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Phil McGhee at Fir Park

A stunning goal from captain Carl McHugh four minutes from time sent Motherwell back on the road to Hampden with a hard fought win over Hearts in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter final.

After building on a seventh minute goal from Curtis Main to command the first half, ‘Well’s chances of claiming a fourth Cup  visit to Hampden this season, looked to be disappearing as Hearts came into the game from the start of the second half drawing level through a Kyle Lafferty penalty.

But having withstood some immense pressure from the Edinburgh side, Stephen Robinson’s men regained their composure to earn their semi-final spot with a stunning late winner.

The Fir Park men started and finished the more offensive, although with both team’s yet to concede a cup goal, a tight defensive game was anticipated.

However, the Hearts’ goal was breached after only three minutes when Jon McLaughlin failed to secure a low cross from Richard Tait as the ball appeared to roll from his hand Chris Cadden poked the ball under the ‘keeper for what seemed an opening goal. Debatably referee Andrew Dallas curtailed the celebrations indicating that the ball had been kicked from the keeper’s hand.

The keeper’s luck only lasted another five until ‘Well we’re gifted the opener.

In truth as Craig Tanner’s poor corner trundled along the line Ross Callaghan left it for his keeper. Comically the ball rebounded from McLaughlin’s boot, off the post back along the line for Curtis Main to make sure it crossed the line and give the Fir Park side the perfect start.

From a tight angle Kyle Lafferty forced the first and only save from Trevor Carson. For the remainder of the half, though, Motherwell had the edge of what was a physical and bruising encounter.

Chances were few but from Cadden’s is swinging free kick McLaughlin bravely smothered the ball at Main’s feet. The ‘Well striker then headed the ball down into Tanner’s path but he slashed his shot high over the bar.

At this stage Hearts were defending deeply, desperate not to lose a second goal but that changed at the break when the Tynecastle side emerged for the second half on the front foot.

Suddenly the home box was swamped and when Cedric Kipre’s rash challenge caught the inrushing Stephen Naismith, Lafferty slammed home the resultant penalty to lift the huge Hearts’ following behind Carson’s goal.

And the Hearts’ fans could have been celebrating a second before the hour mark as Lafferty twice came close. Firstly, the Northern Ireland striker swept the ball past Carson only to watch  it rebound from the post. Then in the 58th minute he was again denied this time by an outstanding save.  Lafferty’s glancing header looked to be bouncing inside the post until Carson leapt low and full stretch to brilliantly palm the ball round the post.

That save not only silenced the Hearts fans but helped steady the Fir Park men who gradually regained their stride.

Indeed the best football of the game followed  as both teams enjoyed a  bit of possession in an attempt to find a winner.

Motherwell looked the more likely and Ryan Bowman’s immediate contribution was a low ball across the goal which was cleared only a far as Cadden whose volley was on target until John Souttar’s lunge deflected the ball wide.

Carson was then tested with a long range drive from David Milinkovic as the Edinburgh pushed to end the tie.

However, in the final ten minutes the action was largely around the visitor’s goal. Bowman’s effort from the corner of the box took a deflection but McLaughlin comfortably held the ball.

The ‘keeper was well protected and five minutes from time Kipre nodded Tanner’s free kick back across the box where Charles Dunne’s acrobatic effort sent the ball goalwards only to see it blocked in a packed box six yard box.

A minute later, though, ‘Well found a way through with a goal worthy of winning any cup tie. Elliot Frear whipped in a cross and when Christophe Berra headed the ball out of the box the danger appeared over.

However, Carl McHugh thought otherwise and from 28 yards his right foot sent a wonderful volley into the top corner despite McLaughlin’s brave attempt to push the ball over his cross bar.

Stephen Robinson believes the community feel around the club is crucial as the club prepare for a quarter final clash with Hearts.

Having been bombarded with snow this week, the challenge to ensure Sunday’s fixture goes ahead is being tackled by staff and volunteers around the stadium.

And the smiling ‘Well boss admitted it shows a lot of the qualities that makes Motherwell tick.

”It says a lot about the football club,” the Northern Irishman said. “There’s volunteers out there helping out to ensure the boys can get on the pitch on Sunday.

“It’s something we greatly appreciate at the club, and when we see the girls from the office out using shovels too it shows what we’ve got here.

“What we have is a great group of people who are all working as hard as they can to make Motherwell Football Club a success.”

Curtis Main has heard all the stories of Motherwell’s run to the Betfred Cup final earlier this season.

Now, with a tilt at a second cup run on the cards, the January recruit is targeting some memories of his own.

Hearts stand in the way of a fourth visit of the season to Hampden Park, this time in the William Hill Scottish Cup, and the Englishman has faith his side can take another step towards the dream of making some new heroes.

