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Motherwell secured top-flight football for a 41st consecutive season after coming from behind to beat Dundee 1-2 at Dens Park.

Antonio Portales gave the home side the lead, but goals from Tom Sparrow and a last-minute winner from Tawanda Maswanhise secured all three points for Motherwell, who were reduced to ten men following Johnny Koutroumbis’ red card.

Michael Wimmer made one change to the starting eleven that beat St Johnstone last weekend as Aston Oxborough replaced Ellery Balcombe between the sticks.

The stopper was called into action early in the first half as he raced off his line and produced a fine save to deny Adewumi.

However, the English keeper was powerless to deny Dundee taking the lead on the half-hour mark. A throw-in deep into the Motherwell box came deflected off Andy Halliday and set up Antonio Portales to fire into the top corner from 15 yards.

Motherwell looked for a quick reply and weren’t far off as Callum Slattery’s first touch set him wonderfully, but the midfielder had to watch as his shot fizzed just over the bar.

Incredibly, Dundee thought they had doubled their lead minutes before half-time as Portales produced a stunning carbon copy of his first goal. Thankfully, upon review, Clark Robertson was ruled offside in the buildup, and the goal was chalked off.

The Steelmen almost went into the break level as the ball fell to Johnny Koutroumbis at the back post, but the defender couldn’t find the finish, firing well over the bar.

Michael Wimmer turned to his bench at the break, bringing on Tawanda Maswanhise to replace Harry Paton, and he looked an instant threat as he danced down the left and saw his shot deflected wide of the post.

The Steelmen looked more dangerous and got their rewards just before the hour. Teenage midfielder Lennon Miller worked his way forward and forced a kind ricochet for Tom Sparrow to fire in his sixth goal of the season.

As the game wore on and with a draw looking most likely, Motherwell’s hopes of coming away with a point took a dent as Johnny Koutroumbis saw red. Initially booked for a foul on Larkeche, the Aussie’s tackle was deemed worthy of further inspection by VAR, with referee Kevin Clancy agreeing that there was more than met the eye initially, and the red card was issued.

The visitors might have settled for a point but actually looked more dangerous. Ewan Wilson, brought on in a defensive reshuffle, saw his effort palmed wide for a corner, and from the resulting set-play Dan Casey’s header came crashing back off the bar.

The visitors’ luck seemed to be out until stoppage time when Dom Thompson found himself down the right wing. He cut back in on his left foot and sent a deep ball to the back post where, somehow, Tawanda Maswanhise rose highest and powered a header past Trevor Carson.

That sent the travelling supporters wild, and with Ross County losing to Hearts, the result sealed Motherwell’s place in the top-flight for another season.

Michael Wimmer’s thoughts on coming from behind to beat Dundee and securing Premiership football for another season.

Motherwell face their third and final matchday of the week, as they turn their attention towards Cumbernauld when they face title-chasers Rangers at Broadwood Stadium on Sunday. 

The women of steel have already faced a Scottish Cup Semi-Final against Glasgow City before competing against league leaders Hibernian at Meadowbank on Wednesday evening.

Paul Brownlie’s side will seek to reverse their previous fortunes at Broadwood following a two-nil defeat in October last year.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Motherwell have faced a tumultuous week of competitive action after experiencing the pride and heartbreak of a Scottish Cup Semi-Final defeat at Hampden Park before closely-battling league leaders Hibernian, but were left frustrated by two self-inflicted goals that gifted the hosts a narrow advantage.

A defensive mix-up win the Motherwell box allowed Hibs to capitalise after an opening period of attacking opportunities for the visitors. A corner-kick moments before half-time sealed the three-points, as Motherwell left the Scottish capital frustrated, but encouraged by their impressive display.

The women of steel will be without midfielder Sophie Black and forward Eilidh Austin, as the pair remain unavailable to play against their parent club.

Rangers

Rangers have faced a mixed week of results after securing their Scottish Cup final place following a five-nil victory over Aberdeen at Hampden Park, but a one-nil defeat to rivals Glasgow City at Ibrox extended the Gers gap to leaders Hibernian to five-points.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased online prior to the game HERE or through the turnstile at Broadwood.

• Adult – £8.
• Concession – £5.

Harry Paton would love to remain at Fir Park next season but knows he’ll only get that opportunity if he impressed manager Michael Wimmer in the remaining William Hill Premiership matches. 

Paton and the squad remain as hungry as ever for these four remaining matches, with everyone wanting to finish as high up the table as possible.

Manager Michael Wimmer was delighted to see Lennon Miller recognised as one of the best young talents in the country following his nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Wimmer described Miller as a player playing football way beyond his years and has thoroughly enjoyed working with the 18-year-old. 

Wimmer provides a fitness update on the the squad, as well as discussing the importance of securing Andy Halliday’s services next season.

It’s time to vote for your G4 Claims player of the month for April.

Callum Slattery, Tom Sparrow, Andy Halliday and Johnny Koutroumbis are all up for nomination.

To vote, head over to the Motherwell Facebook page.

Games in April

• Kilmarnock 2-0 Motherwell 
• Motherwell 0-0 Hearts
• Motherwell 3-2 St Johnstone

Luca Ross made his first-team debut for Motherwell at the age of just 16. Introduced as a substitute by then-manager Stevie Hammell at Ibrox, the young winger got a taste of what being a professional footballer was like, and it drove him on from there.

Last season, his last-minute equaliser against Ross County sparked wild scenes amongst the Fir Park faithful, but it was also a pivotal moment in his development. Scoring his first professional goal was a milestone achieved at such a young age.

Since then, a lot has happened, and Ross has progressed further. Having gone on to make five first-team appearances for the Steelmen, Ross joined Annan Athletic on loan for the 24/25 season, his first move away from Fir Park.

