CHRIS WON’T BE TOO HASTIE
CHRIS CADDEN has left it until the final week of the season to decide whether to end his 13-year association with Motherwell.
And if the abuse dished out to Rangers-bound Jake Hastie in Perth is anything to go by he could be forgiven for delaying an announcement if he is to depart Fir Park.
Like Hastie, Cadden joined the Steelmen aged nine and has a special affinity with the club’s supporters.
And he’ll have to hope that strong bond ensures he is spared the kind of treatment Hastie was subjected to.
It’s just over five years since Cadden, 22, made his top-team debut and he has been a pivotal player during that time for Motherwell.
He has clocked up more than a century of appearances as opposed to the 18 by Hastie since his first-team bow in October 2016.
Well fans hoped Hastie would give the kind of service to the club Cadden has but he instead opted to sign a precontract with Steven Gerrard’s Light Blues after a flying start to the year.
And they vented their anger as Hastie warmed up in the first half of their loss to Saints that secured Tommy Wright’s men seventh place and banked them an extra £60,000 in prize money.
Scott Tanser, who was lucky not to concede a penalty for handball earlier, tucked away a first-half spot kick before man of the match Murray Davidson netted early in the second half.
Newly-crowned Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Year did commit his future to the club earlier this year and the fans chanted, ‘You’re just a s*** David Turnbull’ to Hastie.
The youngster was jeered on to the pitch when Stephen Robinson introduced him as a 73rd-minute substitute and his treatment compounded Motherwell’s misery on the day. But Cadden said: “Jake’s okay. He’s a good boy and has his head firmly on his shoulders. He’s been brilliant for us.
“He’s got a career-changing move and he’s taken it. Every time he puts on a Motherwell jersey he gives everything and that’s all we can ask for.”
Robinson insisted afterwards the abuse won’t influence his decision on whether to play Hastie in Saturday’s last game of the season at home to Livingston.
Doncaster, Bradford and Aberdeen are all linked with Cadden who is out of contract but will cost a hefty compensation fee given Well helped develop him into a full international.
He said: “The only concrete offer is Motherwell. I’m in talks and there’ll be a decision soon.”
If it hadn’t been for the treatment of Hastie, rookie referee Colin Steven would have dominated the headlines.
He failed to spot a handball by Tanser from Gboly Ariyibi’s net-bound shot and the fact Robinson refused to point the finger after the game spared the official.
Tanser then converted a spot-kick at the other end following Charles Dunne’s foul on Chris Kane and Davidson scored from Michael O’Halloran’s cross.
Cadden added: “The game hinges on that handball on the line. It was a penalty and a red card as well. It was a good chance for us to score and that would’ve changed the game.”