Well boss: We have to be more clinical
Motherwell manager Stevie Hammell made no attempt to mask his disappointment after his side surrendered a one-goal lead and left Ayrshire without a point.
Now he needs to lift his players in time for Wednesday’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Inverness at Fir Park.
“We started well and in the first 30 minutes we did what we wanted to do and scored a great goal,” he said. “It was an opening we’d worked on and felt we could capitalise on. It was a positive start for us but, obviously, not a positive conclusion.
“We know it’s going to be tough coming here – they put us under pressure with crosses and throw-ins and I don’t think we quite stood up to that as well as we have been doing.
“The physical element of our game has been good in terms of winning first contacts and picking up balls in the middle of the park. But I felt we didn’t quite do that second half.
“There was a moment before [the equaliser] when we got in on goal and it’s stuff we work on every single day. In transition, we need to be better in the final third.
“We could and should go 2-0 up if we work it better. We work a good opening at 1-1 again with Ross Tierney and we need to be taking these chances. If you compare the goals and chances with what we gave up today, it was disappointing.
“[Our defending at their] second goal is nowhere near good enough. We shouldn’t be conceding a goal like that at this level and the boys understand that.
“We know we’re going to lose games but the manner that we lost this one, to the goal that we did, is hugely disappointing.”
Hammell insisted he needs to improve his squad before the transfer window closes. He said: “We’ll bring in a couple, at least, in the last few days. I think we need that, especially at the top end of the pitch.
“I think we need to be a bit more clinical and cleaner in the final third and that’s hopefully something we can address in the next few days.”
“We always take one game at a time but it’s a big week for us. Wednesday is a huge tie and we need to see a reaction.”