| 3 | Rangers | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 23 |
| 4 | Dundee United | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 19 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | -4 | 18 |
| 7 | Dundee | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 15 |
Curtis Main has his sights set on an upturn in form as Motherwell prepare for a trip to take on St Mirren.
Dundee then follow on Saturday, as the club head in to an important couple of games.
“The results haven’t gone our way and we need to improve in certain areas,” he said. “Everyone is confident we can turn it around and climb the league.”
After a small break over the weekend, Motherwell return to Premiership action on Wednesday night for a trip to take on St Mirren.
The Steelmen and the Saints are separated by a single point in the league table, only adding to the importance of three points for both sides.
Here, we look at the fixture in numbers.
The total number of points separating ‘Well and Saints in the league table.
Three points for either side could see them move to ninth, depending on other results.
Wednesday night’s game has added importance considering the Steelmen take on Dundee on Saturday, before the Buddies face the Dee the following weekend.
The number of games since St Mirren last won a competitive match.
Both teams heading in to the game are in difficult spells, with Stephen Robinson’s men failing to record a victory in their last six games.
The total number of days since the two sides last met, in a clash in Paisley back in May 2015.
It was the final game between Motherwell and St Mirren in the 2014/15 campaign, with the hosts coming out on top, winning 2-1.
It wasn’t enough to save them from the drop however, in a season where the Steelmen won three of the four fixtures against the Buddies.
Motherwell are back in Ladbrokes Premiership action on Wednesday, with a trip to Paisley to take on St Mirren.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match. Kick off is at 7.45pm.
The first meeting of the 2018/19 season is also the first encounter between the two clubs since the 2014/15 season.
Motherwell won three out of four matches that campaign, winning home and away 1-0 before a 5-0 victory at Fir Park.
After the split, St Mirren took a 2-1 win in the last fixture between the two.
Wednesday’s hosts have drawn one and lost nine of their last 10 matches. Their draw came in manager Oran Kearney’s first game in charge against Celtic, before a run of five straight defeats.
The Steelmen have drawn one and lost four of their last five league games, with the point coming in a home draw with Livingston.
Kevin Clancy takes charge of his first Motherwell match of the season as he takes up the whistle at St Mirren Park.
The referee has officiated 13 matches in the 2018/19 season, including Europa League matches at Spartak Trnava and Sevilla. He averages 4.15 yellow cards per game and 0.38 reds.
His last match involving Motherwell was the Scottish Cup final with Celtic in May.
You can buy your tickets online now and pick them up at Fir Park before you travel until 5pm on Wednesday, or buy from the window at the away end of the ground in Paisley between 6.30pm and 7.45pm.
Adult tickets are £22, while kids aged 12 and under go for £6. Students, the unemployed, under 18s and over 65s can get in for £12.
Motherwell return to Ladbrokes Premiership action with a trip to face St Mirren on Wednesday, 31 October.
You can buy your tickets online now and pick them up at Fir Park before you travel, or buy from the ticket window at the away end of the ground in Paisley.
Adult tickets are £22, while kids aged 12 and under go for £6. Students, the unemployed, under 18s and over 65s can get in for £12.
Tickets purchased online can be collected from Fir Park up until 5pm on Wednesday.
He may be just a few months in to his captaincy at Fir Park, but Peter Hartley knows the importance of his leadership in the coming weeks.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against St Johnstone, the message from the manager was simple: it’s time to stand up and be counted.
And for 30-year-old Hartley, it’s something he believes each and every player in the dressing room is capable of doing.
“We know what’s at stake and that we need to be better,” he admitted. “There’s definitely been times when we’ve played well but perhaps not got the results, but now is the time for results to follow.”
St Mirren and Dundee lie in wait for a Motherwell side searching for a much-needed win, and the skipper admits the next two games are crucial for him and his teammates.
He said: “They’re massive, of course they are. To be going up against two sides sitting below us in the table is incentive enough for us to go out there and do what we have to, and that’s get points on the board, it’s as simple as that.
“On top of that I think it’s also safe to say that we’re not a million miles away at the moment. We’ve come through a sticky patch of injuries, we’ve been unlucky at points, and I believe all it takes is a victory to spark us back in to life.”
And while it sounds simple, the captain is well aware that it isn’t.
He said: “After the game on Saturday the atmosphere in the dressing room wasn’t doom and gloom, it was different. There was a real sense of determination but also anger with ourselves, a sense that we all knew we have to find that bit extra to pick up points.
“It’s one thing creating more chances or having more of the ball, but what matters is that for the last few games we haven’t had that extra bit needed to get over the line.”
