A win and a
clean sheet is becoming Motherwell’s norm.
This time St Mirren lost 2-0 at Fir Park.
It was not
the most polished performance of the season from Jens Berthel Askou’s side but
it was more than enough to deal with a Stephen Robinson eleven that lacked any
cutting edge.
There were
three changes to the line-up that saw off Celtic in midweek as Tawanda
Maswanhise, Stephen Welsh and Emmanuel Longelo joined the setup. After respects were paid to ‘Well fans lost
in the last year the Paisley team kicked off.
The contrast
in styles was obvious. The game
developed as Motherwell’s passing game faced the more direct physical challenge
offered by the visitors.
Although Motherwell were to have more shots on target it was Callum Ward who was called into action first when Dan Nlundulu forced the ‘keeper into a good save.
Motherwell
took charge and soon Shamal George found himself on the end of three of four testers. Callum Slattery was prominent as the South
Stand goal came under pressure.
The opening
goal came after a St Mirren attack broke down. The ball found its way to Eli
Just and he spotted Maswanhise ready to spring.
A fine pass cut through the defensive line and released Maswanhise for a
run in on goal.
Although St
Mirren made a couple of half-time substitutions they were unable to plot a way
back into contention. With the clock
almost at the hour Motherwell had a great chance buy Maswanhise and Lukas
Fadinger got in each other’s way on the penalty spot. Fortunately the ball broke to Elliot Watt
just outside the box and he floated it into the top corner. The contest was over.
Askou had
the luxury of turning to the bench both to freshen the team but also to allow
the fans (almost 9,000) to applaud Watt, Slattery, Just, Said and Maswanhise
for their contributions.
Motherwell
have been rightly praised for the control they exercise when in possession but
the ability to recover after the ball has been lost is also of a high standard.
It was another good afternoon for the Fir Park faithful. Next up is a trip to Easter Road.
Motherwell 2
St Mirren 0
Attendance 7,959
(985)
Team: Ward, Longelo,
McGinn, O’Donnell, Maswanhise (Sparrow 75), Welsh, Fadinger, Slattery
(McAllister 92), Watt (Priestman 75), Just (Osong 88), Said (Ross 88)
Saturday 3
January 2026