“We are definitely looking to do the same thing again,” he said.

[pullquote]It’s still fresh in the boys’ minds. Everybody remembers it well and hopefully we can go on and do it again.[/pullquote]

“Obviously it gives the club a lot of exposure getting to cup finals. When you sign for a new club you look to be part of those occasions, so it played a little bit of a part in me coming here.”

Main’s four goals have coincided with an upturn in form for the Steelmen and the striker says he’s felt the buzz since signing from Portsmouth.

“It’s been positive,” he said. “There hasn’t been too many poor results. I’m hoping that can play into our hands on Sunday.

“To get goals is what I am here to do. But that coincides with good results and good performances, which is what we’re all striving for.”

For Elliott Frear, sitting on the sidelines isn’t something he’s used to.

But in the last few months, Motherwell’s tricky winger has experienced muscle injuries which have kept him out of action for prolonged periods.

In his 27 years he’s never experienced this, and he’s desperate to shake off the shackles.

“This is the first time in my career I’ve been really tested with injuries, so it’s been tough,” Frear said. “I’m just trying my best to get back fit without breaking down my hamstrings or anything like that, so it’s crucial to not rush things too much.

“I’ve been working hard with the physios and the fitness coach to make sure that when I do get fit I don’t stand the chance of getting injured again. The staff here are excellent, so that has been a huge part in me getting back to where I am now – on the brink of full fitness again.”

Motherwell’s number 11 is a true out-and-out winger. Bursting down the left flank, the Englishman is one of the Steelmen’s biggest threats when it comes to putting crosses in to the box.

So getting him fully fit again only adds another bow to Stephen Robinson’s armoury. Another option in attack.

And it all looked set to be a season to remember for Frear when he casts his mind back to pre-season.

“It’s a strange one to be honest because pre-season was probably the best I’ve ever had in my career,” he said. “I was delighted with how I was playing and how I felt.

“Then when the season started I felt even better and I felt I was playing really well in the Betfred Cup and in the opener against Rangers too.

“But then I pulled my first muscle in 27 years.”

Dejected, frustrated and in unfamiliar territory: the treatment table.

It left Frear in a situation we wasn’t sure how to deal with, and things only got worse.

“It’s just one of these things, I thought, I’ll recover and I’ll be fine. When I came back in to the team things were good again, I scored at Parkhead after coming off the bench but unfortunately we lost.

“In the back of my mind I felt like things would be good and it was something to take away from that game at least.

“But I got injured again, then I picked up a concussion, it was horrendous but I had to remind myself things like that are part of football.”

But they weren’t part of football for Elliott. Not to this extent.

And it wasn’t just the winger who had to deal with the frustrations and difficulties of injury.

“The manager was frustrated when I first got injured and was even more frustrated when I kept getting injured.

“For me, it made me even more desperate to get back. I know what I’m doing when the gaffer puts me in the team, I know what he wants and expects from me so I want to be available, all the time.”

“To be honest I’m finding out more about my body now. When I was younger I didn’t know how my body would react to certain things. If I was ever on the brink of pulling a muscle, I wouldn’t know how to deal with it.

“Now I do, and that comes with experience with injuries. I always try to take the positives out of things, so maybe the positive from this is that I now know my body better, and that can only help me for the rest of the season and in to next.”

But for the here and now, things are looking good for the smiling, cheery Steelman.

“Luckily, I’m back to enjoying myself again and I feel good. Now I just need to push myself to try and get back in to the team.”

That all starts on Sunday, as ‘Well host Hearts in the quarter final of the Scottish Cup.

“We’ve been here before,” the winger reflected. “We know what it takes to go out there and get a result and I’m sure the gaffer will have a plan for us to execute today to make sure we have the best chance of a result as possible.

“But even beyond this game, we have a crucial spell coming up. Our top six hopes are still alive, we have lots of games in a short space of time and the manager will need to be able to call on all of us and rely on the depth we have to navigate this busy spell.”

As the scorer of the goal that practically guaranteed Motherwell’s top flight status last season, Frear is hungry to end the season in the same sort of form he did last.

“Scoring that goal and the celebrations after that game were special moments to remember, for me and my family and for everyone involved with the club.

“It may have been the best moment for me personally in football because the weight of the threat of relegation was huge. To feel that lift and to score that goal was an unbelievable feeling.”

As he eyes a return to action, and as he discusses the hope of staying injury free, it is plain to see that Elliott Frear loves being a Motherwell player.

“When I first moved up here it was the furthest move I’d ever made. My wife couldn’t move up straight away so we were apart for a while and that side of it was difficult.

“Now, I don’t want to leave.”

