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The manager reacts after his side top group G with a 3-0 win over East Fife.

• Conor Wilkinson update

• Holding up the expectation

• Start of the cinch Premiership season

Motherwell confirmed top spot in Group G and will now be seeded in tomorrow’s draw, thanks to a 3-0 win over East Fife. 

Two goals inside four minutes, just after the half hour mark, from Lennon Miller and Conor Wilkinson, ensured that Motherwell would progress with ease.

With East Fife reduced to 10 men for the second half, when ex-Fir Park defender Jonathan Page was issued with a red card just prior to the interval. Callum Slattery made it three in the second half.

A single point would be enough to see Motherwell finish top of group G and qualify for the last 16 of the Viaplay League Cup. However, Stuart Kettlewell’s men knew that they required all three points and a hefty goal difference to secure one of the three seeded places in the next round.

The ‘Well boss recalled Aston Oxborough between the sticks and Bevis Mugabi directly in front of him forming a back three. A five-man midfield, which included Harry Paton, was designed to support Conor Wilkinson, who in the absence of the injured Jon Obika was the only recognised striker.

The Fifer’s arrived at Fir Park undefeated in the group matches and also knowing that a win would take them into the last 16.

The heavy downpour just prior to kick-off didn’t dampen the expectations of the ‘Well supporters as the Steelmen immediately took the game to their Second Division opponents.

Although Blair Spittal, was deployed in a more attacking role just behind Wilkinson, it was young teenager Lennon Miller with another impressive performance who posed more of a goal threat.

However, it was the Fifer’s who were denied the opening goal after five minutes. Jack Heally latched on to a cut-back at edge of the six-yard box and only Paul McGinn sliding across to get a firm boot in front of the ball prevented the shot testing Oxborough.

Motherwell’s response was deep cross from Lennon Miller which Allan Fleming plucked out of the air with Spittal rising in hope of getting his head to the ball.

Two minutes the East Fife ‘keeper was forced into his first save. Spittal’s free kick found McGinn six yards from goal and his low shot was well blocked by Fleming’s legs.

With Dan Casey operating wide on the right the Steelmen continued to press down that side of the pitch seeking to prise open the visitor’s defence and find that crucial first goal.

The next threat came after 25 minutes when McGinn’s terrific long ball found Spittal free on the left but as he raced towards the visitor’s goal his path was blocked by two defenders.

A minute later Miller had two strikes in quick succession, with his right and left foot, blocked on their way to goal.

As the play around the visitor’s box continued Spittal fed the overlapping Pape Souare. Instead of playing the ball across a packed six yard box the defender elected to drive the ball towards goal with Fleming happy to beat the ball round his near post.

The Fifers, though, didn’t look overawed by the occasion and after 31 minutes a free kick into Oxborough’s six yard box found efforts from Page and then Alan Trouten blocked.

The visitor’s rued that chance to open the scoring as play immediately switched to the other where ‘Well produced the opening goal.

Slattery’s pass sent Miller into the box on the left and the 16 year-old held off his marker to cut the ball back across the ‘keeper and into the far corner of the net for his second goal of the campaign.

Before the Fifers could respond they found themselves 2-0 behind.

Wilkinson had options to either side as he gathered the ball 28 yards from goal but the striker elected to strike a low left drive into the same corner, for his first goal for the club, to give the Premiership side a comfortable advantage.

East Fife’s task was made even more difficult three minutes from the break when referee Kevin Clancy considered Page’s stamp on the grounded Spittal deliberate and showed the central defender a red card.

That act was almost compounded when Slattery curled the resultant free to within a metre of making it 3-0 at the interval.

Facing 10 men in the second half the Steelmen were set to increase their goals advantage and secure one of the seeded spots.

Stephen O’Donnell replaced McGinn at the break and five minutes into the second half Macedonian midfielder Davor Zdravkovski, made his debut at the expense of Harry Paton.

To its credit the depleted Second Division side restricted Kettlewell’s men to very few opening as the half progressed into the last 30 minutes.

