Motherwell

Hibernian began life after Nick Montgomery with an emphatic Scottish Premiership victory over Motherwell.

The Easter Road club, searching for a fifth permanent manager in under three years, ensured club greats Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson a winning farewell in their final home match, and climb above their visitors into eighth place.

A quickfire double in the final five minutes of the first half ignited the contest, Myziane Maolida rolling home a penalty and Martin Boyle volleying into the bottom-left corner.

Boyle blasted Hibs' third beyond Liam Kelly early in the second period, leaving Motherwell labouring in vain to plot a route back.

Motherwell fans, were you at Easter Road? What was your assessment of a disappointing night?

Let us know here.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell tells BBC Radio Scotland: "Overall I’m annoyed and frustrated with the players. We looked ragged, we didn’t play with a purpose or enough aggression.

"I am left so confused as to how the first goal is a penalty. Not so long ago we had an incident against Aberdeen and the Aberdeen player is further away and raises his arm towards the ball and I was told it was in such close proximity it couldn’t be given as a penalty.

"I don’t even know if Stephen O’Donnell is a yard away. I really hope we start to find some clarity."

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By Jamie Lyall, BBC Sport Scotland

For Motherwell, this was an entirely forgettable evening. A match which stalled all the momentum built up in recent weeks, four wins from five on the road, and one defeat from six in total.

Their defending was tame, second to too many balls and leaving too great a space for Hibs’ attackers. Motherwell's paltry return of three clean sheets in 37 league games must improve next term.

In attack, even Theo Bair, normally so deadly, had a quiet night.

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Unsurprisingly following a 5-1 thrashing of Ross County in Dingwall, Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell names an unchanged side for tonight's trip to Easter Road.

Jack Vale returns from suspension but must make do with a place on the bench.

Blair Spittal will look to add to his impressive haul of 11 assists - only Matt O'Riley has more in this season's Premiership - while Theo Bair will bid to burnish his 15-goal league tally.

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Hibernian: Wollacott, Cadden, Bushiri, Hanlon, Stevenson, Triantis, Newell, Campbell, Boyle, Vente, Maolida.

Substitutes: Johnson, Levitt, Doyle-Hayes, Amos, Le Fondre, Marcondes, Tavares, Obita, Moriah-Welsh.

Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, McGinn, Casey, Blaney, Gent, Miller, Halliday, Spittal, Nicholson, Bair.

Substitutes: Oxborough, Mugabi, Paton, Zdravkowski, Butcher, Vale, Shaw, Devine, Ebiye.

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• Hibernian are winless in four league meetings with Motherwell (D2 L2) since a 3-2 victory in January 2023.

• Both sides have scored in each of the last five league matches between Hibernian (eight goals) and Motherwell (10 goals), with Hibs the last side to keep a clean sheet in this fixture in October 2022 (1-0 win).

• Hibernian have won their final home league game in both of the last two seasons, beating St. Johnstone 4-0 in 2021-22 and Celtic 4-2 last term.

• Including the curtailed 2019-20 season, Motherwell have only won their final away league game in one of the last nine seasons (D3 L5), a 1-0 win at Partick Thistle in 2017-18.

• Motherwell’s Stuart Kettlewell has only lost one of his nine Scottish Premiership games as a manager against Hibernian (W3 D5), a 0-3 defeat with Ross County while in joint-charge with Steven Ferguson in February 2020.

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Hibernian caretaker boss David Gray is not expecting any major changes to a squad that was missing goalkeeper David Marshall, Elie Youan, Will Fish (back) and Lewis Miller (hamstring) at the weekend.

Jack Vale returns from suspension for Motherwell while Jon Obika is back in training after a hamstring injury. Callum Slattery (knee) and Adam Montgomery (hamstring) remain out.

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell says it would "cost a significant amount of money" for any clubs interested in striker Theo Bair this summer.

Bair has scored 15 league goals this season, and recently earned a call-up to the Canada squad, but his current contract only runs until the end of next season.

While Kettlewell wants to retain Bair's services, he insists he isn't losing sleep over the situation.

“With the likes of Theo, I am very, very relaxed about it, I really am,” Kettlewell said. “I don’t mean that to be blase, but when you start getting pent up abut interest in your players, you would never be able to do your job.

“I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that people will be interested in Theo Bair. He is a signed player at this football club. For anyone to prise him away that’s going to cost a significant amount of money.

“I would love to keep him at the football club because I feel that he is just getting better and better, I feel he is really learning his trade and enjoying his football. He is loving everything about playing here at Motherwell and leading the line.

“When you look across world football, there is not a whole host of number nines that play with his stature, his pace, his ability to play with his back to goal, and then the finishing prowess he is starting to show.”

