Why Motherwell FC got back to winning ways at Dundee

Motherwell's deserved 3-1 win at Dundee last Saturday garnered a first league victory of the season and moved them up to ninth place and just a point behind sixth placed Hibs after four games.
Gael Bigirimana (left) who has been excellent all season, celebrates his goal at Dundee with Andy Rose and Richard Tait (Pic by Ian McFadyen)Gael Bigirimana (left) who has been excellent all season, celebrates his goal at Dundee with Andy Rose and Richard Tait (Pic by Ian McFadyen)
Gael Bigirimana (left) who has been excellent all season, celebrates his goal at Dundee with Andy Rose and Richard Tait (Pic by Ian McFadyen)

Here, Motherwell Times sports reporter Craig Goldthorp highlight five main reasons for the Steelmen’s success at Dens Park.

1Getting players back from injury. Saturday’s line-up was missing just Charles Dunne and Craig Tanner from what could be considered Well’s full strength squad, which was an undoubted help.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

2 Danny Johnson now being a regular starter. The nippy forward adds something a bit different to the forward line, knows where the goal is and has already netted four goals for the club in league and cup – including the crucial deadlock breaker at Dens Park – since joining from the fifth tier of English football.

If he continues like this he’ll fast be turning into Motherwell’s new Louis Moult.

3 Gael Bigirimana’s consistently excellent displays.

The Burundian midfielder is quite simply a different player from last season when – by his own admission – he thought Scottish football would be easy and so didn’t train hard enough. But he’s putting in the extra hours in the gym and on the training field these days and has been a standout in just about every game this campaign, including at Dens on Saturday when he rifled home a free-kick.

4 Trevor Carson being back to his best. The keeper made a couple of rare errors in the 3-3 draw against Rangers the previous week but was back to his best against Dundee with a crucial save from Paul McGowan at 2-1.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

5 Allan Campbell and Andy Rose’s tenacious partnership in midfield. Both of these underrated players do the dirty work which allows Bigirimana to spray passes. Campbell also chipped in with a fine late goal to seal the Dens Park win.