Well grab points as van Veen adds sheen
Kevin van Veen loves playing against the Dons and struck his customary goal to give Steven Hammell a winning official start as Motherwell manager.
The caretaker was only confirmed earlier this week and must have worried a trip to Pittodrie was a bad omen.
After all, he made his playing debut for the Steelmen at the venue in April 2000 in a 2-1 defeat. This was a much more pleasant experience as his team dug in for a come-from-behind win they thoroughly deserved for him and their fans.
Hammell said:”I was getting a bit of stick from Aberdeen fans after we scored but it was good to see our fans travel up here.
“It was a difficult place to come to but, win, lose or draw, we need to go over and respect that and enjoy that.
“I had family in the stand and they have not come to many games over the last few years. We won and I know how much they would have been
enjoying that at the end but it’s just the start of what we want to do.”
Of course it just had to be van Veen who got the decisive strike after scoring four times against Aberdeen last season.
Motherwell’s players were certainly determined to put on a show for Hammell and they took the game to Aberdeen in early stages.
They did survive a lucky break after Sondre Solholm slipped allowing Bojan Miovski a clear run-on goal but he shot over.
Not that the Norwegian centre-back was as convincing when doing the main job he was responsible for.
Motherwell, and Solholm in particular, had a real let-off in 11 minutes when the stopper slipped trying to collect a simple Paul McGinn pass.
The North Macedonia international made amends before the break, but by then Motherwell were deservedly ahead in a move started by Callum Slattery.
He sent Connor Shields scurrying down the right and a delightful cross was given the finish it deserved when Blair Spittal clipped the ball into the corner of the net.
That was his first goal for the club and he’ll do well to better it, but things got worse for Aberdeen when Matty Kennedy’s injury jinx struck again. He was forced off with
a hamstring strain after 28 minutes, allowing £250,000 signing from Fleetwood Shayden Morris the chance to make his Dons debut.
Celtic’s on-loan defender Liam Scales picked out Miovski who guided home a powerful header in 42 minutes for his fourth of the season.
Hammell’s disappointment at the loss of that goal was seeing his centre backs static as Miovski nipped in between them. Not that the former Motherwell defender would be any happier when Hayes put the home side in front two minutes after the break.
Morris won the ball in the Steelmen’s box but, instead of Stephen O’Donnell making a simple clearance, the Scotland cap allowed Jayden Richardson to pinch the ball.
Liam Kelly could only parry the cross and Hayes pounced to ram home the loose ball.
Not that the home backline was any more switched-on at times as they proved in a crazy three-minute spell starting in 52 minutes.
A Sean Goss corner was allowed to travel all the way to the back post where an unmarked Slattery had a simple task on scoring.
Then, in 55 minutes, Spittal was given acres of spaces to crack a long-range shot off the bar and who else but van Veen reacted quickest to head in the winner.