In the 66th minute Slattery did well to keep possession at the edge of the box and after dragging the ball right of centre he sent his low drive beyond Fleming to make it 3-0.

The ‘Well boss made an immediate double substitution bringing on teenagers Ewan Wilson and Mark Ferrie.

Wilkinson then had a great opportunity to grab his second. Firstly, he raced through the middle only to fail in his attempt to nutmeg the advancing ‘keeper. The rebound found the ball working its way to O’Donnell and his firm cross was touched home by Wilkinson only to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside.

That was the ex-Walsall striker’s last chance to add to his tally as a nasty head injury saw him helped from the field after 76 minutes and replaced by Barry Maguire.

A quick throw-in from Miller gave Spittal a shooting chance from 20 yards but his effort flew a couple of metres wide of target as ‘Well chased a fourth goal.

Stuart Kettlewell speaks to the press prior to East Fife Viaplay Cup group stage match.

Victory over East Fife would secure our first step into the next round of the Viaplay Cup, and manager Stuart Kettlewell is keen for the players to earn ‘opportunities for success.’

“Every single game we have played, we have approached it with full focus and the intent to go and try to win the group”, said Kettlewell.

“I was watching East Fife on Tuesday and by no means will it be an easy game. They made things very tough for Queen of the South, I thought they grew in confidence in the second half, so I’ve got a pretty decent indication of what they are, but it doesn’t change the task for us.

“We know we have to go and try to win the game. We just have to make sure we are prepared and we look forward to the game and playing at home again.

“Winning the group is important, it makes you one of the seeded teams, but either way I think as a professional each week, every game you go into, whatever the competition, I always just see it as an opportunity for success.”

The prospect of clinching silverware is always at the centre of supporters expectations, but Kettlewell is determined to instil a resolved mentality into the squad.

“How many opportunities do you get in your career to get a proper cup run and have that opportunity of silverware.

“I remember a few seasons back, Motherwell under Stephen Robinson, two cup finals, and you look at the buzz and the real positivity that gives a football club.

“I was fortunate as a player to win silverware, win promotions, and you never forget them in your career.

“So, whether that is this cup competition, whether it is the league campaign, it is so important we get a group of players that have that mindset of always trying to add something to their playing record, and I think that is a driver in itself.”

Kettlewell will however have his options limited ahead of this weekends encounter, with a few injury concerns in the squad.

“Joe [Efford] has been struggling with another injury, he came off the park in one of the pre-season games, we’ve been trying to get him a bit of game time, trying to get him back up to speed, but that one has been really frustrating with Joe.

“Joe has an injury, we have doubts this weekend over Jon Obika, Stephen O’Donnell is a doubt, just little things they’ve picked up from last weekend. We’ll assess them, we’ll monitor them and we will see how they are this weekend.

With the opening weekend of the forthcoming Premiership campaign nearing, Kettlewell is still looking for new additions to the team.

“We know we still have to strengthen our squad, we still have to give ourselves more options within the group, there is no secret in that.

“I think a lot of clubs are sitting in the exact same position, with over four weeks to go in the window, so yeah there is still time, but you want to get there as quick as you possibly can.

“We have to start with that clarity of message, and have that understanding of what Plan A and Plan B looks like for us as a football club, but it is safe to say we have been working towards that right throughout pre-season.

With a victory confirming our place in the next round of the Viaplay Cup, Liam Kelly expressed how vital it was to finish on a high.

Motherwell are currently perched at the top of Group G on eight points, with victory against East Fife securing the steelmen’s place in the last 16, and the experienced stopper understood the task that lays ahead.

“We need to win to top the group, that’s the plan,” said Kelly.

“[A cup run] is the objective, but one stage at a time. It’s the group stage first for us, we are in a good position. We thought before the group started that if we get 11 or 12 points out of 12 then that’s ideal and where we want to be.

“We take the same mindset, same approach and try to finish top of the group and take that momentum into the following week against Dundee. So, we are on track for that and looking to get that come Saturday.”

Motherwell have only suffered two defeats in six months, with Stuart Kettlewell at the helm, and Kelly outlined how settled the squad have been heading into the 2023/24 campaign.

