Motherwell 1, Hertha Berlin 1: Stamatelopoulos strike forces draw

Daily Record

3 days ago

Jens Berthel Askou's side were given a tough challenge in their last pre-season game
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos was the hero as Motherwell forced a draw against 2 Bundesliga giants Hertha Berlin at Fir Park in their final warm-up match of the summer before hosting Rangers here next Saturday.
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A Fabian Reese penalty looked like being enough to separate the sides, before Stamatelopoulos struck late on for the Steelmen.
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Motherwell had a few forays forward early in the first half, but Hertha took the lead from the spot in nine minutes and dominated the rest of the 45, but without overly testing keeper Callum Ward.
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Ward's foul on Jon Thorsteinsson as he darted onto a clumsy pass-back was what led to Reese opening the scoring, and the Germans never really looked back.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou said this game would give Motherwell a test similar to that which they'll face against the Ibrox side in eight days' time, so it will have been job done.
But Motherwell didn't really pose a threat in the first half, which will have concerned the Dane.
The second half was much the same, though Motherwell grew into the game more, as Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had a couple of flurries up front, and Lukas Fadinger had their first serious shot on target in 75 minutes.
And it was left to Stamatelopoulos to squeeze a shot in at the right post corner with seven minutes left.
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Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou kept with the same line-up as their 3-0 win over Morton on Tuesday, and again there was no place in the squad for Lennon Miller, amid mounting speculation. Good news for Well fans was the emergence of goalkeeper Aston Oxborough to the bench, following his pre-season injury.
Motherwell carved the first opening in six minutes, but Elliot Watt saw his shot deflected over.
But Hertha were awarded a penalty when a clumsy pass-back left goalkeeper Callum Ward with a decision to make, and he upended Jon Thorsteinsson, with referee Nick Walsh immediately pointing to the spot.
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Reese stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick into the bottom right corner.
That sent the German side flying and Reese was only denied his second of the game moments later by a brilliant defensive block.
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Maurice Krattenmacher was sent through on goal by Tjark Ernst's kick-out in 25 minutes, but a well-timed challenge by Paul McGinn shepherded the ball safely back to Watt.
Marton Dardai nearly scored direct from a corner on the right in 34 minutes, with Ward forced to claw it out from under his bar.
A neat passing move in 41 minutes ended with Reese's rising shot being well saved by Ward.
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Deyo Zeefuik's header was well saved from a Diego Demme free kick inside first-half stoppage time.
Thorsteinsson should have doubled Hertha's lead in 54 minutes when he was sent through on the left, but fired a low shot inches past the near post.
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Oxborough replaced Ward on the hour, but didn't have an awful lot to do.
Fadinger had a low shot well saved by Ernst in 75 minutes as Motherwell tried to get back into the game.
But Motherwell levelled in 83 minutes when Slattery's cross from the right was squeezed in at the near post by Stamtelopoulos.
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MOTHERWELL: Ward (Oxborough, 60), Koutroumbis (O'Donnell, 78), McGinn, Gordon, Longelo, Watt (Halliday, 71), Slattery, Fadinger, Maswanhise, Just (Said, 71), Stamatelopoulos
Subs (not used): O'Donnell
Booked: Watt (23)
HERTHA BERLIN: Ernst, Zeefuik, Leistner, Dardai, Cuisance, Demme, Eitschberger, Krattenmacher (Hildebrandt, 81), Karbownik (Berner, 71), Thorsteinsson, Reese
Subs (not used): Smarsch (GK), Ozkanli