The goalkeepers took the plaudits as Motherwell and Ross County started the season with a goalless draw at Fir Park.
Aston Oxborough made an assured league debut for Motherwell after two years as understudy to Liam Kelly while Ross Laidlaw earned his team a point with several excellent saves.
Motherwell had the better of the game but are still trying to find their cutting edge, with a number of attacking midfielders injured and a strikeforce which is in the early stages of development following the departure of Theo Bair.
Zach Robinson and Moses Ebiye both missed good chances, with Filip Stuparevic nowhere to be seen after a poor display in last weekend’s goalless draw against Partick Thistle.
New signing Apostolos Stamatelopoulos came off the bench midway through the second half but did not get an opportunity to open his account.
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell handed Oxborough the gloves ahead of West Ham loan player Krisztian Hegyi and was rewarded with an assured display, with the 26-year-old commanding his box, showing good handling and looking alert when needed to come out further.
Robinson created the first chance when he dispossessed Will Nightingale and ran away from the defender but he curled his shot past the post with only Laidlaw to beat.
Ebiye had two good first-half chances which were well set up by wing-backs Ewan Wilson and Stephen O’Donnell. The forward was denied by a point-blank stop from Laidlaw from the first and completely missed his attempted header from the second.
Laidlaw tipped over a Dan Casey cross that was dipping under his bar at the start of the second half and Motherwell continued to push forward with their final ball letting them down on several occasions.
Oxborough had made a couple of simple first-half saves and made a more impressive one to push Ronan Hale’s curling free-kick past the post.
Both Stamatelopoulos and Ross Callachan were handed debuts off the bench, the latter making his first appearance since suffering cruciate ligament damage 16 months ago while playing with County.
The hosts lost a bit of momentum, though, and former Motherwell striker Jordan White glanced a free header over the bar from Akil Wright’s cross, although he might have been offside.
Laidlaw maintained his clean sheet with a brilliant one-handed stop to push Wilson’s powerful 22-yard volley behind for a corner. The Motherwell wing-back had been growing in influence as his Premiership debut progressed.
Nightingale had a chance to win it from a late corner but fired well over the bar from 10 yards.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Liverpool & Wirtz now Ange Postecoglou to be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur Feeling old Premier League big team transfer Antony? THIS IS MENTAL The Manchester United pull…Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, FootballLaughss, originaltrollfootball)...
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup debuts in the United States with a fresh format, gathering 32 elite clubs for the pinnacle of inter-club competition. This edition spotlights Group C, which brings together Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern Munich, South American powerhouses Boca Juniors, Primeira Liga giants SL Benfica, and Oceanian dark horses Auckland City FC. These teams, with their diverse and unique s...
According to reports, new Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is considering signing the Brazilian for Leverkusen this summer.Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen to sign Antony for Bayer LeverkusenTen Hag was in charge at United when Antony arrived for £86m in 2022.But the tricky winger's time in Manchester has been nothing short of a disaster, with Antony even admitting he went days without eatin...
Premier League runners-up Arsenal are now 'advancing' in their attempts to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, according to widespread reports.The Gunners are finally going to sign a new centre-forward this summer with widespread reports claiming that Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have a couple of targets in mind.Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko have...
Arsenal have received a huge boost in their quest to sign 'their main target' in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing that a two-time Champions League winner is 'willing' to move to the Gunners.What promised to be a successful season for Arsenal turned out to be trophyless yet again. Mikel Arteta's side could not last the distance in the race for the Premier League title, and the eu...
Liverpool struggling to agree Kerkez fee with BournemouthLiverpool are struggling to agree a fee with Bournemouth for the signing of full-back Milos Kerkez, per a new report.Per i News, Liverpool have been locked in talks with the Cherries over a deal to sign Kerkez but have yet to agree a fee for the left-back. The 21-year-old is valued at £45 million ($61m) and the Cherries are refusing to ...
Panama v Mexico: Final - CONCACAF Nations LeagueThe Fulham striker dismissed the idea of a true football rivalry between El Tri and La Albiceleste.Chile v Argentina - FIFA World Cup 2026 QualifierWHAT HAPPENED?Raúl Jiménez, striker for Fulham and a regular with the Mexican national team, weighed in on recent remarks made by Lionel Messi regarding the supposed football rivalry between Mex...
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier LeagueThomas Tuchel says he has the "greatest respect" for Ange Postecoglou, but has hinted he understands why Tottenham chose to sack the Australian. WHAT HAPPENED?England boss Tuchel was asked about Postecoglou at his press conference ahead of the Three Lions' World Cup qualifier against Andorra, with the news breaking minutes before...
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier LeagueTottenham players have been left fuming by the club's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou and his successor may face a player revolt, per a new report.WHAT HAPPENED?Per the Daily Telegraph, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has angered a number of players with his decision to sack Postecoglou on the back of their Europa League triumph. Wh...
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Borussia Mönchengladbach - BundesligaLiverpool have submitted a fresh bid for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, and are now reportedly closer to reaching a deal for the German.WHAT HAPPENED?The Premier League champions have been working hard since the end of the season to sign Bayer Leverkusen's in-demand Wirtz, as they looked to beat the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester...
- 1 Albanian Laura Woods wows fans in Champions League final outfit
- 2 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 3 Marcus Rashford 'grows close' to stunning semi-pro padel player
- 4 Why Premier League transfer may be off the cards for Victor Osimhen as Man Utd make 'timid' attempts to convince striker
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 FIFA confirms 34 team base camp training sites in the United States for 2025 Club World Cup, including nine in Florida and five in Calitornia
- 7 Man Utd continue to be linked with Emi Martinez
- 8 Daily Laugh - Mbeumo and his amazing talent
- 9 Liverpool's dream transfer window with six signings including £100m striker
- 10 Chukwueze reveals cause of AC Milan’s ‘disastrous’ season