Youthful Steelmen Turn on the style
MOTHERWELL’S classy young entertainers had exhibited more than enough swagger in recent weeks to be confident of coping with a Lanarkshire derby.
They didn’t even require the encouragement granted by a chaotic Accies first-half effort but gratefully accepted it anyway. And, in the true traditions of local rivalry, gleefully made them pay for it.
Ahead inside two minutes, the win that kept Motherwell in the top-six hunt and Hamilton in trouble was secured by three goals before the interval thanks to 19-year-old stars David Turnbull and Jake Hastie.
The architect of the early demolition was winger Gboly Ariyibi, who relished running at Ziggy Gordon and his defensive colleagues right from the off.
None of them mustered much of an answer until long after the damage was done.
The Nottingham Forest loan man recognised quickly just how easily he had the beating of Gordon and wasn’t afraid to make him suffer.
The misery began in the lead-up to the opener, Gordon left bamboozled by Ariyibi’s movement and Turnbull the recipient of the American winger’s cutback. Turnbull was left alone by shoddy marking to scuff a first-time shot and deceive Gary Woods at his far post.
Ariyibi’s tormenting continued as he snuck inside Gordon and, drifting effortlessly into the penalty box against a lethargic Accies resistance, was pushed over by Alex Gogic.
Turnbull slammed the spot-kick low to the right of Woods for his first brace in senior football.
‘Turnbull was outstanding,’ said Fir Park boss Stephen Robinson. ‘He’s become a complete footballer and is getting better with each game. He’s a 90-minute player now rather than a 60-minute player. If he can keep his feet on the ground he can go a long way in the game. And if we get a full 90 minutes out of Ariyibi that would be brilliant.
‘He could also be a very good footballer. He’s learning all the time and is giving us that element of attacking threat, pace and energy.’
If the home side could have helped themselves to five or six by the break, then Turnbull might well have had four of them.
He headed over the bar to pass up a great hat-trick opportunity and it was his left-foot dig that deflected into the path of Hastie to drive home the third on 37 minutes.
Hastie was given a breather by Robinson midway through the second half, managing the amount of game time given to a precious and precocious talent.
Keeping Hastie out of harm’s way will doubtless help Motherwell’s bid to reel in Hibernian and reach the top six before the split. Next up is a pivotal trip to Easter Road on Saturday. Whether it will be for the benefit of Rangers long term remains to be seen, with the Ibrox club favourites to land the winger on a pre-contract deal.
Speculation was no distraction here and the Ladbrokes Manager and Player of the Month awards were no jinx for Robinson and Hastie.
‘He just doesn’t get fazed by it all and that’s why I played him,’ said Robinson. ‘If speculation does affect him or other players or they drop form, then we’ve got players on the bench desperate to get game time.’
It was one of those afternoons that makes you wonder how Hamilton manage to dig out unfathomable victories, the most recent coming at Pittodrie 10 days ago.
On the evidence of the opening 45, they won’t win another game this season and Dundee and St Mirren should be encouraged. However, their habit of unearthing a shock victory when least expected is the straw being clutched ahead of resurgent St Mirren hosting Kilmarnock tomorrow night.
Brian Rice declared himself ‘raging’ with a performance unbefitting of a derby-day assignment for a desperate team.
‘We shot ourselves in the foot and didn’t have enough spirit in that period,’ said the Accies boss.
‘I told them at half time they had beaten themselves. Certain players were asked to do jobs and they weren’t up to it. You have to win tackles and headers but the goals we lost are embarrassing.
‘We are in a three-horse race and are still leading that. We have to be at the front of that come the end of the season and I’ve told them that.’
Rice introduced James Keatings at the interval and a combination of his influence dragging Accies further up the pitch and Motherwell losing intensity meant the day did not deteriorate for the visitors. Keatings made his mark on Liam Grimshaw with a wild challenge that prompted Tom Aldred to have words and the substitute had a pop at goal as well, a powerful drive parried away by Mark Gillespie.
But Motherwell eased off, with smooth success assured and bigger tests to come.
‘Human nature took over in the second half,’ admitted Robinson. ‘No matter how hard I was shouting at them to press and press, the players knew the game was won.’
That’s six league wins in eight in 2019 for Motherwell and all without January signing Ross McCormack.
After four brief appearances in a second spell with the club, McCormack has returned to Aston Villa for treatment and Robinson reported it: ‘Doubtful he’ll be involved in the foreseeable future’.