MOTHERWELL manager Mark McGhee claims his team's football is beginning to flow again after they recovered from their European exit to see off Falkirk in an entertaining tussle in Lanarkshire.
John Sutton headed the winner to lift the mood around Fir Park after Thursday night's 2-0 defeat to Nancy ended Motherwell's short-lived interest in the Uefa Cup.
Although sloppy defending at both ends contributed to the excitement, Motherwell l
ooked more like the side that sealed third place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League last season as they produced a number of incisive build-ups. Only three days had passed since Motherwell bowed out of Europe against the French cracks, but McGhee believes there is now cause for optimism. "I feel that, regardless of how anyone else saw the game on Thursday, I saw things that encouraged me," he said.
"I thought a wee bit of our football was there again. I think the boys felt that as well and they took that into the game and they took it another step back towards what we know we can do. It's still not back completely but there was some good play. We didn't defend as well as we would have liked but we were trying to play again and that was very pleasing. Obviously earning the three points off the back of that was terrific.
I think our football was a bit better than Falkirk's so I think we edged it."
Motherwell took control early on and Jamie Murphy had a deflected effort turned past the near post by Robert Olejnik following an accurate long pass by Paul Quinn.
Murphy, playing wide right in a 4-4-2 formation, then sped to the byline and crossed to the back post where Steven McGarry rose well but could not direct his header on target. Well had regained some of the fluency largely missing so far this season and Murphy made their pressure count with a calm finish in the 12th minute. Referee Stevie O'Reilly played advantage after Lee Bullen fouled Sutton on the right and Keith Lasley lofted the ball into Murphy's path. The 19-year-old took a touch before sliding the ball past Olejnik from 15 yards. However, the hosts then allowed Falkirk to draw level in the 22nd minute when Michael Higdon headed Bullen's long ball over a static defence and Steve Lovell slotted home.
The visitors were then guilty of far sloppier defending a minute later as Chris Porter put Motherwell back in front. Olejnik came off his line to smother Quinn's long ball but deliberately let go as he slid out of the box. Bullen had turned his back on play and Porter was allowed to slip the ball home from a tight angle. The goals looked likely to keep coming and Lovell headed wide from a good position after Jackie McNamara's cross found him unmarked. Motherwell reassumed control, though, and in the final minute of the half Bullen had to stretch to hook Porter's header off the line following a back-post cross by Stephen Hughes.
However, Falkirk took less than three minutes of the second period to level through Graham Barrett. The Irishman took the ball from Scott Arfield on the edge of the box and easily turned Stephen Craigan before stroking it into the corner of the net.
The hosts again quickly restored their advantage when Sutton rose well in the 55th minute to head McGarry's inswinging cross into the bottom corner from eight yards. The striker almost netted moments later but Murphy's cross to the far post was inches too high. Falkirk were pushing plenty of men forward and Lovell's 30-yard volley went just wide with Graeme Smith rooted to the spot. The visitors were pushing Motherwell back but Hughes almost played Murphy in on the counter attack only for Olejnik to come out and smother.
Smith pulled off a great save in the 76th minute when he dived to push away Higdon's close-range header following a corner from substitute Neil McCann.
Falkirk were taking more risks and Sutton blasted just wide from 20 yards after another break. Bullen headed on to the roof of the net from substitute Russell Latapy's free-kick, but Motherwell held firm to end the visitors' four-game unbeaten run.
Falkirk manager John Hughes lamented his team's defending. "I don't want to take anything away from Motherwell, they put plenty in to win the match," Hughes said. "But I have never seen a quality goal against us this season. Every one has been avoidable. We need to stop crosses and you want a centre-half to go and head it – you can't give anyone a cheap header."
Hughes, however, refused to pin the blame on his goalkeeper. "I feel for Bobby Olejnik, there is no criticism," he added. "It was a big test for him going out in the second half and he did okay.
"He lost a bad goal last week but if he stays in the team and he plays well, that's the making of him. Bobby has to have the mental toughness to say, 'I'm your man'. Bobby Olejnik is a great guy to work with. He should have held on to the ball, he would only have been booked. But it's not down to Bobby Olejnik why we lost the game, it's down to defending from the front and giving away goals that were avoidable."
Motherwell: G Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Lasley, Hughes, McGarry (Fitzpatrick 70), Murphy (Clarkson 77), Porter, Sutton. Subs not used: Nielsen, Malcolm, O'Brien, Darren Smith, Connolly.
Falkirk: Olejnik, McNamara (Aafjes 64), Barr, Bullen, Scobbie, Arfield, O'Brien (McCann 67), McBride, Barrett (Latapy 79), Lovell, Higdon. Subs not used: Flinders, Cregg, Mark Stewart, Lynch.
MAN OF THE MATCH
John Sutton (Motherwell)The former St Mirren forward has proved to be a shrewd signing by Mark McGhee and his excellent all-round display was rewarded when he bulleted home the game's decisive goal.
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