Motherwell strike first blow on Saints as hurricane throws rivals together

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall laughed off the coincidence that saw them training on the same pitch as St Johnstone two days before they meet in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

With hurricane-force winds hitting Scotland, the Perth side used the indoor facilities at Ravenscraig, just a mile from Fir Park. McCall’s men had already booked the pitch and got an early upper hand on their rivals, who sit four points behind them in the SPL after a promising start under manager Steve Lomas.

McCall said: “It was a bit of fun. I think we were both trying to have a look.

“I said to Steve: ‘We don’t do tactics anyway so you won’t learn anything off us.’ Obviously it’s a good facility to have, Ravenscraig, and it was ideal for us. They had half a pitch for an hour and we did, then we kicked them off because we had a full pitch for an hour.”

McCall, who has midfielder Keith Lasley available after a thigh injury, said his players were determined to atone for the below-par display that saw them trail Hibernian 1-0 when a floodlight fire sparked a half-time abandonment.

Forward Jamie Murphy said: “There is no doubt in our minds we could have got a couple of goals and won the game. Last week’s performance in the first half wasn’t the greatest so we need to come out tomorrow and play like we were going to play in the second half.”

Motherwell initially struggled in the strong wind against Hibs, as they had done in a goalless draw with Dundee United, but Murphy is confident they can cope if the gusts do not die down.

“If the conditions are bad, it’s a different game of football,” he said. “We like to pass the ball, but if it’s windy, that’s very hard. Sometimes you have just to play it long and play from there. It’s not the ideal way to play football, but if it gets you a win then I’m all for it.”

St Johnstone are the only team outside the Old Firm to have beaten Motherwell in the SPL, winning 3-0 at Fir Park in September, and midfielder Chris Millar is looking to take advantage of a run of three home games which he believes could define their season. Saints will leapfrog third-placed Motherwell if they win and follow up by avoiding defeat against Aberdeen three days later.

St Johnstone aim to continue their unbeaten start to life under Steve Lomas, having taken seven points from games against Rangers, Hibernian and Hearts.

“We are trying to aim as high as we can in the league,” Millar said. “We’re on a good run and we want to keep that going. It will be a tough game against Motherwell. But if we win, and then we have a game in hand, we can jump above them, so there is a lot riding on it.

“The next three games are massive for us and can really shape our season. We have three games at home against Motherwell, Aberdeen and Celtic. If we can take seven points it could set us up to really kick on and try to cement a top-six place.”

Lomas took over a team on the up after predecessor Derek McInnes added the scoring talent of Cillian Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza to a squad noted for keeping out goals at the other end. The pair both missed last weekend’s win Tynecastle, but Sandaza could return.