| 3 | Dundee United | 23 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 37 |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 34 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 23 | 9 | 4 | 10 | -9 | 31 |
| 6 | Hibernian | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | -2 | 29 |
| 7 | St Mirren | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | -11 | 27 |
Two Motherwell matches have been selected for coverage on broadcasters ESPN in the coming months.
The first is ‘Well’s match with Rangers on Saturday 31st March – the date of the match remains the same but kick-off will now be 12 noon.
The second is in early April when Motherwell visit Easter Road. The game has been moved back a day to Sunday, 8th April with a 12.30pm kick-off.
All the goals as Motherwell Reserves draw 3-3 with Fleetwood Town at Fir Park with goals coming from Bob McHugh and a Gary Smith brace.
-ALL THE GOALS EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-
Assistant boss Kenny Black was pleased with his side’s workout following a battling 3-3 draw with Blue Square Premier side Fleetwood this afternoon.
The English non-leaguers raced into a two goal first half lead but were pegged back thanks to goals from Gary Smith and Bob McHugh.
The visitors got themselves ahead for a second time but were again pegged back, Gary Smith netting with a late, late header.
And Black reckons a battling, high-tempo ninety minute will have helped the fringe players get much-needed sharpness.
“It’s important for the fringe players to play regularly along with the guys who are returning from injury (Steve Jennings).
“We’ve not had a bounce game like today for two or three weeks and it’s important these lads keep up their match sharpness so it was a useful exercise.
“It was different opposition from what we were used to; we usually face SPL or First Division sides so when the opportunity of taking this game came up, we were delighted.
“They are going very well in the Blue Square Prem, you could see how good they were from their first-half showing, and our guys will have benefited from it.”
-WATCH KENNY BLACK’S INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-
A Motherwell XI and Fleetwood Town played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Fir Park this afternoon.
The Blue Square Premier side raced in to a two-nil first-half lead courtesy of a double from the experienced Gareth Seddon.
The first, after 22 minutes, came from a well-time Peter Cavanagh pass. The former Kettering striker dodged the offside trap and coolly slid the ball under Tom Bradley at his near post.
A few minutes later it was two. Former Man Utd youth product Danny Rose collected the ball in the middle of the park before sending a lovely ball over the top of the defence with Seddon again running the line excellently well. The 31-year old took a good touch before dinking a lovely effort over Bradley and in via the underside of the bar.
It stayed that way until the interval; Town boss Micky Mellon taking the opportunity to change things around with a number of substitutions.
‘Well had much more of the play at the start of the second period but were unable to break down the stubborn Fleetwood rearguard.
Kenny Black introduced Gary Smith in place of Steve Jennings and the striker made an immediate impact. He should have scored with virtually his first touch, going through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, the ball bobbled and he sliced a shot wide.
He would make it for it minutes later though when he brought ‘Well back into the match. Jonathan Page played in Chris Humphrey down the right with a decent diagonal ball. The winger went through the gears, got to the touchline before hanging it up towards the back post. Former Queen’s Park man Smith was unmarked and headed from close range.
Then, five minutes later, Smith turned provider as ‘Well drew level. Ross McKinnon’s free-kick from deep inside his own half was flicked on by the big striker for Bob McHugh, the striker making a great supporting run. He took one touch to set himself before blasting past Stephenson.
It looked then as if ‘Well would go on and win but, to their credit, Fleetwood got themselves back in front with just minutes left. A long, innocuous, ball over the top didn’t look as if it would pose any danger with Page sticking close to sub Richard Brodie. However, the on-loan Crawley striker twisted and turned before rifling past Bradley from an impossible angle.
3-2 then and it looked as if the visitors had the game won. Gary Smith would have the final say as he brought the Steelmen level with just a minute of stoppage time left to play. Ross Forbes collected midway inside the Town half. His superb ball into the area drew the keeper off his line allowing Smith to loop a header into the back of the unguarded net.
Motherwell: Bradley, Carswell, Halsman, Pollock, Page, McKinnon, Humphrey, Jennings (Smith – 70mins), McHugh, Ojamaa (Howarth – 78mins), Forbes
Referee for this Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Dundee Utd at Tannadice will be Stevie O’Reilly.
It will be Stevie’s second Motherwell match of the season having previously overseen the 1-0 win over Hearts in August. Both teams ended the match with ten men; Keith Lasley ordered off for the home side with Ian Black taking an early bath for the visitors.
