TOP SIX WOE FOR WELL But Bair says side still have plenty to be proud of
Motherwell striker Theo Bair says his side have a lot to be proud of after nearly pinching a Premiership top-six spot.
The Steelmen battled back from a goal down against Hibs, thanks to Myziane Maolida’s 65th- minute penalty, with Shane Blaney ripping a shot into the top left corner inside stoppage time.
Oli Shaw then fired inches past the right post with an effort that would have earned Motherwell a 2-1 win.
Ultimately that would have been fruitless, as Dundee drawing with Aberdeen meant they nabbed the sixth spot anyway.
But Canadian striker Bair says they did well to even be in the mix, after a 15game winless streak had many tipping them to be fighting relegation.
Bair said: “It’s commendable that we put so much into it and nearly got top six.
“We went through a really tough run and a lot of people had probably counted us out.
“But we knew as a collective that we were a better team, and it’s small margins for us during the season.
“The fact that we did push it to this point, I think we have a lot to be proud of and we also still have a lot to play for and a lot to keep going for.
“The target now is to finish seventh. We want to be top of that second part of the league and it’s something to build on for next season.
“We get another crack at Hibs. Hibs haven’t beat us this season so we’ll be looking to get points off of them and Aberdeen again as well.”
Bair was flagged offside as he thought he had fired Motherwell into a 61stminute lead, four minutes before Hibs struck the opener.
The striker says small margins are a big part of football, and reckons his side did enough to win the game.
He said: “Unfortunately I’ve seen it back and I was a step or two off, but it’s unlucky, I guess. I think they called it a little too quickly, but I was offside.
“It’s small margins in football. That’s exactly how football is, we were unlucky to get the penalty against us.
“I thought we had more in the game than they did, so it’s frustrating to have it come to that, but we still got the point out of it.
“I thought we had won it.
“I know the other result made it that we were out of the race for top six, but the two extra points we would have gained at the end of that game still could have been very important.
“But that doesn’t change the way that we approach the split.”