Motherwell

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• Hearts have won five of their past six home league games against Motherwell (L1), including both of their past two without conceding.

• Motherwell have won just one of their past five league games against Hearts (D1 L3), failing to score in three of their past four.

• Hearts have lost their past two home league games, last losing three in a row at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership in December 2019 under Daniel Stendel.

• Motherwell have won their past two league games (as many as their previous 12 beforehand), and could win three on the bounce for the first time since September 2023, the third of which was a 1-0 victory at Hearts.

• Motherwell have scored more 90th-minute winning goals than any side in the Scottish Premiership this season, with Tawanda Maswanhise's against Dundee last time out their third of the campaign.

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Manager Michael Wimmer believes a "great togetherness" is being fostered at Motherwell after survival was celebrated with beers and banners.

Assistant boss Ahmet Koc handed out bottles of beer to supporters who had gathered at Fir Park last Saturday to welcome the squad back from the 2-1 win at Dundee.

That victory ensured a 41st successive season in the top flight for the Steelmen, a feat proudly emblazoned on a supporters banner.

"It's always a good moment if you come back and the fans are happy, satisfied and not angry," said German Wimmer.

"I was in a situation where I came back and the fans were angry. Not here, but in other clubs.

"So, it was very good and we were also proud to get out of the coach and the fans are there. It was really fantastic. I think it shows that we're going in the right direction."

On Koc handing out bottles of lager to fans, Wimmer laughed: "I think they deserved it and Ahmet is someone who always recognises if someone deserves it or not.

"He saw the fans outside and he looked at the players and said, no beer for you, I give it to the fans.

"Especially in smaller clubs, it's important that you have a great togetherness.

"This is the fans, this is the team and this is also the management. If you work hard together and if you love each other, that's maybe too strong a word, but you have to talk, you have to fight, you have to say what you think.

"But in the end, you have to stay together and you have to decide one way and you have to go this way.

"At the moment it's good and if we finish the season as well as possible, then we have energy and this energy will bring us over in the summer."

Wimmer insists he is better prepared for next season after winning four of his opening nine games in charge while adapting to his new surroundings.

"It was a very tough time also for me as a manager to come in, to have this big squad with 34 players, and also the connection between fans, and also not have much information about the league," the former Austria Vienna boss said prior to Saturday's visit to face Hearts.

"I saw the league on TV of course, but to experience it in the game on a Saturday, it's another picture.

"And now for me, it's more clear what we need, what fans expect."

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Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller is open to a move abroad but says he remains in the dark about his future after this season. (Daily Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip

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PFA Scotland young player of the year Lennon Miller has been nominated for the Scottish Football Writers' Association award.

After claiming the PFA prize this week, the 18-year-old Motherwell midfielder said it was another "proud moment" in a "pretty surreal" rise in the teenager's early career.

Now he will be vying for the SFWA award, which is restricted to players eligible for Scotland Under-21s, with Kilmarnock duo Bobby Wales and David Watson, plus Hearts striker James Wilson.

Miller has enjoyed another stellar season with the Fir Park side, captaining the team in the absence of Paul McGinn and Stephen O'Donnell while scoring four goals and providing seven assists from midfield.

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Should Lennon Miller's next step be a move to the continent to follow in the footsteps of some his new Scotland team-mates?

Fresh from winning PFA Scotland's young player of the year award, speculation continues to surround the 18-year-old's future.

With just over a year remaining on the midfielder's Motherwell contract, the club will have a big decision to make if offers come their way this summer.

So, too, will Miller. Is it time for the Lanarkshire side to cash in and for the teenager to move on?

If so, would taking inspiration from the likes of Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson be beneficial?

McTominay and Gilmour are excelling at title-chasing Napoli since joining the Serie A side last summer, while Ferguson continues to thrive at Bologna.

And A View From The Terrace presenter Craig Telfer sees no reason why "phenomenal" Miller can't emulate the Scotland trio's success in Italy.

"He seems to be like the complete midfielder," Telfer said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "And I think if you're a Motherwell supporter, you're just enjoying him while you can.

"Because there's no doubt about it. If it's not this summer, if it's not in January, he'll be playing his football elsewhere.

