Van Veen leading thrilling Fir Park revival
MOTHERWELL improved their prospects of a top-six finish while damaging Livingston’s as Kevin van Veen scored twice in a one-sided contest.
For the second weekend in succession, David Martindale’s men found themselves 3-0 down by the break as they surrendered meekly to another loss.
The West Lothian side have now won just one of their last eight games and remain in seventh with two matches left before the split. On this form few will be rushing to place bets on them making the top half.
In contrast, Motherwell are a team going places under Stuart Kettlewell. They have lost only once since the former Ross County manager took the reins — to Rangers — to improve from a team that looked in real danger of being relegated to one knocking on the door of the top six.
They will need favours if they are to achieve that target but, even if they fall short, it’s nothing short of remarkable what Kettlewell has achieved in less than two months in charge.
‘Sometimes we think that was never the situation but it was and it wasn’t that long ago,’ he said of the team’s relegation plight when he took over. ‘I told the players to remember how it felt when we were bottom and people were on your case.
‘This was another good home performance. I was delighted with the clean sheet and three goals. There were moments we could have been better but we scored at crucial stages of the game. The most pleasing thing is the nature of the goals. We’ve watched them back and it’s the things we work hard on.’
This was one of the more comfortable victories of his brief tenure, the match all but over by the 34th minute as Motherwell ran in three unanswered goals. It made the second half that rare Premiership curiosity — a non-event — as Livingston compounded an abject first-half performance with an apathetic second-half one.
How Martindale must wish he could call upon a striker like Van Veen.
While Joel Nouble and Kurtis Guthrie struggled to fashion anything for Livingston, at the other end the Dutchman was plundering his 21st and 22nd goals of a stunning season as he scored for a fourth game in succession and came within a whisker of a hat-trick.
‘I probably referenced him being the guy who, as soon as I walked in, I knew I had to get the best out of — someone who puts the ball in the net like he does,’ said Kettlewell.
‘Kevin is disappointed he didn’t get his hat-trick, which is a brilliant example for young players to see that motivation.’
For the second week in a row, Livingston conceded an early goal and never really recovered.
Nicky Devlin has remained a largely reliable figure during this turbulent period, which made his role in Motherwell’s first strike after nine minutes somewhat out of character.
Trying to launch a quick attack, the defender could only pick out Sean Goss with a wayward pass. From there it was all down to Motherwell’s slick passing as Goss zipped the ball to Mikael Mandron who then found James Furlong.
As soon as the wing-back teed up Van Veen only one outcome looked likely and, sure enough, the ball was soon in the net.
Livingston tried to get a foothold in the game but defensive errors would again prove their downfall.
If Livi keeper Shamal George had been largely blameless at the first goal, then the same couldn’t be said for the second as Van Veen raced onto Max Johnston’s pass and somehow squeezed a shot in at George’s near post.
Fir Park purred in appreciation and it wasn’t long before the home fans had a third goal to celebrate as Livingston, just like in their last outing at St Mirren, fell apart before the break.
This time, George did well to block Blair Spittal’s shot but could do little to prevent the rebound falling to
Johnston who rolled the ball into the empty net. The offside flag curtailed the celebrations only for VAR to overturn the decision, the stadium announcer revealing the decision while referee Grant Irvine — who struggled with technical problems all afternoon — was standing with his finger in his ear awaiting the verdict.
Livingston had to put up some sort of fight after the break but instead failed to create anything to trouble Liam Kelly in the Motherwell goal.
At the other end, Van Veen thought he had his hat-trick only to be ruled offside. It was the only positive thing that happened to Livingston all afternoon.
Martindale (below) was willing to shoulder the blame for his team’s loss that followed on the heels of a similar 3-0 defeat to St Mirren last weekend.
He said: ‘The three goals were schoolboy but I’ve got to take most of the responsibility. The last two results have been unacceptable but I changed our shape on both occasions.
‘I felt I did it for the right reasons but it had an adverse effect. The last six goals we’ve lost weren’t great but it falls on me as the leader to rectify things because it’s unacceptable.
‘We worked on shape and our defensive unit but it never carried through onto the park.
‘You find yourself 3-0 down, with two goals conceded in 90 seconds. As a group it’s very difficult to get anything. The boys’ heads then go down which is understandable.’