NO MORE DRAMA
BASEMENT BATTLE Hammell hopes for a relaxed final day
AS the longestserving player at Fir Park, Steven Hammell has grown accustomed to seriously stressful situations.
From being a youngster when Motherwell were plunged into administration, to the sheer agony of a tense but ultimately successful relegation play-off against Rangers in 2015.
In an eventful 17 years at the Steelmen, Hammell has also witnessed the Lanarkshire club becoming Scotland’s third force for a time, graduating to second after the financial collapse of the Ibrox club.
Those high-flying years brought qualification for Champions League football, appearances in cup finals and international recognition — an altogether more enjoyable type of strain.
But after claiming a huge victory in a tense Lanarkshire derby to move three points ahead of 11thplaced Hamilton, Hammell is now praying for that rarest of feelings.
Firstly, the 35-year-old will be looking for his side to beat Kilmarnock at home tomorrow. Then he will hope results elsewhere afford him the luxury of being in a Motherwell team with zero to fret about on the last day of the season.
‘We don’t seem to do it the easy way at Motherwell,’ smiled Hammell, who made his debut in 2000.
‘We don’t ever seem to have a dull season or let seasons peter out. We always have to have a bit of drama.
‘Yes, it would be nice if we were sitting in a better position. But we are probably going to have to do it the hard way again.
‘But to win in midweek against Kilmarnock and be able to relax on the final day of the season? That would be great!’
By coincidence, the most important Lanarkshire derby of all time fell on the second annual World Buckfast Day, celebrating the controversial tonic wine that enjoys such popularity in these parts.
It was no surprise that Louis Moult once more ended up the toast of the Motherwell fans after his second-half winner.
And it was fitting that one of the most brutal football matches of the season — ten yellow cards were flashed by Kevin Clancy — was settled by a fairly freakish goal.
Elliott Frear swung over a free-kick from the right and Moult headed the ball down and off his own shoulder.
The ball looped in the air for what seemed an eternity before it finally found the top-right corner of the net. Moult has scored all six of Motherwell’s goals against the Accies this season.
‘Louis is the man for the big derby occasion,’ said Hammell. ‘He relishes the pressure, he thrives on it.
‘It was great to see his header go in. It seemed as though it was in the air for a full minute before it hit the net. But it looped in and it was brilliant. And I think we deserved it.
‘Louis goes into matches with great confidence and that’s a great attitude to have.
‘He maybe has a couple of games without playing well but he never lets it affect him.
‘He’s always confident he will score and we are happy to have him. Hopefully he can score a few more for us in the next couple of games.’
While Motherwell have Moult, the lowest scorers in the Premiership offered little in attack in front of an increasingly poisonous home crowd.
Accies’ best chance fell to Alex D’Acol but his powerful shot from inside the box forced a terrific save from Motherwell goalkeeper Russell Griffiths.
At the end, Hamilton’s players sunk to the turf, a beaten lot. Motherwell’s players took the acclaim of the 2,312 travelling fans, who outnumbered the home support in the 4,173 crowd.
However Stephen Robinson’s men wore a look of relief, rather than celebration.
‘It’s not job done yet,’ warned Hammell. ‘If it was the last game of the season, it would have been different. But until we are mathematically clear, we won’t celebrate.
‘There’s still work to be done. We’ve not won back-to-back games this season, so that’s a challenge for us at home to Kilmarnock on Tuesday. But this was a huge game for us. It’s about as big as it gets in terms of where we find ourselves in the league. But we came up with the goods.
‘But it’s probably as poor as we have played in our last three games.
‘I didn’t realise they (Hamilton players) were slumped to the turf at the end but I’d have been the same if we had lost.
‘We all understood what was at stake. The tension was almost like a cup final but the support we got from our fans was great.
‘If the fans could bring that to Fir Park on Tuesday against Kilmarnock, hopefully we can give them a better performance — with the same winning outcome.’