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

Travelling all the way to Dingwall in the extreme heat to get a 5-1 win was absolutely sensational.

Ross County is one of the best away trips I’ve done with the ‘Well and If the Dingwall side fall through the relegation trapdoor they will be sorely missed (winter and midweek games aside).

Paul McGinn finally getting his long-awaited goal alongside Harry Paton’s first since returning from injury was the icing on the cake for an amazing day out.

If we can close out the season with four wins we can’t ask for much more. Wednesday’s match at managerless Hibs and then our own end-of-season party at Fir Park on Sunday against St Johnstone are must-wins to capitalise on our momentum.

If Aberdeen can put four goals past Hibs I would like to think we can take a minimum of two.

Having already sealed Livingston's relegation fate, we could have a big say in who is consigned to the play-off spot on the final day when Saints come calling.

Overall, I can’t fault our performances the past two weeks and long may it continue for Lanarkshire’s only top-flight team.

New Zealand right-back Callan Elliot is poised to leave Motherwell and join new A-League club Auckland after the 24-year-old struggled for game time since joining the Scottish Premiership side on a short-term contract in January. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Motherwell travel to Easter Road on Wednesday night to take on a struggling Hibs side who just conceded four goals to Aberdeen.

Should Stuart Kettlewell make any changes from the 5-1 win over Ross County on Saturday?

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and pick your starting XI here.

Watch Sportscene analysis of Motherwell's superb performance against Ross County.

Available to UK users only.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Motherwell were superb on Saturday as they thrashed Ross County, and they have two players picked in my team of the week.

Paul McGinn is always a steady performer for Motherwell and he weighed in with a goal in Dingwall.

What a loss Blair Spittal will be for Motherwell come the end of the season. It's great to see an already talented player reach new heights over the course of the season.

He delivered another sensational performance full of quality and scored twice for Stuart Kettlewell's side.

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell praised Blair Spittal's quality and attitude after the midfielder shone in Saturday's 5-1 win away at Ross County.

Spittal - who scored twice in Dingwall - has agreed a pre-contract deal with Hearts, and will move to Tynecastle when his Motherwell contract expires in the summer.

However, Kettlewell says he never doubted Spittal would continue to produce top-class performances in claret and amber.

“When you know the character of the man, it’s never a problem,” Kettlewell said.

“When you get the chance to go to a bigger club and earn more money – whatever job you do – you tend to jump at the chance.

“If I felt it was going to be a problem, you wouldn’t have seen him again, but not for one second have I thought it would be an issue.

“His performances have been fantastic, and I understand why a club like Hearts want to try and sign Blair Spittal.

“If you talk about those old-fashioned attacking midfield players, I think he sits right at the top of this division.”

Watch BBC highlights, as Motherwell thrash Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

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• Motherwell have scored 22 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Celtic (25) have scored more in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Ross County have conceded 17 goals to opposition substitutes in the Scottish Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• Ross County have conceded 22 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Motherwell have scored 14 goals via substitutes in the Scottish Premiership this season, only Celtic (21) have scored more.

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell told BBC Scotland: "So professional, so proud of the players, so happy with the result.

"It puts to bed the ghost we had in terms of the 3-0 defeat we had up here earlier in the season.

"The quality of the goals pleased me. It's the final bit at the end. It would have been very easy to go into holiday mode and just scrape a 2-1.

"A lot of positives to be taken. I've had a long history here [Ross County] but I wanted to win the game.

"I'm employed by another club. Our players showed what they're about and it's a good day for us."

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Did you make the trip up to Dingwall or were you following along from elsewhere?

We want your views on Mothewell's win here.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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At 2-1, it looked increasingly likely that Motherwell were going to be pegged back again by Ross County. Clearly, they weren't thinking that.

With players like Spittal in your side and players in such rich form like Theo Bair, you know that chances will come.

As the game began to open up they cut through Couty with ease and all five finishes, regardless of how easy they may have looked, were clinical and composed.

Seventh place, and the increased money that comes with it, has to be the target now for Kettlewell's side.

Two goals and assists for Blair Spittal. He was sensational this afternoon.

He's signing off from Motherwell in style, that's for sure.

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Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Baldwin, Dhanda, Murray, King, Efete, Brophy, Nightingale, Leak, Reid

Substitutes: Wickens, Sims, Loturi, Harmon, Henderson, Khela, Jenks, White, Ayina

Motherwell: Kelly, O’Donnell, McGinn, Cassy, Blaney, Gent, Halliday, Miller, Nicholson, Spittal, Bair

Substitutes: Oxborough, Mugabi, Paton, Zdravkovski, Shaw, Devine, Moses, Ferrie, Butcher

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