

“I do think with this kind of injury, you don’t really know what it’s like unless you’ve gone through it yourself, so the reassurance that everything I was feeling was totally normal has been really good for me.

“Having the girls there who have experienced it before was great, as I could fire any question at them, and they were more than happy to help. They’ve been such a good support system to me.”

Despite the sharp conclusion to the campaign, that restricted Ronald from the women of steel’s final eight fixtures, her exceptional displays throughout the season were soon rewarded, as the midfielder was deservedly named the women’s player of the year.

“That was amazing for me personally, to receive the award was really special,” Ronald said.

“It was a special moment for me and my family and the perfect lift just before my surgery, I’m very grateful for the recognition.

“As much as my season ended in the worst way possible, I also had a really positive season and I hope one day I’ll look back at it and be grateful for all that happened.

With Motherwell Women back in action and looking to secure the final top-six place, that narrowly escaped their grasp last season, Ronald is hopeful of making a return to action sooner rather than later, but is cautious not to make an impulsive return.

“[The process] has definitely had its ups and downs so far as expected,” Ronald outlined.

“I knew the journey was never going to be easy and there would be many setbacks along the way. I’m now at a stage where I am building up my strength to start running which is quite a lengthy and frustrating process.

“The days in the gym myself are long and lonely at times, but it’s always motivating when you start to see improvements. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself for my return at this stage, I’m taking every day as it comes and will see what happens, but I would love to feature at some point towards the end of the season.”

Refreshed and rejuvenated following the brief international break, the women of steel return to action this weekend looking to replicate their recent displays in East Kilbride, with Aberdeen the visitors at K-Park on Sunday.

Motherwell coasted to an exceptional 6-0 victory over Dundee United in South Lanarkshire, but struggled to replicate that dominance on the road, as a frustrating defeat to Hearts in the capital stalled the sides hopes of establishing a consistent run of form ahead of the forthcoming international break.

A return to K-Park will be a welcome change of scenery for the hosts, who have maintained the fourth best home record in the league so far – racking up four wins from five this season.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

The women of steel will be aiming to redeem themselves following an opening weekend defeat to Aberdeen at Balmoral Stadium, as Kaela McDonald-Nguah’s brace could only shorten Aberdeen’s commanding three-goal advantage.

Motherwell have proven to be a formidable force at home, netting 14-times and conceding twice across the opening five home ties so far, ensuring victories over Spartans, Hamilton, Montrose and Dundee United.

Kayla Jardine will return to the matchday squad after representing Scotland throughout their UEFA European Championship Qualifying campaign in Albania, with the youngster netting against both Iceland and Belarus whilst featuring in a closely-fought encounter with Serbia.

Aberdeen

It’s been a frightful October for Aberdeen, who have struggled to break their run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions. The visitors have conceded 25-goals across that spell, with heavy defeats to Hibernian, Celtic and narrow defeats to Dundee United and Glasgow City.

The Dons sit level on points with Paul Brownlie’s side in seventh, but trail on goal-difference, as both sides target the elusive final top-six place in the SWPL league table.

Ticket Information

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £3
• Under 11s – Free to enter.

*Concession tickets apply to those over 65, and to 12–17-year-olds, with full-time students also eligible with a valid matriculation card.

Additional information – no pets allowed within K-Park.

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 is at 4PM.