HAMMELL TO HAVE TALKS OVER MOTHERWELL JOB

CARETAKER manager Steven Hammell will hold talks with the Motherwell hierarchy about the possibility of taking the job on a permanent basis. The Fir Park academy director took temporary charge for yesterday’s 1-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley following last Friday’s departure of Graham Alexander. Kevin van Veen’s penalty proved the only goal of the game as Motherwell, who lost Rickie Lamie to a late red card, rebounded from their disastrous European exit to Sligo Rovers. Hammell will lead first-team training today and sit down with chief executive Alan Burrows and chairman Jim McMahon about the prospect of succeeding Alexander. The former Motherwell defender said: ‘The chairman spoke to me after the game and me, him and Alan Burrows are going to have a chat during the week to see what the best is for the club. ‘I haven’t thought about it because we wanted to win today. There will be a lot of people interested but I’ll be there for the next few days.’

Asked if he wanted to become a manager, Hammell added: ‘I’m on the pitch in my academy role every day, I’ve got a large number of staff under me. ‘So it’s something I’ve been doing for the last four or five years. I’ve got about 50 staff in the academy, with 150 players under me, so it’s not a responsibility that’s foreign at all to me.’ St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson admitted he couldn’t find fault with his players, despite the result, and praised Liam Kelly for his match-winning turn in the Motherwell goal. ‘I think anyone can see this was a game we shouldn’t have lost,’ he said. ‘We’ve created so many chances but met a goalkeeper in inspired form. It’s a long time since I’ve seen a performance of that calibre. But I can’t ask much more of my players. As a manager, it’s hard to find fault with that performance.’ Robinson had been linked over the weekend with a return to the Fir Park dug-out but categorically ruled out the possibility. He added: ‘It’s not true in any shape or form. I’m totally committed to the job here.’