"I really hope that if he does move on, he goes to the continent, he goes to somewhere like Italy. We're seeing the likes of McTominay and Gilmour thriving at Napoli.

"I really think Miller's got all the tools to make it out there as well."

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

Happy 41 seasons in the Premiership, Well fans!

Safety has been confirmed and we have surpassed last season's points tally with three games still to play.

I do love a last-minute winner and Saturday's was no different. If we can make it three straight wins on Saturday when we visit managerless Hearts, I will have no complaints as to how our season has ended.

With Lennon Miller picking up the PFA Scotland young player of the year award this week it must have added an extra million or two on to his price tag.

I highly doubt we will be keeping him for next season and, if his time is over with the club, I hope he knows the love fans will always have for him.

Losing Miller will be upsetting even if it will be transformational for the club.

If we invest the inevitable Miller money wisely, we can challenge for top six next season and beyond.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Ten-man Motherwell secured their Scottish Premiership status for next season with a fine win over Dundee at Dens Park and as such, two Steelmen have made my team of the week.

At the back, Dan Casey was committed as always, strong in the tackle and stout in defence. He was a threat to the opposition goal as well.

But Tawanda Maswanhise was an even greater threat. He was direct, fast and a real weapon for Michael Wimmer's side.

The Zimbabwe international again underlined his importance to Motherwell with the match-winning goal that keeps them in the top flight.

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Winning PFA Scotland's young player of the year award is another "proud moment" in a "pretty surreal" rise for Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller.

The 18-year-old came on top in the ballot against James Wilson of Hearts, Celtic's Arne Engels and Rangers' Hamza Igamane.

The teenager, who has scored four goals and assisted seven in 36 games this term, was also nominated for last season's prize but lost out to Kilmarnock's David Watson.

"It's hard to put it into words just now," said Miller, who was called up to the senior Scotland squad in March. "It's just a proud moment and I'm thankful to everybody who voted for me."

On his rapid rise, the midfielder added: "It's pretty surreal. You don't see many 18-year-olds doing stuff like this. You just try and take it in your stride."

Son of former Aberdeen and Scotland striker Lee Miller, the teenager said there were a "few tears getting shed" by his family members after he was announced as the winner.

But when asked about speculation surrounding his future, the youngster said he is still keen to "keep that to one side" as he aims for a strong end to the season.

Watch all the action from Motherwell's 2-1 win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your views on Motherwell's 2-1 win against Dundee.

Here's what some of you said:

Alan: An excellent result with 10 men and coming back from 1-0 down. This shows remarkable resilience and determination to win, and enables the manager to take stock of the squad over the last few games and plan for next season.

We must always recognise the pressures we are under, regarding finance, compared to other teams but also congratulate the team and staff for this fillip at the end of the season.

Norrie: Off the pace first half but second half substitute Tawanda Maswanhise brought a spark into the team. Great second half from the whole team. Premiership assured for next season, which gives the manager an opportunity to take a good look at the squad and hopefully make the right decisions about who stays and who goes.

James: Probably a bit of a steal, as first half we were shocking. What a difference Maswanhise made. Delighted to get away from the dog fight. An unusual off day for Callum Slattery.

Fraser: Fantastic result to secure our safety for another season. Maswanhise changed the game when he came on at half time.

George: Brilliant result. Safety became the priority - Michael Wimmer and the team achieved that with a couple of games to spare. Will be an interesting summer ahead to see how the team is now reshaped and weaknesses addressed.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Tawanda Maswanhise insisted Motherwell "had the belief" they would find a winner against Dundee, before he nodded home the goal that secured their Premiership safety.

Michael Wimmer's side went behind thanks to an Antonio Portales screamer, and they were nearly 2-0 down before another was ruled out.

"The boys showed a lot of fight and that's what I really love about this team, this squad actually," Maswanhise said. "I'm really happy for the three points and the safety.

"I feel like we still had the belief because we had the ball with most of the game. I'm thinking, listen, if we still have the ball, we're going to create something. Luckily we did."

The Zimbabwe international came off the bench to make his mark, rising at the back post to power a header into the top corner.

"[The manager told me] make sure you're running behind, push them back and go and get yourself a goal, young man.

