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Breathing Space will be marking its 10th anniversary year as a national service on Breathing Space Day.

The service has teamed up with a number of charities and other organisations to celebrate the milestone, including RNIB Scotland, Carers Trust, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Fife Council and Strathclyde University FC.

Events and activities will follow the theme ‘Stay Connected’ and encourage Scots to look after their mental wellbeing by staying in touch with friends, family and loved ones. Breathing Space will also be launching email and text services later in the year to mark the anniversary.

Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator, said:

“Breathing Space Day aims to encourage us to take a step back and consider our mental wellbeing. It is the simple things we can do like catching up with friends, going for a walk and spending time with loved ones, that can help us relax and can contribute to good mental health in the long run”.

“This tenth anniversary year is a significant milestone and we look forward to continuing to offer Scots who are stressed, low, or anxious, a free out-of-hours source of support. It is the small things we can do to stay connected, like picking up the phone to talk things through, which can make all the difference when we are feeling down.”

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said:

“Looking after our mental health and wellbeing is crucial and making space for the things that make us happy is one way of looking after our own mental wellbeing.

“The Breathing Space telephone advice line provides a valuable listening ear and signposting service for people experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. This annual awareness day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the vital role the advice line plays and reflects our broader work to improve the general health and mental wellbeing of the population as well as our work to reduce suicide in Scotland.”

A Breathing Space AdVan, promoting a mental wellbeing message, will tour Fife in the week before Breathing Space Day. Dr Stella Clark, Medical Director Primary Care in NHS Fife and Mental Health Lead at NHS 24 said:

“We can often overlook our mental health, so prioritising a hobby or time with family can contribute to good overall health and wellbeing. We are looking forward to welcoming the Breathing Space AdVan to Fife and promoting the phone service alongside Breathing Space Day activities.”

Extended highlights from the Fir Park as Motherwell are held to a 2-2 draw by Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen.

-WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV–

Action pictures from the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen at Fir Park in the SPFL Premiership.

Snaps courtesy of SNSPix.

[svgallery name=”aberdeen250114″]

Whilst conceding Dons merited their point, ‘Well boss Stuart McCall was cursing his luck after losing a controversial 93rd minute goal.

The Steelmen went ahead through Stephen McManus’ header before Dons debutant Adam Rooney brought his new side level with a close range header.

Zaine Francis-Angol put Motherwell in front after a well-worked move, and it looked as if it was going to stay that way.

However, the Dons have a reputation for late goals and they got another in third minute of stoppage time in controversial circumstances.

A corner wasn’t properly cleared and when substitute Jack Leitch bundled it off the line, it appeared Andreson punched the ball off the Motherwell youngster and into the net.

[pullquote]I’m honest enough to admit they were very strong in the second half and had they scored in the seventieth minute, you’d say fair enough. The time and manner is frustrating, but overall, it was a battling performance.[/pullquote]

Referee Steven McLean failed to spot it, the goal stood, and both teams had to settle for a point apiece.

In truth, the visitors were worthy of it, but the timing and the manner frustrated the Fir Park boss.

Speaking to MFC TV, he said: “Over the piece, a point is a fair result.

“To lose in in the 93rd minute is hard to take, particularly when you see Anderson putting the ball in the net with his arm.

“You can see from our players’ reaction what they thought with everyone claiming.

“It’s hard for us to see from seventy yards away but you are hoping the referee gets himself into a good position to spot it and had he done, we would have taken all three points.

“I’m honest enough to admit they were very strong in the second half and had they scored in the seventieth minute, you’d say fair enough. The time and manner is frustrating, but overall, it was a battling performance.”

-WATCH STUART’S INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV–

[tab:Match report]

Phil McGhee at Fir Park

Motherwell seemed destined to leapfrog Aberdeen and regain second spot until an injury time equaliser cost them three points.

Second half goals from Stephen McManus and Zaine Francis-Angol twice had the Fir Park men in front.

And although Adam Rooney pulled Dons’ level midway through the second half ‘Well looked like holding on for all three until Russell Anderson’s late leveller.

In the battle for second place, both teams were hoping to get back to winning ways after respective defeats last week.

Stuart McCall made one change to side which started at Parkhead, With Iain Vigurs injured Fraser Kerr came in a right back, allowing Zaine Francis-Angol to play in front of Stevie Hammell.