And with injury worries behind him and his eyes fully focused on making big strides forward following a frustrating few months, the future is looking bright.

Motherwell face Hearts in the William Hill Scottish Cup in their second quarter final of the season. 

Having finished runners up in the Betfred Cup final in November, ‘Well have the chance to return to Hampden but must first take on Craig Levein’s Heart of Midlothian in the last eight.

Stephen Robinson’s side head in to the fixture on the back of a 1-0 win against Dundee, having seen Wednesday’s clash with Aberdeen postponed due to the severe weather conditions sweeping across the nation.

But with competitive football set to return to Fir Park on Sunday, ‘Well face the task of overcoming a difficult Hearts side to try and book a place in the semi finals.

And manager Stephen Robinson believes the community feel around Fir Park is crucial as the club prepare for their quarter final clash.

Having been bombarded with snow this week, the challenge to ensure Sunday’s fixture goes ahead is being tackled by staff and volunteers around the stadium.

And the smiling ‘Well boss admitted it shows a lot of the qualities that make Motherwell tick.

”It says a lot about the football club,” the Northern Irishman said. “There’s volunteers out there helping out to ensure the boys can get on the pitch on Sunday.

“It’s something we greatly appreciate at the club, and when we see the girls from the office out using shovels too it shows what we’ve got here.

“What we have is a great group of people who are all working as hard as they can to make Motherwell Football Club a success.”

Robinson will remain without the services of Peter Hartley, who is out through injury for some time, whilst Liam Grimshaw and Deimantas Petravicius are doubts for the clash.

But striker Curtis Main, who has heard all the stories of Motherwell’s run to the Betfred Cup final earlier this season, will be available.

Now, with a tilt at a second cup run on the cards, the January recruit is targeting some memories of his own.

Hearts stand in the way of a fourth visit of the season to Hampden Park, this time in the William Hill Scottish Cup, and the Englishman has faith his side can take another step towards the dream of making some new heroes.

“We are definitely looking to do the same thing again,” he said.

“It’s still fresh in the boys’ minds. Everybody remembers it well and hopefully we can go on and do it again.”

	Motherwell v Hearts
	Sunday March 4, 2018
	2.15pm
	Fir Park
	Tickets available on the gate.

Admission prices are as follows:

Concessions are applicable to 60 and over and full time students with a valid matriculation card. Juveniles are applicable to aged 15 and under.

If you can’t make it along, you can follow the match on Twitter @MotherwellFC. We apologise that there will be no audio commentary available. This is at the request of the Scottish FA

You can see the match highlights on MFC TV’s YouTube channel, as well as full reaction and a match report right here on the official website.

To have reached 100 games in claret and amber by the age of just 21 is remarkable.

But for Chris Cadden, who is set to make his 103rd appearance for the ‘Well in Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash with Hearts, every game continues to teach him more and more.

“In every game I learn new things,” he said. “To have reached a major final at a young age is something I consider to be an achievement, but I don’t want it to be the last one I get to this season, never mind my career.

“It just whets my appetite for another final to be honest and I think we’re all in good shape and well prepared for Sunday.

[pullquote]I think we can use the experiences of that final to help give us that extra push on Sunday and hopefully get us back to the national stadium.”[/pullquote]

The Steelmen face Hearts in the last eight, having progressed past Hamilton Academical and Dundee before being drawn against Craig Levein’s Jambos.

Stephen Robinson’s men haven’t conceded a goal in the tournament yet, and head in to Sunday afternoon’s clash with winning momentum behind them.

“Hearts will be a tough, tough test for us,” the Motherwell youth academy graduate added. “If we stand a chance of getting back to Hampden, we’ll need to be at our best.

“But we’re all confident of that, and we can take a lot from the trips to Hampden we’ve already had this season.”

The driven, hungry Scot reflects on November’s Betfred Cup final with as much positivity as he can, and hopes it can shape him and his teammates for better success in the Scottish Cup.

“If we can get a step closer to another final on Sunday, it will be amazing for the club and something we can all be proud of.

“We can all learn from it, and I think we have. If we can put in the sort of performance we know we’re capable of on Sunday, you never know, maybe we can go that all-important one step further.”

The Steelmen have had their fair share of hurdles to manoeuvre this week, with heavy snowfall disrupting Wednesday’s game with Aberdeen as well as the club’s training schedule.

“It’s been frustrating,” confessed Motherwell’s number seven. “And to be honest, getting snowed in is boring too.

“All the boys have been chatting to each other and we’re just desperate to be preparing as best we can for the quarter final.

“The fact the weather led to our game against Aberdeen being postponed was annoying because we’d prepared well and were all desperate to follow up on our win against Dundee.

“Since we’ve come back from the break we’ve just been desperate to play every week, and we’re playing well and picking up some big results.