The good news has continued to come for the young man, with him also being offered a contract extension earlier this month.

“When I first heard I was going to get another contract for the club I’ve grown up playing for, I was over the moon,” he smiled.

“I’ve been working hard all year just to try and get another deal because I knew I was up in the summer, so I was making sure, especially because of the new manager, that I was putting all the hard work in.

“I’d just been training, and the assistant manager Ahmet [Koc] mentioned it, and then the manager spoke to me too. To be fair, I was buzzing. The manager just said he liked everything about me: how I play with the ball, how I am off the pitch and that I would be in his plans next year if it all goes well.

“It was always in the back of my head that I would be a free agent in the summer, but I always believed in my own abilities and that I could get offered terms. I didn’t want to doubt myself because that’s when things could start to dip.”

Having come up through the MFC ranks, Ross was faced with the arrival of a new manager and only a short time to impress before his deal ran out.

That meant he had to up his game and give it everything in the hope of being rewarded.

“I was thinking about the small period of time to impress the gaffer before the end of the season,” Ross admitted.

“I’m glad I got to train with him when he first arrived so he could see me. From then on, I’ve been with him, and he’s said how well I’ve been doing.”

Ross’ big moment came in the 2023/24 season when he helped secure a point with the last kick of the ball against Ross County at Fir Park, poking it home in stoppage time in a 3-3 draw.

But since then, he feels he has matured as a player and as a person.

“It feels like a wee while ago just because there’s been a few stepping stones since then,” he explained.

“Going out on loan to Annan, playing with the reserves and under-18s here and signing new deals. Training with Motherwell’s first-team has been huge for me, but to do that and then add in training with Annan at night and play games with men regularly, it matures me.

“I’ve just been taking everything as it comes, but I feel more like a man than just a boy now. I’ve had a bit of time where I’ve been on the bench at Motherwell, been involved here and there, included in matchday squads, travelling and prepping like a professional footballer.

“But I just felt the loan move would be best so I could get some games in for me to try and come back to Motherwell and be more involved than just travelling and on the bench.

“On the drive down to my first training session with Annan, I was nervous and thinking about what it was going to be like. I wondered if the players would even like me!

“It’s just because I didn’t know what to expect because I’d never been in that kind of environment before; it’s always been the same club throughout, so the move was different.”

Thankfully, the spell with the League One side has been a successful one, and the winger has built up a healthy amount of minutes and has found the back of the net three times.

“The players have looked after me,” Ross stated.

“Willie Gibson has been great because he has a lot of experience. He demands a lot and wants high intensity from everyone, and I think I can cope with that. It’s been good, and you’ve got players like Paul McGowan and Josh Todd, who have been with different clubs over the years. You know what they want from you, and they give you lots of information on the pitch.

“It’s just about listening and taking that in when playing. I think overall the time there has helped me develop my character.

“Having that feeling of being disappointed that I’ve not made the starting 11 or whatever, it’s good for me. Feeling and experiencing those moments are important because every player has them. Dealing with them at my age is important.”

Annan are battling to avoid the drop in League One. As such, every game is vital for the club, and Ross has had to deal with the pressure of playing in highly important games.

With the job not done yet at Annan, he will apply himself fully and will then return to Motherwell for pre-season with his own ambitions in mind.

“I’ll give it everything to help the club achieve its goals between now and the end of the season,” Ross said.

“When pre-season comes around, I’ll have some targets in mind. My thoughts are always going to be about playing in the first-team at Motherwell. I’ll see if I can come back one of the fitter boys, and if I can get in the manager’s eye-line and he likes me, it’ll put me in a good spot.

“I want to be playing for Motherwell; this is the club I’ve grown up playing for. Getting the new deal is clarity, but it doesn’t let me relax. I can focus on football and not contract stuff.”

The women of steel battled league leaders Hibernian to the final whistle but were forced to leave the Scottish capital with nothing, as the Edinburgh side capitalised on two lapses in concentration in their march towards the league title. 

Motherwell started brightly and the performance certainly looked promising in the opening 15 minutes, as the visitors pressed the Hibernian backline, but the hosts were quick to capitalise on a mistake in the Motherwell backline. McGovern netted early in the first-half to give the hosts the lead, before Reilly doubled the hosts advantage seconds before the close of the half.

Paul Brownlie – whom earlier in the day had been nominated for SWPL Manager of the Year award – named a much changed side from the Scottish Cup Semi-Final last weekend. Brodie Greenwood and Sienna McGoldrick assumed their places in midfield, with defender Jo Addie captaining the side.

Motherwell looked threatening from the beginning and were menacing when going forward, with chances falling to both Louisa Boyes and Bailley Collins. However, the hosts showed no signs of easing their SWPL title charge, and reaped the rewards seven minutes later. A weak back-pass gifted the Hibees possession in the Motherwell 18-yard-box, and McGovern raced through before watching her shot trickle over the line, giving the hosts the lead.

The home side capitalised on Motherwell’s frustrations and continued to turn up the heat moments before the half-time whistle. After another lengthy stoppage, a beautifully weighted corner found its way to Reilly in the box, who rose highest to power home into the top-corner, leaving Mutch static in the Motherwell goal .

The Motherwell stopper was soon called into action, reacting brilliantly with an outstretched leg to deny Hibs a second from close-range. Motherwell remained resolute, and pushed for a route into the game, but despite chances from Katie Rice and Eilidh Austin coming close, the hosts held out for the three-points.

A frustrating display, with positives to take for the women of steel, as they turn their attention to the weekend when they take on title chasers Rangers at Broadwood Stadium.