Motherwell 0-3 Ross County: Analysis
Four wins in five away from home, out of the play-off spot and a clean sheet on the road, a tremendous day's work for the Staggies.Hale now has eight goals in the top flight this season, an impressive haul at this point for a striker in a side who were struggling for much of the campaign.Their creative players shone today, with Chilvers in particular looking comfortable on the transition and often picking out a smart pass or offering an outlet for his teammates.He created three chances this afternoon, the most in the game after Lennon Miller, and now had five league assists, the most in the County side.Despite Motherwell having most of the ball, County were often the side that looked the most likely to use the ball effectively in the final third.Perhaps one of the most promising stats for Don Cowie to digest post-match is that his side have now scored 10 goals in the final 15 minutes of the second half, only Celtic (19) and Dundee United (15) have scored more in the Premiership this season, a sign of a side who refuse to give in and remain determined to preserve their top-flight status.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Premiership will rebrand to... ‘Gallagher Prem'
English rugby union's top tier will be rebranded as 'Gallagher Prem' as part of a concerted push to champion the intensity, aggression and athleticism of the sport. The change, which comes a month after the second tier became 'Champ Rugby' in a similar facelift, will be unveiled during Saturday's final between Bath and Leicester Tigers. A teaser will be shown on the big screens at the Allianz Stadium and covered by the TNT Sports broadcast. After this soft launch, a full rebrand will come into action on July 23, when the fixtures for 2025-26 are unveiled. 'What is important to us is evolution,' explained Rob Calder, the Premiership's chief growth officer. 'We are a competition with great history, but we also believe we have a bright future ahead of us. We didn't want to change it [too much] because this competition is flourishing. We wanted to do right by that, but we also wanted to move forward. 'You've seen it with the Championship reducing to the Champ, there's a de-formalisation of sport and being right by the fan is really important. Speaking in the vernacular is important to us. 'We are going to talk how fans talk. It's not formal, it's not corporate, it's not traditional. We know if we are going to grow from Gallagher Prem fans, we've got to attract international fans and then reach out into broader sport audiences.' 'We want people to have a s--- Saturday if their team lose' Calder admitted that different names had been considered but 'there was so much strength in where we've come from' and the priority now is to 'reframe' rugby union to 'cut through to wider audiences'. Next season is due to begin with a Thursday night fixture on September 25 to avoid a clash with the Women's World Cup final two days later. Though this may end up as a one-off, more midweek matches could follow if it is viewed as a success. 'Real grit', 'raw speed' and 'big hits' are three taglines that will underpin the competition's advertising. Bosses want existing and prospective viewers to be 'unashamedly talking about physicality' as well as amplifying existing rivalries among the 10 clubs. 'We want people to have a s--- Saturday if their team lose,' said Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports, which owns TNT. 'We want them walking out of a match going: 'This has ruined my day.' That's what we want people to feel like and it's what we've got to build our sport towards.' Calder stressed that safety and welfare protocols and playing within the laws would remain integral to the Premiership's values, though the sport should 'not be shy' about its storytelling. 'Our focus is going to be on the intensity, the physicality and the extreme athleticism of rugby as well as the rawness and the grit of our league,' Calder said. 'It's a really simple proposition. It's about selling what makes this thing unique and what resonates with the broadest audiences. 'This is about big hits. It's intense, it's full contact, and it is unflinching. The players have said celebrate us as players and what we do; the aggression and the gladiatorial nature [of the sport]. Give the brand the intensity it needs to match.' 'Start thinking beyond these shores' There is confidence that showpiece fixtures can be moved to the United States in the build-up to the 2031 World Cup. Simon Massie-Taylor, the chief executive of Premiership Rugby, heralded the launch of the Club World Cup in 2028 as 'a step forward in the club game going global', and is mindful of how English domestic matches in the US have fallen flat in the past. 'The obvious point is the US,' he added. 'We've had games in the US before and they've been a flash in the pan; the wrong time in the season, the wrong area, the wrong teams [involved]. But there is an opportunity in the build-up to the 2031 World Cup. 'We also have a US partner [Gallagher], which is coming up to its 100th anniversary [in 2027]. It needs to lead to something. It's about maxing out what we have domestically first, which is why sell-outs are so important and why that needs to continue. Then you start thinking beyond these shores.' This all comes amid optimism for the competition's growth. Tickets for the final at Twickenham were purchased in record time, making it the 32nd sellout of the season; up from 18 in 2023-24. Away ends, introduced on a trial basis this year, are to be explored further. Stadium occupancy is a priority and powerbrokers aim to offer discounts for travelling away fans eventually. According to a YouGov survey, interest in the league has grown by 10 per cent and by 30 per cent among 18-34-year-olds. Massie-Taylor also said that clubs were 'chipping away' at government debt, from Covid loans, and third-party debt, with the on-field action in the top tier regarded as a major plus. Fast-paced, attacking rugby is viewed as an attractive characteristic, as is the league's unpredictability. Bath are aiming to be the sixth Premiership winner in as many seasons, following Exeter Chiefs, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, Saracens and Northampton Saints. It is understood that Red Bull's takeover of Newcastle Falcons is close to completion in what is hoped to be a precursor of further outside investment and the Premiership's financial monitoring panel, set up in the wake of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish going bust in 2022, has been a stabilising force. TNT Sports is tied into a new broadcast deal that will run until 2031 and is thought to be worth just shy of £200 million in total, rising to about £40 million in the last year of the agreement. Leading players including George Furbank, the Northampton Saints full-back, and Beno Obano, the Bath loosehead prop, have been canvassed for opinions on the marketing of the Premiership and are eager for personalities and athleticism to be celebrated. 