Subdeck Stuffing in neighbourshere thanks in in year’shere taryilast hurrah would be Well worth the effort for Hartley
PETER HARTLEY insists Motherwell’s band of have-a-go-heroes can bring Hamilton’s year to an end with an unwanted bang.
The Fir Park skipper believes the current batch of players provide the most potent attacking threat from his time at the club.
As the countdown to tomorrow’s Lanarkshire derby begins, Hartley is in little doubt the players Stephen Robinson has assembled are capable of inflicting shock and awe on their neighbours.
He said: “This is the most dangerous team I’ve been part of – we have a lot of pace going forward and we can hurt the opposition on the counter.
“We’re also very flexible in the way we play – not one-dimensional.
“We cause teams plenty of problems and give them a lot to think about. We beat Ross County 2-1 at their place on Boxing Day but – if we’d been a little bit more ruthless – we could easily have won by more.
“We just want to sign off with another win and keep on going the way we’ve been g.parks@dailyrecord.co.uk going. It’s a Lanarkshire derby and we need to make sure we end 2019 with all three points.
“Then again we go out in every game with a plan to win that game whether it’s against one of the top teams or whatever is irrelevant.
“We have a really strong bond in the dressing room and winning games breeds belief. We have a very young team and these lads are oozing confidence, although everyone also keeps their feet firmly on the ground.
“We also bounce back from setbacks which is part of our game-by-game philosophy. We forget the past and don’t look to the future but live in the present. The manager has a different game plan for every single match and we try to follow that.”
Hartley also insists Well’s current standing as the third best side in the country is a credit to their manager who is an early contender for boss of the year.
He said: “He’s been fantastic and the new boys have all settled in really well.
“It’s a credit to the dressing room we had in place because we welcome people in and there are no egos there. “The gaffer knows that and he’s been brilliant. Training is really hard and he’s adapted our style of play. “There’s a good arrogance about us though because we know we can go into games and get results. “It’s down to the manager, the training and everyone at the club. “We’re all grounded and we all work hard. I feel that everyone is pushing in the same direction which makes a difference. We believe in what the gaffer wants us to do and we trust him to come up with the right plan and we’ll try to execute it.
“We might not always play at our best but we find a way to win and we don’t panic. There’s a youthful enthusiasm about this side.
“At Dingwall we pummelled County and I was starting to think it wasn’t going to be our day and then Declan Gallagher comes up with a bullet header at the death.
“It also helps there’s real competition for places all over the place.
“I had to bide my time earlier on in the season but now Charles Dunne is ready to come back after injury and Bevis Mugabe has been brilliant when he has played.
“That’s the same for every position and that’s the way the gaffer wants it.
“He doesn’t want anyone to be in a comfort zone – if you’re not doing it then you’ll be replaced by someone as good as if not better than you and that keeps you on your toes.
“It breeds success because you go out there every time thinking you need to win just to keep your place.” put points on the board then it’ll be great for us.
“This league is so tight this season and if you look at our games then you see the majority of them have been decided by one goal.
“Those are the margins we are playing at. We need points on the board but it’s also a derby and as important as it is to get points, a victory over our rivals is something the fans are desperate for.
“It’s a massive game for us. It’s the last game before the winter break so we need to go in there looking to win the game.
“If you look at the way we’ve played in the last few weeks then we are definitely capable of doing that. It’s just the little things we need to do better.
“Once we do that we’ll get that run going. If you can win three or four games and put a good run together then you quickly find yourself up the table and playing with confidence.”
GORDON PARKS