The players had to adjust to the heavy pitch which survived a late inspection after a torrential downpour . After only eight minutes referee Steven McLean enraged the home fans when Shaun Hutchison won the ball just outside the box but caught Ryan Jack as he slid through.

Sadly it resulted in the young Dons player being stretchered off and the ‘Well defender copping a booking. It might have been worse for ‘Well but Barry Robson’s free kick rippled the top of the net.

Motherwell’s first threat came after 17 mins when Francis-Angol sped to the goal line before crossing low to the front post where James McFadden’s snapshot was blocked by Jamie Langfield.

John Sutton fired over the bar after 25 minutes but a minute late a smart 1-2 almost got McFadden in on goal.

In 32nd minute Stuart Carswell lost possession to Robson and was relieved as he watched as the Dons’ midfielder rifled a low shot beyond Gunnar Nielsen but the ball rebounded from the foot of the post before being eventually cleared.

At the other end, a great ball from Kerr sent Sutton through on goal but Anderson recovered to make a great sliding block just outside the six-yard box.

It was end to end action and just before half time Nielsen produced a fabulous save stretching low to his left to push Jonny Hayes’ curling shot beyond the post.

The game exploded into action in the second half when ‘Well opened the scoring within two minutes of the restart. Lionel Ainsworth curled a corner kick out to McManus whose powerful header had the ball racing into the net despite Peter Pawlett’s attempts to head it off the line.

‘Well chased a second goal and Ainsworth’s run ended with a drive across goal before a clash between Kerr and Robson resulted in the ‘Well defender being stretchered off and replaced with Paul Lawson.

The home goal then had a charmed like as Aberdeen looked certain to score but Lasley, Hammell and McManus all cleared net bound efforts off the goal line.

The Dons’ pressure was finally rewarded after 65 minutes. Niall McGinn’s shot was blocked byNielsen low at his post but the ball bounced high in front of an open goal for Rooney to nod home the equaliser on his debut.

Motherwell immediately replaced McFadden with Henri Anier whose impact was instant as the game once again turned ‘Well’s way.

With almost his first touch the Estoninan played an exchange of passes with Lasley before drilling the ball across the 6 yard box where both Francis-Angol and Sutton bundled the ball home. It’s hard to tell who got the final touch but the benefit of the doubt should be given to the striker.

Although most of the closing play was towards the home goal Nielsen was well protected until two minutes into injury time.

McGinn floated a corner into a packed 6 yard box and Anderson directed the ball towards goal although there were loud claims for him using his arm before it crossed the line for a very late equaliser.

For their contribution to a very entertaining game, the Dons deserved a point, while for their part Motherwell moved seven points ahead of Inverness as McCall’s men head for a two-week break.

[tab:As it happened]

Alastair Reilly at Fir Park

FT: Motherwell 2 – 2 Aberdeen

90+3 mins: Corner to Aberdeen….. GOAL! Anderson sticks it in from close range 2-2 #MFCvAFC

5 minutes added on

89mins: Motherwell sub, Leitch on for Ainsworth #MFCvAFC

85mins: Carswell booked for a foul on Low #MFCvAFC

83mins: Low opts to shoot when he had some decent options. Well over the bar #MFCvAFC

71mins: Unbelievable miss by Rooney who should have squared the game. Mis-cued his volley 10 yards out #MFCvAFC.

69mins: Instant impact from Anier who got down the wing to cross for SUTTON who slides it in! 2-1 !!! #MFCvAFC

GGGOOOAALLLL!!

67mins: Motherwell sub, McFadden off for Anier #MFCvAFC

65mins: GOAL! – Rooney is on hand to tap in from Nielsen’s save to deny McGinn 1-1 #MFCvAFC

62mins: Aberdeen sub, Low on for Robson #MFCvAFC

61mins: Too close for comfort. McManus scoops it off the line after Shaughnessy miss-hits with the goal gaping! #MFCvAFC

60mins: Heroics from Hammell to slide in and block McGinn’s shot from inside the box which was travelling in! #MFCvAFC

57mins: Ainsworth shows some good skill to cut in from the right. His left footed shot is well over though #MFCvAFC

Kerr now stretchered off and is replaced by Lawson,. #MFCvAFC

54mins: Bit of a strange decision there as McLean let Aberdeen take a quick free-kick despite Robson and Kerr still being down…..

