Alan Cochrane @ Fir Park

The first half of this game was dominated by Motherwell, even if they didn't create many clear cut chances. They knocked the ball about well, and tried to use the wings where the going was better underfoot, but the Killie defence was well marshalled by Severin, and the further the half went, the more dangerous Kilmarnock became.

Humphrey looked lively down the right, but the best cross came from the left when Jennings fired in a great low ball, and Pascali did well to clear while facing his own goal. As Killie came back, Roddy had to turn a Bryson shot round the post, and then dived to touch a Kyle header over from Flannigan's resultant corner.

Kilmarnock threatened again when Maguire just couldn't reach a Kyle cross, but the best chance of the half fell to Murphy just before the break. Pascali missed a through ball, the Motherwell man was through one on one with Bell, but he showed too much of the ball to the keeper, and Bell got down bravely to smother his shot.

When they came back out for the second half, both teams seemed even more unsure of the difficult surface, and the distribution from both was poor. Ten minutes in, Kyle rolled the ball back to Kelly who shot over, but it was the hosts who took the lead in 68 minutes in the simplest manner possible. Hateley knocked in a free kick from the left and Murphy gave it the gentlest of touches with his head to beat Bell on the line.

Two minutes later Bell kept Killie in it with a good save from Coke after he had outrun Clancy, and Bell again did well to narrow the angle and make Murphy shoot wide. Killie tried to mount a grandstand finish, bringing on both Invincibile and Taouil, but although they threatened, they couldn't find an equaliser.

Jimmy Calderwood was annoyed at yet another slow and careless start from Killie, and although they did show spirit, more will be required as we try to continue the fight away from the bottom of the table.

Motherwell: Ruddy, Hammell, Reynolds, Craigan, Humphrey, Jennings, Jutkiewicz (Coke), Sutton, Lasley, Murphy (McGlinchey), Hateley

Kilmarnock: Bell, Clancy, Hay, Bryson, Pascali, Kyle, Sammon (Fowler), Flannigan (Taouil), Kelly (Invincibile), Severin, Maguire

Referee: Iain Brines

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