Motherwell lost their first pre-season match to Crusaders in Belfast. They went down 1-0 to the Northern Irish side. It’s all about minutes at this point and the big positive for manager Stephen Robinson from the clash is goalkeeper Trevor Carson.
The Northern Ireland international has been out since November after developing deep vein thrombosis. He wrapped up the gloves again against Crusaders, playing the full 90 minutes.
The stopper played 90 for the first time since November. (Photo by Andrew Surma/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It’s a big positive for Robinson and most importantly Carson. He perhaps wouldn’t have thought a return to play was possible only a few short months ago.
What it does throw up ahead of the new season is a selection headache. Who becomes the Well number one, Carson or Mark Gillespie?
Goalkeeper problem is a good one for Motherwell
I’d argue that Motherwell have the strongest set of goalkeepers outside of Celtic and Rangers in the SPFL. Nobody outside of those two teams has two goalkeepers as high in quality like Carson or Gillespie.
Two fine goalkeepers. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
Gillespie was an underrated hero for the Well last year, bailing them out on numerous occasions. Carson on the other hand had been a Motherwell hero who rightly had his praises sung for over a year.
It really is too close to call this. The two of them are similar in style and almost identical in ability. Motherwell have never really had to deal with something like this in the goalkeeper department before.
Sadly in this situation there will be one clear winner and one clear loser. Both of these keepers deserves to be first team picks, but obviously only one can get it.
Gillespie is pushing to keep his place too. (photo by Vagelis Georgariou/Action Plus via Getty Images)
It’s a nice problem to have though. Hopefully competition between the two of them pushes their ability that bit further, bringing out the best in each other.
They’ll both get gametime in pre-season, but after that, who starts is anyone’s guess after Carson played a full 90 in his first pre-season game.
One fans’ favourite will be left very disappointed come the start of the new season.