53mins: Rooney booked ….possibly for dissent #MFCvAFC

50mins: Ball breaks to Ainsworth 25 yards out but he drags it just past. Unlucky! #MFCvAFC

49mins: Corner to Aberdeen now.. McGinn’s delivery is cleared off the line by Francis-Angol #MFCvAFC

McManus bullets its home from 8 yards. 1-0! #MFCvAFC

47mins: Corner to Motherwell…..Ainsworth dinks it in …GGOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!

Teams are back out for the second half. On a tightrope so far #MFCvAFC

HT: Motherwell 0 – 0 Aberdeen #MFCvAFC

45+2 mins: Corner tp Aberdeen….. dealt with by McManus but the ball falls to Hayes. Great stop by Nielsen to deny! #MFCvAFC

45mins: Rooney cuts in and from 25 yards tries his luck. Over the bar but looked to have taken a deflection. Ref disagrees #MFCvAFC

42mins: Hayes wins a free-kick out wide on the left…Robson’s delivery is cleared by Hammell #MFCvAFC

35mins: McManus pings a wonderful ball over the top to Sutton. Racing through on goal, Anderson gets back to clear #MFCvAFC

33mins: Robson strikes the base of the post with a good effort 20 yards out after robbing Carswell #MFCvAFC

27mins: Good bit of build-up play creates a chance for McFadden. He doesn’t quite reach Sutton’s ball and the chance is gone #MFCvAFC

26mins: From 30 yards, Sutton tries the spectacular but fails to get it near the target #MFCvAFC

22mins: Lasley finds his way into the book for a late tackle on Flood #MFCvAFC

17mins: Great chance for McFadden as Francis-Angol bursts down the wing and swings it in. His volley is well saved by Langfield #MFCvAFC

12mins: Now its a dangerous free-kick about 22 yards out………Robson fires just over #MFCvAFC

11mins: Aberdeen sub, Jack off for Pawlett #MFCvAFC

8mins: Hutchinson booked for a tackle on Jack. Looked like he played the ball however got a lot of man. Jack now stretchered off #MFCvAFC

6mins: Bit of a claim there for Aberdeen as Hutchinson bundles over Rooney inside the box. Ref waves it away #MFCvAFC

1min: Free-kick to the Dons about 40 yards out on the left. Robson delivers, Considine heads wide #MFCvAFC

McGinn and Hayes get the action underway #MFCvAFC #COYW

Out come the teams #MFCvAFC

[tab:Reaction]

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall:

“Unfortunately, yet again against Aberdeen we’ve not got the right decision. I thought we battled manfully, scored two good goals, but I thought a point was a fair result without a doubt

“I thought Aberdeen at times in the second half were terrific and they deserved the point.

“It’s sore to lose it so late, and it’s sore that it’s a handball by Anderson, but unfortunately the referee’s not been in a good enough position to see it.

“We lost [Iain] Vigurs just before the game with an injury, we lost Fraser Kerr during it and we had to have [Stuart] Carswell at right-back.

“We’ve got young kids on the bench, so I thought we battled manfully, scored two good goals, but I thought a point was a fair result without a doubt.

“You just look at the reaction of the players and I think three or four of our lads claimed handball straight away, but the linesman’s got no chance of seeing it and there’s that many bodies there to be honest, so it’s a difficult one but when you see it again it’s a clear handball.”

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes:

“The two goals we lose put a black mark on the actual performance because obviously we’re disappointed with them, but I thought it was a decent performance from us.

“It had to be to get something from the game. When the clock goes up for injury time and you’re behind, to get a point you’re always pleased.

“I always feel there’s a goal in us, and the players deserve huge credit for that. They keep going, there’s good perseverance and good determination, and they never accept it.

“I thought it was some good play from us as well to get into good goal-scoring positions.

“It wasn’t frantic, it wasn’t just lumping it, there was a measure to our play in the last 15-20 minutes after going 2-1 down.”

[tab:Man-of-the-match]

[poll id=”178″]

Gunnar Nielsen fought back from a serious knee injury after being told he might never play football again.

And the Faroe Islands international is determined to win his next battle – to rediscover the consistent form he knows he is capable of.

Nielsen is driven not just by personal pride, but by his desire to repay Motherwell for showing faith in him not long after an 18-month lay-off.

The goalkeeper has overcome difficult situations in his career from the day he left home in the Faroes at the age of 15 to move to a soccer school in Denmark.

And the 27-year-old learned even more about the physical and mental application required in football when faced with the prospect of never playing the game again.