O’Reilly, promoted to the Category 1 list some five years ago, will be a familiar face to Motherwell fans having overseen five games last term.
After previously handling the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Fir Park back last September, the 1-2 home defeat by Hearts in December, the New Years Day 0-0 draw with Hamilton at New Douglas Park and the 1-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock in early February, the last SPL Motherwell appointment came in early April as the Steelmen ran out 2-1 winners over Saturday’s opponents Dundee United at Fir Park.
He also had the honour of being the fourth official at the Scottish Cup Final last May when McCall’s men took on Celtic.
O’Reilly’s overall record in charge of the ‘Well is a bit of a mixed bag. Of the eight games has officiated, Motherwell have won three, drawn one and lost four.
Eleven goals have been scored and ten conceded. Fifteen players have been cautioned in those eight games; four were wearing Claret and Amber with two sent off, Steve Jennings in the game against Hearts back in December of 2010 and the aforementioned Keith Lasley one against the same side earlier this season.
Stevie will be ably assisted by Gary Sweeney and Michael Banks with Barry Cook on fourth official duties.
Tickets prices for the forthcoming Scottish Cup 5th Round clash with Greenock Morton have now been confirmed.
Admission is on the turnstiles with prices as follows:
| ADULTS: | £15 |
| CONCESSIONS: | £10 |
| JUVENILE: | £5 |
| FAMILY: | £20 |
Chief Executive Leeann Dempster said, “We have agreed with Morton to keep the prices at the same level as the previous round with Queen’s Park.
“We have tried our very best to keep admission as low as possible for these non-season ticket matches.
“Cup games at Fir Park in recent years have provided some enthralling entertainment and I am sure this 5th Round tie will be no different.”
Morton fans will have the ability to pre-purchase tickets for the South Stand. Further details will follow.
Score a bargain break with Thomas Cook’s Motherwell FC Holiday Club this January.
Make the most out of supporting your team and receive an incredible 5% discount on any trip you make by mentioning the Motherwell FC Holiday Club when making your booking at your local Thomas Cook holiday shop.
This way, not only do you save money but you also help your club profit from it, as the club earns a royalty from every booking made.
Managers, players, staff and fans are all enjoying the benefits of the Motherwell FC Holiday Club. So if you have a business trip ahead or you just want to go somewhere sunny, remember to book with Thomas Cook Sport’s Holiday Club.
Representatives of our local Thomas Cook store will be in and around the stadium on Saturday distributing flyers explaining how the deal works for both you and the Club.
Terms and Conditions apply, see www.thomascooksport.com for details.
A single Grégory Tadé goal midway through the second half was enough to split the sides as Inverness ran out 1-0 winners at Fir Park.
-WATCH THE WINNING GOAL ON MFC TV-
Darren Randolph was visibly disappointed following this afternoon’s defeat by Inverness Caley Thistle at Fir Park.
The Republic of Ireland stopper was rarely troubled throughout the match and was only beaten by Grégory Tadé unstoppable second half strike.
And speaking to MFC TV in the wake of Inverness’ first win in North Lanarkshire for over five years, the 24-year old couldn’t hide his frustration.
He said: “(I am) Just disappointed, considering the chances that we had, to come away with nothing.
“I thought we deserved at least a draw, maybe even the full three points. They had one or two clear cut chances. We obviously had a lot more than they did; they took theirs, while we didn’t and we got punished.
“You make your own luck. We’ve had a few difficult games away at hearts and Rangers where we didn’t play well.
“I think it’s a bit of a hangover from that. If we start taking the chances that we took earlier in the season, getting the ball down, passing it, committing men forward and making teams worry about us instead of us worrying about other teams.”
-WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-
‘Well boss Stuart McCall has called for his players to show character in the wake of Motherwell’s 1 – 0 loss to a dogged Inverness this afternoon.
The Steelmen’s poor home form continued after Grégory Tadé smashed home the winner, piling the misery on the ‘Well faithful who have not seen their side win at home since September.
A clearly frustrated McCall said after match, “We’ve all taken the plaudits for the first half of the season, and rightly so but that’s gone now.
“We can’t mope about it, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to show a reaction and a positive one.
“We’ve still got good players in that dressing room and lads that have got good character and want to bounce back and want to fight for the place in europe.
“We’ve got to go out and do it and when the chances come along be a little bit more clinical if we can.”
-WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON MFC TV-