“Dundee wasn’t the best performance by any means but sometimes those wins are the sweeter ones.”

And with wins like that under their belt, Cadden says that the lads have been buoyed by Saturday’s victory.

“When you come away with a win like that, I don’t think you can underestimate what it can do for us as a group.

“We’re all on top form, we’re all confident and, despite the weather trying it’s best to distract us, we’re all fully focussed on going out on to the pitch at Fir Park on Sunday and sending this club back to Hampden.”

It’s time for you to vote for who you think should win in this year’s player of the year awards.

Our award ceremony takes place this year on April 7 at the Alona Hotel in Strathclyde Park. If you’ve still not got your tickets, the last remaining few are still available. They cost £50 for adults and £20 for under 12s. Phone 01698 333333 or email events@motherwellfc.co.uk to book.

The top prize on offer is in the vote for your player of the year.

In conjunction with Motorpoint, you can cast your vote online. Click here to choose your Motherwell FC player of the year.

Voting closes on Monday, April 2.

Plus, as a way of saying thank you, Motorpoint is giving one lucky fan the chance to join them on their table at the event. Not only will you get to join in the atmosphere but you will also walk away with £250 worth of Love2Shop vouchers on the night as an added bonus.

Supporters can also vote online now for their young player of the year.

Our shortlist for this year’s award, in conjunction with Topps Match Attax, is:

• Chris Cadden
• Allan Campbell
• Russell Griffiths
• Cédric Kipré
• George Newell
• Deimantas Petravičius
• David Turnbull

To vote for your Motherwell FC young player of the year for 2017/18, click here.

There will be many other awards given out on the night at the Alona Hotel.

The Motherwell squad will again vote for their players’ player of the year, sponsored this year by Flooring Republic.

Well Society members will also get the chance soon to vote for their Well Society player of the year. Details will be announced shortly.

There will also be a special recognition award given out this year to mark someone’s achievements for the club. The award is in conjunction with Covanburn.

Last but not least, a prize will go to the team’s top goalscorer in the 2017/18 campaign, with the award sponsored by Newton Waste.

Fans will also be able to vote for their goal of the season, in conjunction with Avia Signs. Voting will start on March 5.

Referee for Sunday’s William Hill Scottish Cup clash with Hearts at Fir Park is Andrew Dallas.

It will be his third Motherwell game of the season, after the 35-year-old took charge in a Lanarkshire Derby, as well a previous meeting between the Steelmen and the Jambos at Tynecastle earlier this term.

Unfortunately for the ‘Well, both matches overseen by the official have ended in defeat.

The first was the 1-0 loss at Tynecastle, when a rather sloppy goal was enough for Craig Levein’s side to pick up all three points.

Then it was the rather forgettable loss at Fir Park against Hamilton, when ‘Well surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1.

Son of famous referee Hugh Dallas, Andrew takes charge of his eighth Motherwell game.

He will be assisted by Graeme Stewart and Dougie Potter, with Nick Walsh on fourth official duties.

It’s a huge fixture on Sunday as Hearts come calling in the quarter finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

Motherwell are just one game away from yet another trip to Hampden Park this season and a place in the last four of the competition.

Having reached one cup final this season, your support could help push us a step closer towards another as we strive for new cup heroes.

Tickets can be purchased in advance and, if you’re a season ticket holder, your seat has been reserved for you to purchase. Just pop by the Fir Park ticket office to secure yours. Please note the ticket office is closed on Thursday due to the adverse weather conditions.

Cash gates will also be in operation but we encourage all fans to try and buy in advance to minimise delays on the day.

Hearts supporters should contact their club for ticket information.

Kick off at Fir Park on Sunday is at 2.15pm.

Admission prices are as follows:

Concessions are applicable to 60 and over and full time students with a valid matriculation card. Juveniles are applicable to aged 15 and under.

Motherwell’s Ladbrokes Premiership match with Aberdeen has been postponed because of current weather conditions.

The Scottish Professional Football League has decided that all matches across the country should be cancelled, in the light of government, police and club advice.

“There has already been significant snowfall at and around Fir Park,” chief operating officer Alan Burrows said.

“The Scottish Government has an amber warning in place for most of the country, urging people not to travel.

“Given the current weather situation, the safety of fans who planned to travel to watch the match is paramount. Both clubs agreed an early decision was necessary for this reason.

“We have a duty of care to all – spectators, players and staff – to avoid any unnecessary travel related to this match.

“We are pleased that the SPFL have agreed and made the decision to cancel all games scheduled for Wednesday.”

Details on the rearranged fixture will be announced in due course.

The club offices and club shop will be closed on Wednesday and all community trust activities have been cancelled.