"I want to get back into that playing feeling, playing week in, week out. Even though we're safe, I do want to play for this football club and I'm really happy for the goal I scored today.

Despite securing their survival, Maswanhise insisted there will be no room for complacency.

"There's always going to be pressure in games and that's what you need if you want to be at your best," the striker said. "But obviously, most of the pressure has been taken off after today and I'm really happy for the boys and myself.

"I feel like it's always been the same, even though we finished in the bottom six. The main focus is always to get three points every game."

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• Dundee have lost 26 points from winning positions in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• They have scored 31 first-half goals in 35 games, only Celtic (49) have scored more in the Premiership this season.

• Tony Docherty's side have conceded 18 goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• They have conceded 18 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (19) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

• Meanwhile, Motherwell won after trailing at half-time away from home in the Premiership for the first time since 6 April 2024 against Dundee (nine games without a win after trailing at half time).

• Lennon Miller assisted his seventh goal in the Premiership this season, while Tom Sparrow and Tawanda Maswanhise both scored their sixth goals of the league season, more than any other Motherwell player.

Motherwell fans, how are you feeling after that second-half comeback? Were you at Dens Park or following the action from home? Either way, we want to hear your views!

Let us know your thoughts

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter at Dens Park

Motherwell definitely got a lift from the decision to rule out the second Antonio Portales strike.

They came out for the second half fired up and even the loss of a player didn't affect them negatively in any way. They played as a team all after the same ambition, and it was little surprise when they popped up with a winner.

They showed hunger to get forward and were organised at the back when they had to be.

Now safe from becoming embroiled in any relegation play-off battle, they can play without pressure for the remaining three games. They will take so much from this game though, and will want to build upon it for sure.

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The match winner, Tawanda Maswanhise. He was an absolute nuisance in the second half.

The 22-year-old came on for Harry Paton at half time and Dundee struggled to deal with his pace.

A fantastic header in stoppage time to seal Motherwell's spot in the top-flight next season.

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Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer tells BBC Scotland: "I'm very happy, very proud of the guys.

"They did well, especially in the second half - and the first half, we lacked a little bit of energy and also the defence from the two throw-ins was not good enough.

"We spoke about this at half-time, but the second half was brilliant with certain shots on goal and also after the red card there was no feeling that we could not win the game."

On John Koutroumbis' sending off, Wimmer added: "To be honest, during the game, I thought, no, I thought this was a wrong decision and now I saw the first pictures, the first clips on television and so I have to say it's okay, you can give the red card.

"We spoke about what we were doing for the red card and I felt the whole bench, I felt the whole players on the pitch, no worries, we do this together."

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Dundee attacker Oluwaseun Adewumi returns after missing the victory at Hearts but Jordan McGhee is still missing.

Motherwell have Tawanda Maswanhise back in contention after he missed the win over St Johnstone with a minor injury.

Centre-backs Kofi Balmer (hamstring), Shane Blaney (knee), Paul McGinn (thigh) and Liam Gordon (concussion) remain out along with Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (wrist), Sam Nicholson (knee), Jack Vale, Zach Robinson (both Achilles) and Archie Mair (hand).

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Harry Paton says he "would love to extend" his Motherwell stay as he has his hopes set on the 2026 World Cup.

The midfielder's deal expires at the end of the season, but the 26-year-old believes staying at Fir Park would give him the best chances to earn a place in the Canada squad. The club also hold an option to retain his services.

"I just want to focus on the rest of the season and finish on a strong note, it's a little bit out of my hands, but I'm going to keep doing my thing and hopefully see what happens," said Paton.

"But I've really enjoyed my time here and would love to extend it, 100 per cent.

"You can see the aspirations of the new management team coming in and how close we were to the top six this year, and definitely the goals will be increasing next year.

"From a personal note, I've really enjoyed it. He's so passionate about what he wants to bring to the team.

"It kind of fits my style as well – speed, playing a lot of attacking football, playing forward, the league really suits my style.

"Also, tying in with Canada, I've got my opportunities through the club here and that's a big aspiration for myself next year with the home World Cup in Canada.

"That's a goal I want to achieve and definitely if I'm here, I can definitely have a good shot at getting in there."

