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Donald Jennow has been appointed as the new head coach of Motherwell’s senior women’s team.

Previously number two to former boss Eddie Wolecki Black, Jennow steps in after his predecessor’s departure to Celtic, after the women of steel claimed the SWPL2 title.

Jennow has extensive experience both within the women and men’s game. He was assistant manager with Wolecki Black at Glasgow City for almost five years, followed by an almost two-year spell at League One side Airdrieonians.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity,” said the new head coach. “We’ve got the foundations of a really good set-up here and it’s something I’m very excited to take on.

“We’ve had success this year, just at the weekend we won the league, so to continue on is something that’s important to me.

“I don’t like leaving a job half done, and while we’ve had a great start to things, there’s a lot more to come.”

With the league title wrapped up last weekend with a 5-1 win against Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale, ‘Well still have interest in the SSE Scottish Cup. They will play St Johnstone for a place in the last four on Sunday, 16 September.

Jennow, who is currently working towards his UEFA Pro Licence, will retain the services of goalkeeping coach Andy Moran. He will look to appoint an assistant of his own in due course.

“Following Eddie’s departure for Celtic, Donald was the only name I considered and I am delighted he has accepted the job,” Motherwell chief executive Alan Burrows added.

“From the relatively short time we have worked together, it’s clear that Donald not only has the talent and the temperament to be a head coach in his own right, but that he’s very much ready for it too.

“I think he’ll have the respect of the current squad and we’ve already had positive discussions about our first every season in the Scottish top flight, something everyone at Motherwell is very excited about.

“I would also like to take one last opportunity to thank Eddie for his time at ‘Well and the infrastructure he helped created in just under one year. We wish him all the very best both in his personal and professional life.”

Motherwell are SWPL2 champions after defeating Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale 5-1 at Peffermill.

The women of steel sealed promotion to the top flight of Scottish women’s football with five games of the season remaining.

Victory over Hutchison Vale was rarely in doubt after from early in an encounter played out in driving rain.

Lauryn Reside replaced Megan Burns in the only change to the ‘Well starting team from last week’s victory over Kilmarnock and she blasted home a wonderful shot from range to put the visitors ahead after only two minutes.

Claire Johnstone in the Motherwell goal made a superb stop to keep the scores level as Hutchison Vale looked for a way back into the game. But they would find themselves 2-0 down on 17 minutes when Hayley Cunningham’s driving running ended with a shot that was parried only as far as Sammy Hare who tapped home from close range.

The hosts would reduce the deficit just before the half hour mark, when Nichola Sturrock’s free-kick was nodded on by Anna Hume and Lucy Brown calmly slotted the ball home.

Four minutes later it took another excellent stop by Johnstone to deny Sturrock an equaliser, but it would be Motherwell who regained their foothold on the match with a third goal.

Kerry Montgomery’s free kick caught the home defence cold and Cunningham slid the ball across the face of goal for Hare to slot the ball into the net.

Reside had a chance to add to her tally early in the second half before Motherwell made it 4-1. Cunningham again was the provider as she found Hare, who spun and unleashed a low drive beyond Charlotte Parker-Smith to complete her hat-trick.

Hare is enjoying a remarkable scoring run and has netted eight times in the last three games, taking her tally to 17 for the campaign.

There were chances for Kirsty McLaughlin and Caitlin Russell as the match drew to a close, before Cunningham completed a superb showing by converting Kaitlyn Canavan’s cut-back.

The final whistle brought scenes of delight among the players and staff, who have all played a huge part in an incredible season.

It was another magnificent display from ‘Well who have led the way in title race from a very early stage, racking up 14 wins and a draw in their last 15 matches and scoring 68 goals in the process.

Promotion to the SWPL presents the opportunity to come up against the top sides in Scotland including Glasgow City, Hibernian and Celtic.

Lauryn Reside says she is desperate to clinch the SWPL2 title with Motherwell for her family of fanatical ‘Well supporters.

Victory over Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale on Sunday would secure the league championship for the women of steel.

Motherwell have won all three matches since returning from the summer break, with a thumping 8-1 Scottish Cup success sandwiched in between narrow victories at St Johnstone and Kilmarnock.

“Winning the title would be amazing for me personally and for my family who are all massive Motherwell supporters,” Reside said.

“Everyone was buzzing after the Kilmarnock game, it meant so much to win and the feeling of being one step closer to lifting the trophy is amazing.

“We are all looking forward to Sunday’s game as we know what a victory would mean. It’s important we keep focused and not get ahead of ourselves though, as we still have a job to do against Hutchison Vale.

“When you are top of the league and winning games most weeks, it’s clear that other teams will raise their game against you.

“It’s important we never underestimate our opponents, keep our discipline and hard work ethic. As a team we want to win every game that we play.”

Despite a difficult season in the league, Hutchison Vale have enjoyed success in the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup, recently defeating top flight side Hamilton to reach the quarter finals.

Motherwell have recorded emphatic victories over the capital side in their two meetings this season, but Reside insists they’ll be taking nothing for granted on Sunday.

