Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.
A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.
Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership table and extends their losing run to five matches.
The arrival of a permanent successor to Stuart Kettlewell, who stepped down at the end of January, will be a welcome one when announced, but Frail knows there is much to work on at the club.
“We’re hoping a new manager will be appointed early next week – the players need that bit of clarity and a new voice,” Frail said.
“He’s going to inherit a group of boys that are talented, devoid of a bit of confidence, but hopefully he can try and galvanise them for what will be a difficult game next week at Tannadice.
“Today wasn’t good enough, it was far from good enough.
“You hear the boos from the stand and, to be fair, I’d have booed the players and everyone involved at the club for a performance like that.”
Ross County boss Don Cowie was full of praise for his players as they continued their fine away form to move out of the relegation play-off spot.
Cowie’s side have now won four of their last five matches on the road, a marked contrast from the run that saw them go over a year without a league victory away from the Global Energy Stadium.
“I thought it was a really good team performance, it’s just a follow on from a really good run that we’re on away from home,” Cowie said.
“A lot was spoken about our away form, it was important that we changed that. What was also really important was that when we got our first victory, we built and added to it. I’m delighted.
“We’ve got seven games until the split. We’ve talked about how many points we can accumulate in that spell and we’ll just focus on ourselves.”
Northern Irish striker Hale took his goal tally for the season to 12, and having joined the club from Cliftonville in the summer, the 26-year-old has adapted well to life in full-time football.
Cowie said: “Ronan is a penalty-box striker. You have to create opportunities for him and when he gets them he’s very clinical.
“I thought he could have been better in terms of his performance within the game and he’d be the first to admit that, but I’m sure he’ll be delighted to have come away with two goals.
“It has been a really good return for him in terms of the transition he’s made from part-time football coming to our club. He’s had a big impact.”
Leyton Orient remain on course for the Sky Bet League One play-offs after a 1-0 win which dented Wycombe’s hopes of automatic promotion.Randell Williams scored the only goal of the game and Orient’s victory, their fifth in succession, leaves them ahead of seventh-placed Reading on goal difference.Defeat for the Chairboys, though, has handed the initiative to Wrexham, who could seal the...
Doncaster clinched promotion to League One after goals from Rob Street and Billy Sharp secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Yorkshire rivals Bradford.In an incident-packed encounter in front of over 12,500 fans – the Eco-Power Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season – Doncaster hit the post through Jordan Gibson before on-loan Lincoln striker Street gave Rovers a 33rd-minute lead with his...
Reading’s hunt for a Sky Bet League One play-off spot will go to the final day of the season after the Royals beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.Lewis Wing’s eighth league goal of the season after 67 minutes and Chem Campbell’s added-time effort leaves the Pirates staring at relegation after Noel Hunt’s side had to survive a first-half onslaught from the hosts....
Jamie Andrews struck a late equaliser as Woking twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Eastleigh in the National League.Tyrese Shade put the visitors in front after 14 minutes, played in on goal by Ben Close before finding the bottom corner of the net.Woking then drew level three minutes before the break when Aiden O’Brien headed in from Jacob Jones’ free-kick.Shade had Eastleigh back...
Port Vale secured automatic promotion to League One after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.Second-half goals by Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Hedley ensured Vale would finish in the top three and also made a dent in the home side’s push for the play-offs.Vale created the first real attempt of the game which saw Lorent Tolaj fire over from 12 yards out following a cros...
Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento both scored twice as Burnley emphatically maintained their Championship title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0 in their penultimate match of the season.Josh Cullen also netted in a one-sided game as the Clarets, already promoted along with Leeds, won with ease to move to the top of the table, three points ahead of the Yorkshire side.However, Leeds, who are at home to B...
Nicolas Jackson ended his long goal drought to fire Chelsea a step nearer to the Champions League with a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge.A dominant display was capped by the winning goal scored midway through the first half, the striker’s first since December 15 finished confidently from 20 yards past Jordan Pickford as though he had been scoring every week, as suspended head coac...
Celtic clinched the William Hill Premiership title in style with a 5-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.Nicolas Kuhn and substitute Adam Idah both hit doubles after Ryan Strain’s 30th-minute own-goal kicked off the rout.Celtic had only needed a point but they wrapped up their fourth consecutive championship in similar fashion to last year, when a 5-0 win at Kilmarnock earned Brendan R...
Chris Wilder labelled his side’s 2-0 win over Stoke a “proper away performance” as they got back to winning ways.The Blades had seen their automatic promotion hopes ended after losing four of their previous five, including their last three matches away from Bramall Lane.An improved showing saw Sam McCallum, making just his eighth start of the campaign, score late in the first hal...
Goals from Sam McCallum and Andre Brooks ensured Sheffield United returned to winning ways with by beating Stoke 2-0.The Blades had seen their automatic promotion hopes ended after losing four of their previous five, including their last three matches away from Bramall Lane.McCallum had scored just one goal since his summer move from Norwich but popped up at the back post when Rhian Brewster&rsquo...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 3 Man Utd & Man City join PSG in race for Akliouche
- 4 We always have a chance – Miron Muslic bullish as Plymouth boost survival hopes
- 5 Tottenham to compete with Man City for defender
- 6 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 7 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Daily Laugh - Totttenham 1-2 N Forest
- 10 Conor Gallagher's girlfriend dazzles on red carpet as stars gather in Madrid