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Michael Wimmer has played down the prospect of a Motherwell signing spree this summer, insisting he expects to add up to four players.

Midfielder Andy Halliday and goalkeeper Callum Ward this week signed new contracts with the Fir Park side, who can guarantee top-flight survival against Dundee on Saturday.

"I like to start the pre-season with the majority of the squad so I can work with them," said boss Wimmer.

"We have 18 contracted players at the moment. I think it's a very, very good situation.

"And I would not expect that we have such a big transfer window. But I'm looking forward to the transfer market. I think we will do one, two, three, four transfers."

The former Austria Vienna boss will look to utilise his knowledge of foreign markets, adding: "Germany or Austria is possible because I know many players over there. I've worked with many players. So it's also a possibility.

"But I think it's also important that the guys you bring in should be better. And it's also important to know the culture, to know the tradition, to know the league.

"So our eyes are open for everything, for each country. But I also want to have the majority from Scottish players or UK players that know the league and are not surprised if they come into the league and they play the Premiership."

Club captain Paul McGinn, who is among the players out of contract at Fir Park this summer, is nearing a return from long-term injury but won't be rushed back before the end of the season if not ready.

"I have not seen him on the pitch but I know him from video clips and before I came into the club, I watched many games," said Wimmer of the 34-year-old.

"But my experience now in the chats with him is he's a brilliant guy with experience. He's a quiet guy, but he's a big character in the dressing room. Everybody has respect for him."

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• After their 4-1 win in December, Dundee could earn back-to-back home league victories over Motherwell for the first time since October 2015, and first time within a single season in the top flight since 2001-02.

• Both sides have scored in six of the past seven league matches between Dundee (13 goals) and Motherwell (11 goals), with the exception a 1-0 win for the Dark Blues in October this season.

• Dundee have won three of their past five league games (L2), as many as their previous 16 beforehand (W3 D4 L9). They are looking to pick up back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since March 2024.

• Motherwell have lost seven of their past nine away league games (W1 D1), conceding 18 goals in this period (two per game on average) while scoring only five.

• Simon Murray has scored in seven of his past eight league appearances (eight goals), and is now the joint top scorer in this season's competition with 16 goals (level with Daizen Maeda) – the most by a Dundee player in a Scottish Premiership campaign since Kane Hemmings in 2015-16 (21).

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Midfielder Andy Halliday and goalkeeper Calum Ward have both signed contract extensions to stay at Motherwell until next summer.

Halliday, who joined in January last year, has played every game this season and says he "was really eager to extend" his stay at Fir Park.

The 33-year-old, who won the club's players' player of the year award, added: "It's really encouraging to see the groundwork being put in place for next season, which I think everyone should be optimistic about."

Ward arrived on deadline day in February on a deal until the end of the campaign and has yet to make an appearance.

Manager Michael Wimmer said he was "keen to get him on board for next season", adding: "It will be interesting to see the competition for the goalkeeping position".

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It will come as little surprise to anyone that the latest attempt at reconstruction of the Scottish Premiership has failed to get off the ground.

A change from the current 12-team set-up to one of 10, 14 or 16 were the options being discussed but the SPFL said "there was no reasonable prospect of achieving consensus".

Maintaining the status quo is a consequence of there being "no perfect option" for change, according to The Herald football writer Stephen McGowan.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, McGowan said: "If you look at the options for expanding the Premiership, for 14 you would have to have probably a top six and a bottom eight and a different number of fixtures. So that's less than ideal.

"Look at the 16, which is the one that supporters really want. But Neil Doncaster has been saying consistently that you would then have to find a way to still preserve your four Celtic v Rangers games because Sky sports are not a charity. They're a subscription network who want to get the biggest numbers for games. So they want more Celtic and Rangers games.

"So it's how you square that circle with the 16 that's the problem. So it's not so much I don't think there's no great desire for expansions. There's no such thing as a perfect option and one that they can all vote for. That's the problem basically."

Former Scotland defender Maurice Ross, meanwhile, has accused Premiership clubs of "self-preservation".

"If they're going to remain the same, okay, let's put two clubs [automatically] down then and have a third-place play-off," said Ross.

"And we'll see what the reaction is of the clubs in four or five years' time. Then they'll want reconstruction."