“We’ve won our last two games against them comfortably, but that doesn’t count for anything come Sunday,” she added. “Hutchison Vale got a great result in the cup and they’ll make it difficult for us.”

Winning the league title would round off a brilliant season for the 20-year-old midfielder, who has played a big part in ‘Well’s success over the campaign.

Last Sunday’s game against Kilmarnock saw debuts for three players from the Motherwell development squad and Reside is relishing the battle for a starting place.

“I’ve had a great season so far,” she reflected. “I feel that I have improved so much in quite a short space of time and that’s because of all the great players and coaches that I have around me.

“Every training session I’m learning, gaining more experience and more confidence. It’s great seeing new faces in and around the squad, it keeps you on your toes and ensures that you don’t become complacent.

“It will also benefit those players to have the chance to train and play alongside the players in our squad that have played at the highest level.”

Motherwell defeated Kilmarnock 3-2 on Sunday to move within one win of capturing the SWPL2 title.

Sammy Hare netted twice and Hayley Cunningham made no mistake from the penalty spot as ‘Well came out on top in a fiercely contested encounter.

Hare had two good chances as Motherwell made a bright start to the match, but they found themselves behind after 13 minutes. Kirsten Rolph’s dangerous cross found Aimee Docherty, who glanced a header beyond Claire Johnstone.

Within six minutes the women of steel were level. Hare’s first effort was kept out by Morgan Hunter, but the striker was quick to react, pouncing on the rebound and blasting the ball into the net.

Given the importance of a win for both sides, tempers began to flare as the first half went on. The half-time whistle brought a welcome opportunity for Eddie Wolecki Black and Donald Jennow to emphasise the importance of keeping their discipline.

Motherwell made the perfect start to the second 45 when Hare doubled her tally for the afternoon, converting from close range after Lesley Condie’s excellent cutback. The striker has now scored six times in the last three matches, taking her tally for the season to 13.

Kilmarnock responded well after finding themselves behind for the first time in the match and they got back on terms on the hour mark, courtesy of Lisa Swanson’s well-placed header.

Just minutes later, Motherwell were presented with a great chance to restore their lead. Rolph was adjudged to have handled Kerry Montgomery’s corner and Hayley Cunningham stepped up to take the resulting kick and blasted the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

In the closing stages of the match ‘Well were forced onto the backfoot, but a combination of brave defending and some assured goalkeeping from Johnstone meant they would hold on for a huge victory.

The women of steel travel to Edinburgh next Sunday for a meeting with Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale. A win will secure the SWPL2 championship and promotion to the top flight of Scottish women’s football.

Motherwell are potentially two wins away from securing the SWPL2 title, as they take on nearest challengers Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Kendall Welsh, forward Maxine Welsh and assistant coach Donald Jennow spoke ahead of the trip to Ayrshire.

Kick off at Stewarton Sports Centre is at 4pm.

Emma Black insists Motherwell won’t let their standards slip as they look to wrap up the SWPL2 title.

The women of steel have a 13 point advantage at the top of the table with seven league games remaining. Victory over closest rivals Kilmarnock on Sunday would leave them just one win away from securing promotion to the top flight of Scottish women’s football.

Despite being on the brink of success, the ‘Well defender insists that boss Eddie Wolecki Black and his assistant Donald Jennow will ensure the levels of performance will remain high.

“It would be a massive upset if we weren’t to win the league now,” Black said. “The job of the management and the more experienced players is to keep everyone grounded and maintain the high standards in training.

“Eddie and Donald will ensure those standards are kept up, there will be no issues there.

“The Kilmarnock game will be tough, we are only two wins away from winning the title and to go there and win would be a huge first step.

“They are a good team though and they’ve strengthened with the likes of Lisa Swanson, who is a Premier League player coming in. We know it’ll be difficult but on the back of the Aberdeen result and a good week of training we’ll be ready.

“Winning this title will be up there with the ones I won at Glasgow City. Any time I compete I want to win, it’ll be a really proud moment to lift the league title with Motherwell.”

‘Well head into Sunday’s clash at Stewarton Leisure Complex on the back of a superb 8-1 win over Aberdeen to reach the last eight of the SSE Scottish Cup Women’s Cup.

Wolecki Black’s side demonstrated great maturity in ensuring the difficult playing conditions didn’t disrupt their focus on booking a place in the draw for the quarter-finals.

“On Sunday we had a bit of a point to prove,” she said. “It was a disappointing result the last time we went to play Aberdeen in the league.

“Our main aim was to make sure we were in the hat for the next round, we were really motivated, and it was a really good performance.”

Looking ahead to the cup quarter-final meeting that will see Motherwell take on fellow SWPL2 side St Johnstone, the former Glasgow City star believes the draw represents a good chance to move within a game of the final.

“It’s a great opportunity playing a team in the same league and it obviously gives St Johnstone a good chance too,” she said. “We beat them there a few weeks ago on their own patch, it would be fantastic to reach the last four.”

Motherwell will face fellow SWPL2 side St Johnstone in the quarter-final of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup.

The women of steel have already eliminated Cumbernauld Colts and Aberdeen in the previous two rounds, netting 16 goals in the process.