“It definitely feels more settled this year, the manager has cemented that since he came in and done really well, and he’ll be the man to take us forward.

“We are settled, we are calm, we are trying to get better and ultimately, we have a really difficult game against East Fife on Saturday who are playing really well at the moment, and doing really well in the group.

“So, same as always for us, one game at a time, try and get the right result and right performance and take it from there and build it into the season.

With the forthcoming Premiership season approaching, Kelly is determined to take a winning mentality into the league campaign.

“We are in a good place, the manager has brought in a lot of momentum and put in his ideas and they’ve proven that they’ve worked since he’s come in, as we’ve done really well.

“We just have to try and keep that going, try to keep the principles he has put in place for us, but there’s loads that we can get better at and that’s the exciting part for us as a group.

“I think if we thought we were the finished article then there would be nothing to improve on, so we know there’s plenty to improve on.”

It hasn’t been difficult for the Scotland international to stay sharp following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, with international matches coinciding with the summer break, but Kelly isn’t looking to rest.

“I’ve had no real break, just a few days, but I love football and I don’t really want a break.

“I’ll get a break when I’ve finished, so I’ll be in here trying to train as much as I can and play as many games as I can. I love that.”

“Scotland is at the end of a process of doing well for your club, so same process for me all the time. Train really well for Motherwell which will get me in the Motherwell team, once I’m in the Motherwell team try to play really well which will try to get me in Steve Clarke’s thoughts.

We will play our final Viaplay Cup group stage match on Saturday against East Fife at Fir Park. 

Kick-off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

Motherwell v East Fife

Saturday 29th July, 3pm

Tickets can be purchased online.

Additional information

SEASON TICKET HOLDERS
If you are a season ticket holder, you can purchase your own seat(s) for the match.

To get yours, just log in to your account at tickets.motherwellfc.co.uk. Once logged in, your reserved ticket(s) will be in your account menu and will be uploaded to your card. You will not be required to collect a physical ticket if you purchase your season ticket seat(s).

For help, call 01698 333333 or email tickets@motherwellfc.co.uk.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note there will no cash turnstiles on the day of the game. The ticket office will be open for sales from 1.30pm on the 22nd July and 11am on 29th July.

The Centenary Suite and Cooper Suite will open for refreshments and bar food pre-match from 12 noon, with both bars open following the match. No reservations required and both home and away fans welcome.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our home kit for this match.

Team News

Jon Obika and Stephen O’Donnell picked up knocks against Queen’s Park and will be assessed this week.

Calum Butcher remains sidelined.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

A 1-0 win against Queen’s Park seen Motherwell go three points clear on eight points in Group G, ahead of the midweek matches.

Jon Obika was on target for the Steelmen, making it two goals in three games.

With East Fife taking a bonus point against Queen of the South, Motherwell are top, a point ahead of the Fifers and two points ahead of Queen of the South.

Opposition Report

Qualification permutations

Connor Shields has joined Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC on a permanent deal. 

The forward joined Motherwell on a three-year-deal in the summer of 2021 from Queen of the South.

In 53 appearances for Shields, he amassed three goals and five assists.

Spending the second half of last season on loan at promotion chaser Queen’s Park, Shields now links up with Owen Coyle in India.

The club wants to thank Connor for his efforts and wishes him well going forward.

With five points already in the bag, Motherwell knew a win against Queen’s Park in the Viaplay Cup would put them in the driving seat for qualification for the next round.

Queen’s Park playing style of passing out from the back, presented Motherwell with opportunities.

Jon Obika grabbed his second in three games on the half-an-hour mark, giving the home side the lead.

Callum Slattery, Blair Spital and Obika had opportunities to extend the lead, but the ‘Well did enough to earn the three points in their first home match of the season.

Ross Tierney has joined English League Two side Walsall on loan until the end of the season. 

The Irish midfielder made 24 appearances last season for the club, scoring two goals.

The 22-year-old goes south of the border in search of regular minutes on the pitch.

