They took their eye off the ball a few weeks ago – and Motherwell manager Graham Alexander has told his players not to assume they have clinched Scottish Premiership security.
The Steelmen made it three games unbeaten for the first time since December 2019 against Livingston, winning 3-1 thanks to a Devante Cole double and Chris Long strike. It moves Motherwell 10 points clear of bottom side Kilmarnock and nine clear of Hamilton in the relegation play-off spot.
Consistency has to be the key for Alexander: “The challenge we’ve had – not just in my period, but when I look back at the rest of the season – is consistency. The team has been capable of picking up really good results but it’s not been prolonged over a significant period.
“That’s the first time for well over a year that we’ve gone three games undefeated. That needs addressing. We’ve got six games to go and we want to take as many points as possible. We won’t always play as well or as fluidly as we can, but we can never come away from that energy and that commitment and discipline we’ve shown in the last three games.
“We’ve picked up three brilliant results after being on the floor. Credit to the players, they’ve shown true character to get these last three results but it’s the performance levels and the commitment that’s really pleased me.”
Kilmarnock await Alexander’s men before the split. After a 1-0 win at Rugby Park earlier in his ‘Well reign, the Fir Park club were humbled by Hamilton and St Johnstone at Fir Park, losing by an aggregate score of 7-1 over the two matches.
The Motherwell manager is keen for that not to happen again: “St Johnstone was a real low for us, rock bottom really. But the St Mirren game after that was vastly improved in terms of how we approached and we followed that up three days later with a fantastic win away to Hibs.
“I don’t even want to think about where we are because I don’t want anyone to relax, I don’t want anyone to take a step back and think we are on easy street. We have got to chase, we have got to commit, we have got to go for every game.
“For me, the league table is irrelevant because I don’t want it changing our approach. All we have got to look at is our next game and can we win three points. If we continue that mindset, we will be in a good position.
“But we did it subconsciously three weeks ago when we beat Kilmarnock away, I think people looked further ahead and we got a couple of slaps in the face. We can’t make that mistake again.”
Alexander has also provided an update on Tony Watt, the hard-working striker substituted in the first half after a knock to the side: “He took some painkillers but he couldn’t shake it off.
“Tony gets kicked from pillar to post. He puts his body on the line fantastically, but for him to come off it must be a sore one. Fingers crossed, because Tony’s been brilliant for us since he came in.”
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