Motherwell's Mark McGhee named manager of month

Motherwell's Mark McGhee has been named Premiership manager of the month and picked out strikers Louis Moult and Scott MacDonald for special praise.

His award for December came after his side won all three of their games, including a 2-1 success away to the reigning champions at Celtic Park.

While stressing it was a team effort, McGhee said: "We have Scott MacDonald, who I think is in the best form I have seen him in for years, Louis Moult, who I think is a terrific striker, and the rest of the team are backing them up."

McGhee took charge in October with his side sitting ninth in the Scottish top flight after the sacking of Ian Baraclough.

They are now eighth having followed up December wins over Dundee, Celtic and St Johnstone with a 3-3 derby draw against Hamilton Academical.

Louis Moult and Scott McDonald scored four goals between them during December

"I think it's a great award," McGhee told BBC Scotland. "It's something that we all try to win.

"Let's not kid ourselves, every month when it comes and goes, we are disappointed if we have not won it.

"As a group, we have worked on certain things. This has got my name on it, but it is a team effort."

Motherwell now face the task of avoiding becoming a Scottish Cup scalp this weekend for Highland League side Cove Rangers.

"We now have to focus on January," said McGhee. "I want to be sitting here at the beginning of February picking up the January award.

"We have to use this as an incentive and not just sit on our laurels.

"We have a very difficult Cup game against Cove on Saturday. We are looking forward to that, we relish it, but we know we have to prepare the same."

McGhee thought that him being named manager of the month would only prove an incentive for the Aberdeenshire side to "come here and try even harder".