Hammell era gets off to perfect start as Motherwell seal Pittodrie win
2 Motherwell 3
STEVEN HAMMELL’S heroes left the Granite City beaming with pleasure and pride after this riveting thriller of a game as a sterling Motherwell performance left Aberdeen chasing shadows.
Goals from Blair Spittal, Callum Slattery and Kevin van Veen ensured they delivered for their manager, Hammell, whose appointment was confirmed only two days earlier. And the rookie boss heaped praise on his players whom, he insisted, showed quality and character – particularly after going behind.
He said: “The performance was good. Seeing the fans at the end was good and seeing the players in the dressing room afterwards was the best. The way they bought into what we asked of them in such a short space of time and the work they’ve done – that, along with the quality and the character they showed, was all pleasing to see and the reaction to going behind.
“We expected that from Aberdeen as we had the better of the first half and we told them to be ready. The goal we lost straight after half-time is poor, but the belief they showed in what we are doing and the way we can control the game was great to see.
“I thought we could have been a bit more clinical in front of goal with our chances but a win up here is a magnificent result. To see it come good – including for Callum Slattery, who I told before the game he would score if he put himself in the right positions – was pleasing.”
Few would disagree with that assessment. Jim Goodwin, the Aberdeen manager certainly didn’t, stating that he could find no excuses for a pitiful display from his newlook squad. The Dons had their own leveling-up agenda to address with Motherwell, bearing in mind they had won just a single league fixture in their last seven meetings with the visitors dating back to January last year when Derek McInnes was in charge.
Van Veen, a thorn in Aberdeen’s side last season with four goals against them, certainly made life uncomfortable for the home defence, but it was Spittal’s strike in the 20th minute that put an impressive Motherwell ahead after Sondre Solholm’s excellent pass down the right for Connor Shields gave him the opportunity to send a superb ball across goal for the former Dundee United man to finish from close range.
Before that, a slip by Solholm should have been punished. The defender lost his footing in the home half of the pitch and Bojan Miovski saw the chance. But despite being unimpeded in his race towards goal, he inexplicably fired the ball over Liam Kelly’s crossbar.
Miovski made amends three minutes before the break with a glancing header as he rose to meet Liam Scales’ cross from the left to glance the ball wide of Kelly to please the local fans. Suddenly, with a very vociferous home support behind them, it looked as if there might be a Dons comeback. It came two minutes into the second half as Jonny Hayes’ alertness right in from of the ’Well goal saw him clip the ball home as the visitors looked unsettled for the first time. Thoughts that Aberdeen might go on to win, however, were extinguished with two Motherwell strikes in the 52nd and 55th minutes devastating Aberdeen.
The first, from Slattery at the back post as he took Sean Goss’ corner kick, was the result sloppy defending, while
the second saw Van Veen stab the ball home after Spittal’s long-range thunderbolt rebounded off Kelle Roos’ crossbar. Again, the Reds’ defenders were posted missing.
For Goodwin, it was a day to forget. There were no excuses from the Dons boss. Instead, he accepted that, even when his men drew level, he couldn’t see a way towards victory.
“I just think we were really poor on the day,” he said, “and when you have performances like that you have to hold your hands up and say the best team won.
“We started extremely sloppily in terms of our possession, cheap turnovers, passing the ball out of the pitch.
“I think Motherwell fed off of it and it gave them a lift. We knew they’d sit off the game and try hit us on the break which they did on a number of occasions.
“But Motherwell deserved to go in front. We found ourselves getting back into the game with a really good goal, and I thought we were very lucky to go in level at half-time.”