Gaffer is our Heart and soul
Well ace Campbell praying Robbo snubs Jambos
ALLAN CAMPBELL admits speculation linking Stephen Robinson with Hearts may be a backhanded compliment for Motherwell.
But the Fir Park midfielder insists everyone at his club will try and convince their boss to stay and finish the job he started by sealing third spot in the Premiership this season.
It’s understood Robinson is top of the Tynecastle wanted list after Craig Levein was sacked last week – and they could be prepared to pay the £120,000 compensation required to land the Northern Irishman whose contract runs until 2022.
Campbell netted a late goal that sealed the points against Livingston and insists the priority is to keep his boss in place even if he knows a measure of Motherwell’s success is other clubs want to get their hands on his gaffer.
He said: “It’s definitely important to keep the manager. He’s been brilliant with me. He’s given me my chance here and this is my third season now. He’s done brilliant this year with the great bunch of boys we have here. Hopefully we can keep kicking on and stake a claim for the top six for the season.
“There’s a real togetherness here and I think that shows on the park and that’s why we are getting results and doing well in the table.”
This was a game where an ability to grind out the result came before any artistic impression as Livingston gave as good as they got and could count themselves unlucky to leave Lanarkshire with nothing. Gary Holt’s side shot themselves in the foot by failing to take their chances and after a low-key first half all of the drama came in a second 45 that began with a horror error by Lions keeper Matija Sarkic.
Chris Long was picked out by Campbell before driving in a low shot that didn’t look set to trouble Sarkic but he inexplicably allowed the ball to slip through his hands and into the back of the net.
In a week that saw Sarkic being called into the Montenegro squad, he’ll hope his international boss wasn’t watching.
It was 1-1 seconds later as Devante Cole barged Scott Tiffoney and Euan Anderson pointed to the spot.
Stevie Lawless slammed home the penalty in his first act after coming off the bench.
Livi had been the better side for long periods but suffered late heartache as Campbell made no mistake in the 83rd minute.
Sherwin Seedorf danced into the box before laying off to Liam Polworth whose shot deflected into the path of Campbell and he beat Sarkic from close-range.
The Scotland Under-21 ace insists adding more goals to his game is high on his agenda after taking his tally to two for the season.
He said: “I’d like to score more, hopefully I can kick on after that.
“I will keep working on it in training, on getting runs into the box and getting shots away. I had a chance before I scored which I felt I could have done better with.
“I snatched at it and it did not go in. So I’m glad I got another chance to get a shot in and luckily it went into the back of the net.
“I don’t get any stick from my team-mates about it as they recognise all the work I do for the team. It’s just a personal ambition to score more goals.”
Livi boss Gary Holt said: “To a man there was effort and desire and I can’t fault them. But I would rather tell them we were garbage and rubbish but won the game.”
“I definitely get why other clubs are looking at our manager. He’s not got the biggest budget in the league but he’s doing a great job and he’s got a great staff.