The fine margins between joy and pain in sport were rarely more apparent than the day Nielsen suffered a series of injuries to his knee during a reserve game for Manchester City against Bolton in February 2011.

“It was a strange story,” Nielsen said. “The day I got injured, (football administrator) Brian Marwood called me and says: ‘Southampton want you on loan for a month’. I thought that was a good chance to go on loan and get games.

“Then he phoned me back a few hours later and tells me: ‘You can’t go now because Shay Given has reported an injury’. I had to go and play a reserve game instead in the evening and smashed my knee up. It was a 50-50, I came sliding out and the striker slid in and his knee hit into my knee. I knew straight away it was bad.

“It just shows how quickly you can be going that way and then the opposite direction if you make a small change. I didn’t play for a year and half. That was really, really hard.

“That’s the period I learned the most from, how important it is to take care of your body and your muscles. Mentally as well. When they did the scan, the guy told me I had done my cruciate, I expected that, but then he said: ‘You have done your ligament as well’. And he just kept going and kept going. And at that point I just thought: ‘If I walk again, I’m happy’.

“That was a really tough time mentally for me. But, if it had to happen, I’m lucky I was at Man City with all the resources. If I was at a League One club I might have been put on a bike and told to do my own thing. They took really good care of me.

“If I wasn’t at City, I wouldn’t have been playing football again. The specialist told me they couldn’t guarantee I would play again because they hadn’t seen a combination that bad. I owe a lot to the staff and doctors at City.”

Nielsen had arrived in England at the age of 19 after four years in Denmark, where he played for Frem Copenhagen after leaving the school that combined football training with more conventional education.

Former Chelsea player Kevin Hitchcock was the goalkeeping coach at Blackburn under Mark Hughes and brought him to Ewood Park, where Nielsen learnt from number one Brad Friedel.

Hughes and Hitchcock took him to Manchester City when the goalkeeper’s contract expired in 2009 but his prospects of getting a regular game grew more unrealistic as England’s perennial under-achievers were transformed into one of the world’s richest clubs.

Nielsen had loan spells with Motherwell, Wrexham and Tranmere during his time in England, but he did not have a wealth of first-team experience and faced some major decisions after overcoming his knee injury.

But, firstly, he made his comeback in the most testing of circumstances.

“I was out for a year and a half and didn’t play any training games or friendlies, and my first full game was against Germany away in a qualifier,” he said. “Only the Faroe Islands would do that. That was quite crazy.

“It was actually one of my best games I ever played. It was one of those games when I got peppered with shots and I was flying left and right. That was one of my great memories.

“I was really pumped up for it and there was a big crowd. That game was really important because all the people back home hadn’t seen me and were wondering how I would be. We lost 3-0 but it could have been 10 in the first half.”

The 6ft 3in keeper, whose only City appearance came as a 76th-minute sub for Given during a goalless draw with Arsenal, ended up returning to Denmark to sign a short-term deal with Silkeborg.

“My contract was up that summer (2012) but I still wasn’t fit so we did a rolling monthly contract and after that I went to Denmark for the first six months of last year,” he said.

“They were bottom of the league and their keeper got injured. It was always going to be hard and we weren’t that close to staying up, but playing in the top league there was good.

“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after that. Motherwell made contract with my agent when I was in Denmark.

“That summer I had a big decision. If I played more than 20 games after my injury, my insurance falls away. I wasn’t sure my knee could take it on a daily basis. At that point I wasn’t sure. But I made that decision and my knee has been fine. I signed for Motherwell and here I am.

“Not until I came here and trained every day with Gordon Marshall, body-wise I am coming into things again. I still want to get my consistency up. I have been a bit inconsistent. I was out for so long and I just want more and more games to get my consistency back because body-wise and training-wise I feel fine.

“They told me when I start playing again, they said the first six months or a year you won’t feel (natural). I remember I trained for the first time for a year and a half, I just felt silly because I was so stiff and couldn’t move. I was slow. They say it takes up to a year until you really get into things again. Before I came here I felt a bit rigid but now it comes naturally again.”

Nielsen had good memories of Fir Park despite not playing during a five-month loan spell during the first half of the 2008-09 season when Mark McGhee was in charge.

“”The place hasn’t changed much,” he said. “The gym and the training ground are the same. There has been a big turnaround of staff but there are still some people here like Stevie Hammell and Keith Lasley. The club is still the same, it’s a close-knit group and a well-run club.

