Motherwell
visit Rugby Park on Saturday in need of a positive result to end a losing run.
It was almost a year ago that the Steelmen travelled to Kilmarnock when two goals from
Tawanda Maswanhise and one from Apostolos Stamatelopoulos sealed the three
points. Since then the awful Rugby Park
artificial surface has been replaced by a proper grass pitch.
Visitors to
the new surface have enjoyed the transformation while Killie have taken only
one point from their four home league matches.
That singular point arrived courtesy of a Hearts own goal.
Neil McCann
suggested that the international break had “disrupted our rhythm”. They had conceded three times in the first
half at Ibrox giving a total of eighteen goals lost in their eight league
appearances but a much improved second half has given the Killie fans some
grounds for hope.
Last time on the artificial surface
Kilmarnock
had a big turnaround of playing staff in the summer including the import of
former ‘Well player Mark O’Hara.
Alfred
Johansson made much of the opportunity to have training sessions during the
international break given that the busy start to the season had limited his
time with the players.
He will
have another full week ahead of the trip down the M77 as he shapes his newly
formed squad. His persistence with the
style that earned high praise last season has the backing of the fans but if
the losing run continues there are bound to be some grumbles.
Maswanhise
found himself on the bench on Sunday, an unusual starting position, but he has
not hit his best form yet. Seb Palmer-Houlden
has shown lots of energy while leading the line but his conversion rate has to
improve.
Motherwell’s
top scorers, with thee apiece, are Regan Charles-Cook, Ibrahim Said and Lukas
Fadinger and the travelling support will look to them on Saturday. It was good to see Stephen O’Donnell return
to lend some experience to the back line after a long absence.
This is likely to be a tense tight affair but if Motherwell can make better use of the tip top surface they may avoid another defeat and come away with a 1-0 win.