Walsall finished 16th last season and have former Motherwell striker Danny Johnson within their ranks.

We wish Ross all the best at Walsall this season.

Motherwell are now in touching distance of the next round in the Viaplay Cup, having picked up their second win in the group against Queen’s Park. 

Jon Obika’s deflected goal midway through the first half was enough to give Motherwell a narrow victory and three points and extend their advantage at the top of their Viaplay League Cup group.

In truth, though, Stuart Kettlewell’s side took very little else from a game, where Queen’s Park more than matched them. Indeed, apart from a dominant spell either side of the interval when the Fir Park men spurned a number of chances to extend their lead, they failed to get the better of the Championship side.

This early evening televised game provided Fir Park fans the first glimpse of the new look Steelmen. The ‘Well boss made the minimum of changes to the side that returned from Dumfries with 2 points in midweek.

Shane Blaney and the re-signed Dan Casey came in to form the central defensive trio alongside Paul McGinn, in front of Liam Kelly, alternating with Aston Oxborough for the ‘keeper’s gloves.

And the Motherwell rearguard was given some testing moments in the first 20 minutes as Queen’s, very comfortable in possession, bravely took the game to the Premiership side. Three consecutive corners put some pressure on Kelly’s goal before Casey cut out a promising cut back from Barry Hepburn.

It was 25 minutes before ‘Well finally threatened Calum Ferrie’s goal. A fine build u should have resulted in the opening gaol but two yards from an open goal Obika somehow stooped to head Stephen O’Donnell’s low cross wide of the post.

A couple of minutes later Callum Slattery hooked Blair Spittal’s cut-back over the bar as the fans sensed the breakthrough wasn’t far away.

When it arrived in the 28th minute it owed a lot to a cruel deflection. Obika collected Slattery’s pass at the edge of the box and although his left foot shot was on target Ferrie had it covered until Will Tizzard’s outstretched leg carried the ball past his helpless ‘keeper.

There was almost a repeat at the other end two minutes later. Former Fir Park winger Dom Thomas cut in from the right before trying to curl the ball towards goal. A touch from Casey looked to have carried the ball over his keeper but Kelly stretched high to palm the ball away.

A minute before the interval the Steelmen almost doubled their advantage but Slattery’s thumping drive from 18 yards came crashing back off the crossbar.

Within a minute of the restart the home side passed up another chance to extend the lead. A wonderful mazy run from McGinn deserved a better finish but Spittal’s effort from 20 yards sent the ball high into the Davie Cooper stand.

As ‘Well stepped up the pace the Queen’s goal was lucky to survive some poor defending after 52 minutes. From his own byeline Fox tried to play in his ‘keeper but having rolled the ball into the six-yard box he was relieved as Ferrie reacted to clatter the ball of the advancing Obika and send the ball over the bar.

That was Obika’s last involvement as 18 year-old Mark Ferrie was given 30 minutes to find a crucial second goal.

For all that Motherwell were more determined and sharper at the start of the second half the Championship side still chased an equaliser and it almost arrived after 67 minutes.

A cross ball came off Pape Souare’s raised arm and in the absence of VAR, Steven McLean’s decision to award a corner wasn’t overturned. When Thomas floated the flag kick towards the front post Tizzard’s touch sent the ball glancing off the face of the bar as ‘Well desperately cleared the ball out of the six-yard box.

With 20 minutes remaining Kettlewell tried to take the sting out of the visitor’s game sending on the experienced Harry Paton for 16 year-old Lennon Miller.

As the Steelmen were forced deeper into their own half, Queen’s looked the more likely to grab and equaliser.

Ten minutes from time the tie was almost beyond them as Spittal had a double opportunity to make it 2-0.

His first attempt from Slattery’s pass was firmly held by Ferrie. Inexplicably, the ‘keeper then gave possession back to Spittal and his lob over the stranded Ferrie bounced off the Queen’s crossbar.

Sensing that a second goal wasn’t coming the ‘Well boss made a double substitution bringing on Nathan McGinley and Barry McGuire for the final five minutes as ‘Well held on to their slender lead and three points.