“I knew at the time when I signed they told me they couldn’t guarantee I was going to play. They needed someone to push Graeme Smith. Mark Hughes had just left Blackburn, Paul Ince came in and I didn’t think my opportunities were great there. So I saw it as a chance to get away. Even though I didn’t play, I enjoyed the club for five months.”

Nielsen had greater expectations of playing when he returned to the club but, apart from an impressive competitive debut when he saved a penalty in the 1-0 defeat by Kuban Krasnodar in Russia, he found himself playing second fiddle to Lee Hollis as the season began.

An ankle injury to the former Airdrie man gave Nielsen his chance but he suffered a thigh strain during the 5-0 loss to Celtic which saw him sidelined as Dan Twardzik enjoyed a perfect five-match loan spell from Dundee.

With Hollis undergoing surgery earlier this month, Nielsen has the chance to make the goalkeeper’s jersey his own – and he is convinced that a long run in the team will return him to the standards that saw Hughes take him to Rovers and City.

Nielsen, who has made 12 appearances for the Steelmen, said: “It’s been a bit stop-start. I left City, went to Denmark, had the summer off, didn’t start this season, and then I had the injury in my thigh.

“I just want to get a long run and get my standards up because I know I can be more consistent than this. I know I can play better than this.

“That’s my main goal right now because I really want to do well for this club. I really like it here; the people are so good. I just went to get back and have a good run.

“I’m not going to use the injury as an excuse. Some people say it takes 20 games, some people say it takes a year to get that natural feeling again.

“All I can do is work hard and make sure I apply myself in the right way on the pitch and off the pitch, and in the gym, and then hopefully that will come by itself. Because I feel I have everything to be a really good keeper.

“I just want to get that consistency again and pay back the trust the club showed in me when they signed me.

“I had to have a really severe check on my knee when they signed me and all was fine, but there is always a risk when you take a player on who has been out for a year and a half.

“So I just want to repay that faith and I want to do well for this club.”

Top scorer John Sutton is predicting a close match when ‘Well meet Aberdeen at Fir Park tomorrow.

The Dons have won twice in North Lanarkshire already this campaign, both in the League and Cup, whilst ‘Well took all three points at Pittodrie on Boxing Day.

The 30-year old former St Mirren and Hearts front man reckons that demonstrates how little there is between the teams, and is certain there won’t be much to choose tomorrow afternoon.

With the Reds sitting in second spot, one point ahead of the Steelmen, there’s everything to play for in the race for the ‘Top Six’ and European spots.

[pullquote]There isn’t much between the two sides and we are well aware that we will need to be at our best if we’re to get something from the match.[/pullquote]

Speaking at ‘Well’s weekly news conference, Sutton said: “People will say it’s the battle for second, but it’s not quite like that.

“There’s loads that will happen between now and May, and I have no doubt other teams will be in the mix too.

“Results between us this season have been a little strange; they’ve beaten us at Fir Park and we managed a win up there on Boxing Day.

“That probably goes to show that there isn’t much between the two sides and we are well aware that we will need to be at our best if we’re to get something from the match.

“Both teams are coming off disappointing results last weekend so it should be an entertaining afternoon for the supporters.”

-WATCH JOHN’S PRESS CONFERENCE IN FULL ON MFC TV–

‘Well boss Stuart McCall has urged his side to continue their recent performance levels when Aberdeen travel to Fir Park tomorrow.

The Steelmen had won six consecutive matches prior to last weekend’s defeat at Celtic Park, but the squad can take heart from what was an encouraging performance against the reigning Champions.

The tough fixtures keep coming when the second-placed Dons visit North Lanarkshire for the third time this campaign, and whilst McCall admits the game does have an extra edge, he will be encouraging his players to remain focused in the job at hand.

[pullquote]We know it will be a tough game but, likewise, we hope to make it a tough one for them too.[/pullquote]

Speaking to the gathered press at Motherwell’s pre-match news conference, he said: “I suppose there is a little bit of added spice to the match given both teams are so close in the league.

“At the same time, we won’t allow ourselves to get caught up in the occasion and we’ll treat it like any other match.

“Derek’s side has performed well away from home this season but we too have put in a couple of good performances in our recent matches on our own patch (against St Mirren and St Johnstone).

“We know it will be a tough game but, likewise, we hope to make it a tough one for them too. It’s got all the makings of an entertaining game.”

-WATCH STUART’S PRESS CONFERENCE IN FULL ON MFC TV–