Motherwell set sights on top four

Mar 10 2010 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

MOTHERWELL will aim to leave Hearts in their wake this weekend and push towards the top four and a European place.

Since the turn of the year the Fir Parkers have gone from a position where they seemed certain to be dragged into a relegation scrap to one where the prospect of European football returning to Lanarkshire is now very real.

It has been an astonishing turnaround overseen by Craig Brown and Archie Knox who took charge of a side that had lost five on the bounce, conceding 15 goals in the process.

Tuesday evening's point away to St Mirren means The 'Well are within touching distance of securing a top six place having now gone 11 SPL games unbeaten this year, conceding just two goals in the process.

After surrendering meekly at home to St Johnstone 3-1 on Boxing Day, boss Jim Gannon was sacked and replaced by the experienced duo.

They witnessed Motherwell perform admirably away to Hearts four days later before officially taking charge of first team duties after that game.

This week Brown told the Wishaw Press he believed Motherwell were too good for the drop after watching the Tynecastle defeat and is confident they can pick up three points at Fir Park against the same opponents on Saturday.

“The first game I saw I felt there is no way they are relegation material,” the gaffer said.

“We got here on the Tuesday and played Hearts on the Wednesday. We were not officially in charge but I thought we were very unlucky to lose at Tynecastle. We beat Kilmarnock 3-0 away in the next game and that confirmed the belief Archie and I had.”

He continued: “This Saturday against Hearts will be a big game. We are still ahead of them and if we can stretch that lead then it will be a very satisfying position for Motherwell Football Club to be in.”

Hearts, in sixth place, were on a three-match unbeaten run before last Sunday’s game against Dundee United at Tannadice. The Tynecastle outfit succumbed to a late Margaro Gomis strike but Brown believes they were unlucky to lose the game and expects manager Jim Jefferies to make changes for Saturday’s clash.

He said: “I watched that game and Hearts were a bit unfortunate to lose the game. I thought they were good enough to merit a draw. According to Jim (Jefferies) they had 14 players hurt and players suspended.

“Michael Stewart also got injured in the warm up, so in a way that was a Hearts reserve team playing at Dundee United and it will be a different Hearts coming here at the weekend that is for sure.

“From that point of view it wasn’t an awful lot of help watching them as I am not thinking for a minute that it will be the same team that played in that game.

“Eggert Jonsson and Laryea Kingston will be back from suspension and that is two changes that you can guarantee he will make this weekend, plus some of the injured ones I’m sure will be back.”

At the end of January, Jim Jefferies returned to the club he managed between 1995 and 2000 after Csaba Laszlo was dramatically sacked after 18 month in charge of the Edinburgh club. Jefferies was a former club captain and managed Hearts to a Scottish Cup final victory over Rangers in 1998.

And Craig Brown believes his return to Hearts is a big boost for the club.

He said: “Jim is back to his first love and him being back at Tynecastle will make a difference. I affectionately call him ‘JJ the Jambo’.

“When a manager is so committed to his club it becomes infectious. The players and the fans feel it so Jim will have them up for it on Saturday.”

He added: “I expect a Jim Jefferies type team, always up for the challenge and well organised. As I said I felt we were unfortunate when we last played them and I think if we get the breaks on Saturday then it can be a different outcome.”

Motherwell Football Club lottery winners for week ending March 5 were as follows: £100, 7928, Fred Carroll, Montalto Avenue, Motherwell; 3108, Jim Yuill, Barons Tower, Motherwell; £75, 7894, Sandy Grieve, Devons Gardens, Carluke; £50, 2159, Sandra Stark, c/o Thomson Litho, Kelvin Industrial Estate, East Kilbride; £25, 3069, Peter Orr, Coltness Road, Wishaw.