COLE MINES A SEAM OF GOALS
Steelmen striker feels back to his best
DEVANTE COLE believes Motherwell are finally starting to see the best of him after scoring the goal that earned the Steelmen their first win at Easter Road for eight years.
The 25-year-old — son of former Manchester United striker Andy — had not played for seven months until he rejoined the Steelmen last October.
Of the striker’s six goals this season, five have come since the turn of the year, and the one-time Manchester City trainee clearly possesses the kind of firepower that can steer Graham Alexander’s men away from any potential relegation trouble.
On-loan Hearts forward Jordan Roberts put Motherwell ahead after 25 minutes before setting up Cole for a second within a minute of the restart.
And the Englishman is now aiming high after admitting he feels match-fit for the first time since arriving at the club from Doncaster Rovers.
‘Obviously, I missed the first few months of the season, so it took me a bit longer than I wanted to get me up to full fitness,’ said Cole.
‘But I am feeling a lot better now. Fitness was the issue at the start for me and I was lacking sharpness because I hadn’t played for seven months or so.
‘I was well behind these boys because they had a pre-season and I didn’t, so now that I have caught up with them I feel a lot better.’
Motherwell are now seven points clear of the Premiership relegation zone, but Cole refuses to look over his shoulder.
He added: ‘I was never worried about any kind of relegation battle because I am always looking ahead of me rather than behind.
‘With the boys we have in the team, we shouldn’t be where we are. If we are playing well then I don’t expect us to be.
‘I always thought with the quality we have here we would 100 per cent get away from any trouble.’
Top-six football is now out of Motherwell’s grasp, but Cole insists they have to replicate performances like the weekend’s if they are to finish the season on a high. Cole said: ‘I felt like we just carried on from where we were on Wednesday with the draw at St Mirren and this was an even better performance.
‘For large parts of the games we were on top and causing them problems.
‘It’s a bit of a mad stat that we hadn’t won here for eight years, but I don’t think it’s a corner that we have turned because I think performances have been there.
‘Yes, there have been a couple of games where we haven’t quite been at it, but the last couple of games we are back on track.’
Hibs remain on course for entry to either the Europa League or the new Europa Conference League at the start of the 2021-22 campaign despite Saturday’s result — the four-point gap on fourth-placed Aberdeen still intact after the Pittodrie side’s defeat to Celtic.
The men from Leith had been riding the crest of a wave after putting together a four-game winning run, but they never looked like making it five at the weekend.
Hibs complete their pre-split fixtures with trips to St Johnstone, Ross County and Livingston.
And midfielder Joe Newell has warned his team-mates that they cannot afford to slip up like they did against the Steelmen if they want to claim third spot.
‘It has been a good season so far, the Motherwell game was a bump in the road so we need to turn it round again next week,’ said Newell. ‘It was a disappointing afternoon, it wasn’t up to the standards we have set.
‘We can’t afford to have games like that at this stage of the season. We have done brilliantly but it’s the business end now — we’re close to the finishing line and you need to keep the same performance level and stay at that intensity to get over the line.’
Fresh from signing a new deal that runs until summer 2023 last week, Newell has cited the lure of playing continental football as a major factor in extending his stay in Edinburgh. Having plied his trade in the English lower leagues with Peterborough and Rotherham, there had previously been no pathway for Newell to face foreign teams in competitive games. ‘There are not many clubs you can go to who can achieve playing in Europe,’ said Newell. ‘This is a huge club in a brilliant city. I want to experience European nights under the lights here at Easter Road. ‘When you play down in England, in the Championship like I had been, playing in Europe isn’t something you can even think about. ‘It’s not going to happen when you are in those leagues, so it is a pull Scottish football has.’
HIBERNIAN (3-5-1-1): Marciano 6; P McGinn 6, McGregor 5 (Porteous 49), Hanlon 6; Cadden 6, Irvine 5 (Allan 78), Newell 5, Murphy 5 (Nisbet 49), Stevenson 5 (Gogic 49); Boyle 5; Doidge 5. Subs not used: Macey, Gray, Wright, Hallberg, Bradley. Booked: Hanlon, Boyle. MOTHERWELL (4-3-3): Kelly 6; O’Donnell 6, Magloire 6, Lamie 6, Carroll 4 (McGinley 41); Maguire 6, Campbell 6, Crawford 7; Roberts 7 (Lawless 78), Cole 7, Watt 6 (Gallagher 69). Subs not used: Morrison, Cornelius, Long, Devine, Hastie, Polworth. Booked: None. Man of the match: Jordan Roberts Referee: Alan Muir.