No way I’m a dirty player but Jags will battle for every ball
I want to repay fans faith with Final spot MOTHERWELL v PARTICK TH Ryan happy to be Firhill fighter
THE last time Louis Moult stepped out of the tunnel at Hampden he feared abuse from Motherwell fans for snubbing a new contract to stay at the club.
That they cheered him instead that day in July became the inspiration behind his form that has now booked those fans a return trip to the National Stadium next month with silverware in their sights.
Moult admits he was worried the supporters would turn on him when it emerged he had snubbed an extension as the in-demand striker seeks to keep his options open with Aberdeen and Rangers monitoring his situation.
By the time he stepped out for his first game of the new season, away to Queen’s Park in the Betfred Cup, he expected to face a backlash for his perceived disloyalty.
But instead he got a hero’s welcome. And Moult said: “The relationship I have RYAN EDWARDS insists he’s not a dirty player after being astonished at the scrutiny thrown upon him following a challenge on Rangers’ Ryan Jack two weeks ago.
But the midfielder says Partick Thistle are ready to scrap like street fighters to get their first win of the season in what he reckons will be a battle with Motherwell today.
Some pundits wanted Edwards to be retrospectively banned for catching Jack in a 1-1 draw at Firhill on September 15 and Pedro Caixinha accused Thistle of being over-physical.
But the Aussie midfielder says that is nonsense.
Edwards said: “If there is a tackle to be won no one in the team will shy away from it.
“No one is trying to hurt an opponent, nothing like that, it’s just a matter of if the ball’s there to be won don’t pull out of it. Ryan Jack does that – as do Motherwell players. “Every little moment matters in games and it’s about trying to come out best rather than second best. “I think there was too much made of the challenge on Ryan. I was really surprised by the media coverage. “I wasn’t actually tackling, I was just trying to put my foot on the ball but the way Jack came in it looked like it was a 50-50 and I’ve gone over the ball and clipped him. “I apologised afterwards but it wasn’t malicious as I would never look to hurt an opponent. “We spoke and he appreciated it. He knows the ball is there to be won. “It was the same with the Jack Hendry incident in the DundeeCeltic game. There was a lot of media attention on that but I didn’t think anything of it. He was looking at the ball and after the tackle he looked away.
“Against the bigger teams you want to impose yourself and show your aggression so they know they’re in for a game and they won’t have all the possession.
“Maybe these things are blown up because you’re playing one of the Old Firm and it’s on TV. But every situation is different.”
Motherwell are getting a reputation for their physicality but Edwards says Thistle are ready to match up. He said: “It might be a battle. Motherwell have strengthened really well.
“We saw the Cup game against Aberdeen when they won 3-0. They really bullied Aberdeen – not in an aggressive manner – and took the game to them really high in energy. We’ve been doing that too but can do better.
“So it looks like it will be a game that will be quite tough and maybe not too much pretty football.”
The problem for Thistle is they have been conceding late goals which has cost them dearly – and Edwards says they must sort that out.
He added: “In five out of the seven games we’ve scored first and either conceded an equaliser or lost the game.
“So when we start well and get that first goal we have to make sure we hold on to our lead.
“It happened last season when we were also conceding late goals. We drop deeper and deeper.
“When you haven’t won in a while you feel you have to hold on to the lead and I think we just try to protect our goal more.
“It’s a mentality thing rather than fitness so we just have to try to keep to our game plan throughout the whole game and not just 75 or 80 minutes.”
If there is a tackle to be won, no one in the team will shy away from it RYAN EDWARDS