He added: “Every game in this league is a difficult one, you see examples of it every week and all it takes is a quick glance at the table for you to see how competitive this division is.
“One thing that I always believe in with this group is our mentality. We’ve arrived back in to training this week and haven’t let anything get to us or deter us from the task at hand.”
He added: “Are we in a disappointing position? Absolutely. Do we have the character and desire to turn things around? Of course.
“We’ve shown the supporters that we’ve got it in us before, and we’ll be sure to show it again.”
It was a tale of missed chances and a last minute sting in the tail.
This is the Story of the Match from the weekend visit of St Johnstone.
Motherwell lost a last-minute winner as St Johnstone took all three points in a 1-0 win at Fir Park.
Jason Kerr’s header in injury time consigned the Steelmen to defeat, as the game looked to be heading to a stalemate.
Peter Hartley, Andy Rose and Charles Dunne spoke after the 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone.
The Steelmen lost out in the final minute at the hands of the Saints, with Jason Kerr netting a late, late header.
Stephen Robinson has called on his side to “stand up and be counted”, after going down late to St Johnstone.
Motherwell created plenty chances but failed to convert, before being hit in the final minute to lose all three points.
It was another frustrating and disappointing afternoon for Motherwell as they looked be settling for another point after a hard fought draw with St Johnstone.
The return of Charles Dunne steadied the Fir Park defence, and the equally solid Saints rearguard meant the game felt like a no scoring draw.
But that changed in injury time when Jason Kerr headed home to give Saints three points and leave the Fir Park players and fans gutted.
The Steelmen had plenty of possession but created only a few chances, largely through David Turnbull, who was very composed and impressive on his first start of the season. Overall, though, both ‘keepers were well protected and had a very quiet afternoon.
Still chasing their first home league win of the season, Stephen Robinson made three changes. Dunne back from injury formed a solid back three, with Aaron Taylor-Sinclair playing at left wing back. Without the suspended Carl McHugh, Turnbull was rewarded for his influential performance in the Colts’ win over Sligo Rovers last week.
It took Taylor-Sinclair only five minutes to make his first contribution, a curling left foot cross which found Curtis Main between two defenders but he could only steer his header wide of goal.
Trevor Carson made the first save after 13 minutes, when Tony Watt got beyond Tom Aldred but his angled shot was comfortably blocked by the ‘Well ‘keeper at his near post.
A minute later Zander Clark stretched at his back post to touch a terrific curling effort from Main beyond his post, as Motherwell began to exert some pressure on the visitor’s goal.
The Saints’ ‘keeper was more fortunate in the 16th minute. Charged with the delivery of dead balls, Turnbull curled a long free kick to beyond the six yard box where Andy Rose powered a header which thumped off the crossbar.
A hefty challenge limited Taylor-Sinclair’s involvement to 22 minutes when he was replaced by Richard Tait.
For all their possession especially around the Saints’ penalty area, the ‘Well players were reluctant to shoot from distance until Turnbull teed up Alan Campbell, but his well struck shot from 22 yards flew just over the crossbar.
With both teams unable to create clear cut chances neither ‘keeper was really tested in the first half.
Then in injury time, Chris Cadden brilliantly cut in from the right but with a great chance to test Clark he sliced his shot wide of goal.
The Steelmen aimed to improve on that from the start of the second half and from Tait’s lay-off Campbell had another crack at goal, but his effort was blocked by a packed penalty area.
Three minutes into the half, ‘Well produced their best chance of the match.
Turnbull showed great determination to win the ball in the middle of the park and his lofted pass was perfect for Main.
But after taking a great first touch the former Portsmouth striker blasted his shot over the bar with Clark’s goal at his mercy.
Undaunted by that miss, Main tried his luck from the other side of the box but his low left foot effort took a deflection to carry the ball just beyond the post.
After an hour trying to get in behind the well organised Saints’ rearguard, Elliott Frear was then given 30 minutes to create some space on the left. This was shortly followed by ‘Well’s last substitution and attempt to produce a winner, when Danny Johnson came on for the tireless Main.
Keen to make an impact, Johnson turned on Tait’s pass but from 20 yards he pulled his left foot effort wide of goal.
There was scarcely any activity around the home goal until 10 minutes from time, when Chris Kane’s swerving shot was sneaking inside the pos,t until Carson at full stretch threw himself low to his left and palm the ball behind.
Saints sensed a winner might be on the cards and pushed forward forcing a series of corners.
From the last one in injury time, Liam Craig picked out Kerr in a packed six yard box and his header flashed past Carson for the winner.
‘Well produced one last attempt to take a point but from Tait’s cross, Aldred’s header was taken by Clark under his crossbar as Saints held on for three points.