'Build us into something that attracts the next generation,' was how Calder summarised the pervading message. Another encouraging aspect has been the strengthening and alignment of England's age-group pathways, with the Under-20s reigning world champions. The rise of Henry Pollock, an indelible storyline of the past year, is viewed as an indication of how youngsters can sell the sport and September will see the launch of YouTube content fronted by the players in a bid to bring viewers behind the scenes.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Premiership rebrands to become the 'Prem' from next season
The Premiership - the top flight of English rugby union - will become the 'Gallagher Prem' next season as it rebrands to emphasise the physicality and intensity of the makeover will include a new orange logo which will be shown to fans, both at Allianz Stadium and watching on television, before Saturday's final between Bath and Leicester is hoped that shortening the league's name will help it "talk how fans talk" and give it a less corporate, more informal also believe showcasing the confrontational nature of the sport, alongside players' athleticism and skill, will draw in new, younger fans. The Premiership says it recorded 30% growth in fans between the ages of 18-34 between 2023 and 2024."The research showed physicality was a key part of the appeal of rugby," the Premiership's chief growth officer Rob Calder told BBC Sport."That came through very strongly, not just with existing audiences, but wider audiences as well."It can't just simply be that. There's got to be some light and dark to it."That's where the incredible skill, the incredible pace, the decision-making under pressure is so important. Precision in training and then bravery in execution."We want to talk about all those things." The Prem will focus on delivering more action and behind-the-scenes content to YouTube and social media, with big hits, young stars and emotional moments showcased alongside tries and match marketing push is part of a drive for growth, investment and subsequent financial security after the chastening demise of Worcester, Wasps and London Irish, who all went bust in the 2022-23 Premiership believes that a franchise system - with on-pitch relegation scrapped, but teams obliged to hit centrally-set standards on and off the pitch - would attract a flush of new to such an expansion model has the backing of Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney, but will need the approval of the RFU Council to become second-tier Championship announced in May that it would similarly change its name for the start of next season, opting for 'Champ Rugby'.The Six Nations has also recently rebranded. The tournament unveiled a new orange logo in December, with the majority of fans unimpressed.
The Courier
8 hours ago
- The Courier
Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen spells out why he is excited to be back at Dunfermline Athletic
Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen hopes both he and Dunfermline can thrive – rather than simply survive – this season under Neil Lennon. The defender has penned a new 12-month contract with the Pars, who activated an option in the agreement signed by the former Leeds United last season. The 20-year-old arrived on a short-term deal at the start of February and made a huge impact at the heart of the Fifers rearguard. He was an ever-present at the back as the East End Park men successfully avoided relegation to League One. However, the Scotland U/21 cap is convinced there will be better things ahead for Dunfermline after Lennon's decision to stay on as manager. 'It's good to be back. I'm excited for the season,' he said after putting pen to paper at the club on Friday. 'Obviously, I enjoyed my time here last season. So, I'm looking to kick on again this season and hopefully improve individually and as a team. 'Last season, we managed to survive. But I think we'll be looking at the other end of the table going into this season. 'It's a tough league. Anyone can beat anyone, we know that. 'So I think just take the positives from last season and keep doing those things. And the things that we weren't so good at, build on that.' Dunfermline finished the campaign in seventh place after bottom side Hamilton Accies were deducted 15 points due to SPFL rule breaches. But, with just nine wins from 36 league games, there will have to be major improvements if the Pars are to achieve their stated aim of pushing for promotion to the Premiership. Chilokoa-Mullen saw enough in his seven matches in charge to know that Lennon's experience of winning silverware and competing in Europe with previous clubs Celtic and Hibernian could prove invaluable. 'One of the main things was playing regularly,' he added as he surveyed his time with the Fifers last season. 'It's my first real experience of men's football. 'That's something I needed and I enjoyed that. 'And working under an experienced manager, Neil Lennon, and playing with experienced players, they're obviously helping me. '[Lennon] has got lots of experience. He's worked with loads of top players. It's always good. He can pass things down to all of us, really. 'I think he wants us to dominate games this season. 'Obviously, last season, he didn't have that much time with us. So, I don't think he could really establish the full way he wanted to play in the short period of time. 'But this season, he wants us to dominate games, have the ball – and score more goals.'