They will now face an away fixture against Saints for a spot in the semi-final.

The tie is due to be played on Sunday, 16 September 2018.

FULL DRAW:

• Renfrew Ladies v Glasgow City/Stirling University
• Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale v Hibernian
• St Johnstone v Motherwell
• Spartans v Celtic

Motherwell stormed into the last eight of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup with an 8-1 victory over Aberdeen at Garthdee Sports Centre.

Sammy Hare grabbed a hat-trick and Suzanne Mulvey a brace, while there were also goals for Caitlin Russell, Megan Burns and an own goal from Dons midfielder Susan Murray.

It was the hosts who began the brighter of the two sides, with Motherwell struggling to deal with the extremely poor conditions. Claire Johnstone twice had to make excellent stops to keep the scores level.

Mulvey and Russell tried their luck from distance as ‘Well looked to take control of the game and the opening goal arrived after 25 minutes. A loose ball fell at the feet of Mulvey, who drilled a low shot into the net.

Five minutes later it was 2-0, Russell driving down the right and teeing up Hare who made no mistake from close range.

Motherwell were looking dangerous every time they attacked and they added two further goals before the interval. The first came after Kirsty Mclaughlin’s free kick was turned into her own net by Murray. Two minutes later, Russell’s brilliant run finished with a fizzing shot into the bottom corner.

It only took 40 seconds of the second half for the women of steel to pick up where they left off. Burns’ shot from distance evaded Anna Blanchard in the Aberdeen goal to make it 5-0.

The hosts pulled one back when Jo Fraser capitalised on an error by Johnstone, before rolling the ball into the empty net. But Motherwell responded within two minutes, Hare netting after a scramble in the Aberdeen box.

Kerry Montgomery was full of energy having come off the bench and after her bursting run into the box was ended by a careless foul, Mulvey stepped up to convert from the spot.

The final goal of the game came courtesy of Hare, who produced another excellent finish to round off a superb display.

The draw for the quarter final takes place on Tuesday morning, in which ‘Well could be paired with the likes of Celtic, Hibernian or Spartans.

Photography: Maureen Lyall / Aberdeen LFC

Kerry Montgomery has been selected for Northern Ireland squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifying double header against the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia.

Montgomery, 30, joined ‘Well ahead of the 2018 campaign and has already bagged four goals in eight stars for the women of steel.

The nine-times capped midfielder has been included in Alfie Wylie’s squad to face the Republic at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Friday, 31 August, before heading back across the border to face the Slovaks at Shamrock Park, Portadown on Tuesday 4 September.

Motherwell Ladies defender Niamh Johnston believes the women of steel can mirror their male counterparts’ success in cup competitions this season.

Eddie Wolecki Black’s side travel to Aberdeen on Sunday, as they aim to book their place in the quarter finals of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup.

Having seen Stephen Robinson guide the men to both the League Cup and Scottish Cup finals last season, Johnston is determined for the ladies to continue the trend.

“It’s quite bizarre when you look at it, we are almost replicating the success of the men’s team,” she said. “I think it would be fair to say that due to their cup runs the men enjoyed one of the best seasons in their modern history and we are looking to mirror that success.

“We’ve enjoyed a really successful league campaign so far, but as a footballer you love playing in cup competitions. I remember saying after the Rangers game in the League Cup back in February that I felt we just needed a few more weeks of working together to be at the level required – we’ve had that in abundance now.

“We’re not going to get too ahead of ourselves, but we know when you get into the latter stages of a cup then anything can happen, our focus is firmly on beating Aberdeen and making sure we are in the draw for the last eight.”

Motherwell returned to action last Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at St Johnstone. Despite moving another three points closer to the SWPL2 title, Johnston admits the players weren’t satisfied at the performance and now aim to put matters right against the Dons.

“I think on Sunday a lot of us came into the dressing room after the game as if it had been a loss or a draw,” she added. “We had to look at the positives though, we came away with the three points, it was always going to be difficult and there was always going to be a bit of rust.

“Tensions got pretty high on the park and that’s because we expect so much of ourselves, but it’s important to remember a lot of football is about momentum and it will take a few games for us to get back into our stride.

“It’s also important to keep in mind that several our squad work full time and the break was an opportunity for some of them to go on their summer holidays – so even though we’ve been worked very hard in the past few weeks, that momentum has been broken up a little bit.”

The two meetings between Motherwell and Aberdeen this season have been hugely contrasting. ‘Well cruised to a 6-0 victory in the clash at Braidhurst before a fiery 1-1 draw at the Aberdeen Sports Village in June in which three players in claret and amber saw red.

Johnston, who served a two-match ban following her dismissal that day, admits it was a game that she struggled to get over, but insists the only focus on Sunday is reaching the last eight.

“It took about a week to recover from the last Aberdeen game, it’s one that I will never forget,” Johnston reflected. “I think we must remember that we came away from it with a draw at a difficult venue, I’ve been up there with both Celtic and Rangers and never has it been easy to come away with a positive result.

“We aren’t going their looking for revenge, we’ll remain professional having prepared well and looked at both meetings with Aberdeen this season, all our attentions are on reaching the next round.”