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Stuart Kettlewell gives his thoughts on his side’s 0-1 defeat to Dundee at Fir Park.

Motherwell fell to a 1-0 defeat on Saturday against Dundee at Fir Park. 

A first-half goal from Lyall Cameron was enough to separate the two sides, on what was a disappointing day for the Steelmen.

Manager Stuart Kettlewell made one change from the side that won in Edinburgh two weeks ago, and it was an enforced one. Dan Casey returned from his suspension to replace the injured Paul McGinn.

Motherwell made a bright start to proceedings, with Zach Robinson unfortunate not to get on the end of Andy Halliday’s through ball. Dundee defender Clark Robertson managed to get a toe on the ball to slide it away to safety.

But after the opening ten minutes, the visitors grew into the game. Lennon Miller’s pass was blocked and Simon Murray managed to get a shot away, however it was comfortably dealt with by Aston Oxborough.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos saw his header go past the post, in what was Motherwell’s best chance of the first-half.

Murray would go close again for Dundee, with Billy Koumetio also going close. But the breakthrough eventually came on 38 minutes. Ewan Wilson managed to block Murray’s effort on goal but the follow up was knocked home by Cameron. 0-1.

Moses Ebiye and Tony Watt were introduced at half-time as Motherwell looked to spring into life. Former Motherwell man Curtis Main had the first clear chance of the second period, forcing a strong stop from Oxborough at his near post.

As Motherwell threw the kitchen sink, their next big chance came from Miller, who blasted an effort from 25 yards that stung the palms of Trevor Carson with 17 minutes to go.

The Steelmen’s big opportunity fell to substitute Jair Tavares, with the Portuguese winger hitting over the bar after the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box.

Stoppage time came and went in the game, with Motherwell unable to draw level in their typical late fashion. The result leaves the Steelmen fifth in the table, with Celtic visiting North Lanarkshire next Sunday.

Ewan Wilson has burst onto the scene in 2024/25. The Motherwell Academy graduate has picked the perfect opportunity to step up to the plate for the first-team at the club. 

Loan spells at Albion Rovers, Stirling Albion and Beith Juniors only tell half of the story, but the 19-year-old left-back has become an integral part of the Motherwell team.

Using his strong and physical presence to see off opponents, he also has a burst of pace and flair to go past defenders. Often left as the last man, he uses his defensive prowess with timely tackles and interceptions thriving in 1v1 situations against the leagues best wide men. 

With a venomous shot and a composed final ball, Wilson continues to impress in both areas of the pitch as his first-team experience rises every week, with him yet to miss a minute of league action so far.

“Delighted” by his recent start to life in Motherwell’s first team and being given the opportunity to continue his journey with the Steelmen, Aston Oxborough stated that there was “no doubt” to continue with Motherwell after reflecting on his time and starting off “fairly well” when beginning as the number two keeper under Liam Kelly who went on to play for Rangers, allowing Oxborough to show that he is more than capable of that number one spot.

When asked about the teams current performance before they take on Dundee Saturday 19th, the 26-year-old said that the players have been “pretty good” and that he hopes they learn from their previous trend of action only managing a short success rate at the start of the Premiership and will manage to stay consistent in their efforts, Aston is an “asset” to the team as suggested by manager Stuart Kettlewell.

Oxborough has a clear focus right now on trying to secure a victory against Dundee and what’s to come after for Motherwell, especially after such a favourable outcome so far early on in the season which is hoped to be continued.

Prior to the Motherwell v Dundee match Saturday 19th, Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell expresses the teams previous game successes as a “class week” following the teams win against Hibernian 2-1.

When asked about the opposition, Kettlewell stated Dundee are a “very good side” and with Captain Paul McGinn suffering a muscle injury which puts him out for a good period of time, the team will have to continue to keep consistent in order to cope with what Kettlewell describes as fierce competition.

“My biggest passion is seeing the players improve” insisted the manager, with confidence that the team are driven by the results on the pitch.

This is evident with Motherwell’s Englishman Aston Oxborough asserting himself in the football industry with his consistent success securing the spot of the clubs number one keeper which followed with him being voted player of the month in September by fans, and then scoring with a new contract guaranteeing his place up till the Summer of 2027.

Captain Paul McGinn will spend a “significant period of time” on the sidelines, manager Stuart Kettlewell confirmed. 

McGinn has sustained a muscle injury, which will see him miss a chunk of games, including our semi-final match at Hampden.

The Motherwell skipper has made nine appearances this season, and after earning his first start of the season following a return from injury, he hasn’t missed a minute of action.

We wish Paul all the very best in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back soon.

We now only have a limited amount of East Stand tickets available for our semi-final clash at Hampden against Rangers. 

These tickets are the cheaper tickets, priced at £30 for adults and £15 for concession. If you wish to buy in this section, we recommend you purchase as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

You can buy your tickets online.

Cooper buses have now sold out. We thank everyone who has purchased tickets so far, your support has been incredible.

Zander McAllister will represent his country once again later this month. 

Scotland Under 17s will begin their UEFA Under 17 European Championship qualifying campaign with round one qualifying against Northern Ireland, Lithuania and Republic of Ireland the opponents.

The young Scots will travel to Northern Ireland to take part in a mini-tournament.

• Northern Ireland v Scotland
• Tuesday 29 October 2024
• Kick-off 3pm
• Seaview, Belfast

• Scotland v Lithuania
• Friday 1 November 
• Kick-off 12pm 
• Seaview, Belfast

• Republic of Ireland v Scotland
• Monday 4 November 2024
• Kick-off 3pm 
• Inver Park, Larne

Ewan Wilson has signed a contract extension with the club until the summer of 2027, with the club holding an option of a further year. 

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season. Having spent 2023/24 out on loan with Stirling Albion and Beith Juniors, Wilson has established himself as a first-team regular, making 13 appearances so far this season.

“It’s great to get Ewan signed up,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“He has impressed everyone this season with his consistency. He worked so hard to get to this point, and showed a professional mentality during the summer.

“We’re now seeing the rewards of all that effort and I hope he continues the way he has started.”

“I’m delighted to sign this contract,” Ewan Wilson added.

“This season has been really good for me. The hard work won’t stop for me here. I want to keep my place in the team and continue to improve.”

Motherwell return to action after the October internationals on Saturday 19 October against Dundee. 

Kick off is 3pm at Fir Park.

How to follow the game

• Young Adults tickets would ages 14-17.
• Juveniles would be 13 and under
• Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

Supporters are able to buy tickets online here or visit the ticket office at Fir Park.

Ticket Office open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

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?

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Team News

Shane Blaney and Johnny Koutroumbis both returned to the squad against Hibernian. Dan Casey has served his one match suspension for his red card against St Mirren.

Callum Slattery, Harry Paton, Jack Vale, Ross Callachan and Sam Nicholson remain out for this game.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell rounded off on a high prior to the October break, with an impressive 2-1 win over Hibernian in Leith.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos found the back of the net for the first time in claret and amber, as Stuart Kettlewell’s side made is six wins out of seven in all competitions.

The Steelmen are in 4th position in the table, seven points ahead of Dundee.

Opposition Report

Dundee got off to a flyer in the Premier Sports Cup group back in July, and quickly became known for scoring lots of goals. With three draws and two wins in their opening five games in the league, the Dee haven’t picked up a point since 31 August against St Mirren.

Four defeats on the bounce followed for Tony Docherty’s side. Simon Murray has hit the ground running however, with the striker already scoring six goals in all competitions since his summer move from Ross County.