Motherwell 0 Rangers 0 LIVE score and goal updates from the Scottish Premiership clash at Fir Park

After the rain comes the sun. The deluge may not have stopped yet but the thousand of home fans who will pack into Fir Park today will be hoping their afternoon will be a sign of brighter days to come.

Motherwell of course have not won since September 3, a wretched run lasting 14 games. That’s not good. To make matters worse they have a team bowling up in ML1 in the sort of form that suggests more silverware. Well, we’ll see on that front. But nonetheless Rangers have won six on the spin and will look to chalk up another victory today that will see them just two points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership standings.

Philippe Clement, fresh from the Viaplay Cup glory, doesn’t have his problems to seek on the injury front. But will be hoping he can get through today unscathed and perhaps welcome one or two back for their derby duel with Celtic on December 30.

Motherwell: Kelly, Spencer, O’Donnell, Mugabi, Blaney, Gent, Slattery, Zdravkovski, Paton, Spittal, Biereth. Subs: Oxborough, Wells, L. Ross, M. Ross, Bair, McGinn, Shaw, Obika, Wilkinson.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Ridvan, Sterling, Dowell, Cantwell, McCausland, Sima, Dessers. Subs: McCrorie, Souttar, Lammers, Matondo, Wright, King, Devine, Yfeko, Rice.

It promises to be an intriguing and hopefully enthralling lunchtime clash. And you can follow it all here LIVE ahead of the 12pm kick-off!

Updates Available

13:47Andy MacKay

Six added minutes

The fourth official confirms there will be six added minutes at the end of this one.

13:45Andy MacKay

Sterling booked

Dujon Sterling goes into the book after catching Spittal with a flailing arm as both players jumped for the same ball.

13:43Andy MacKay

Subs for both sides

Theo Bair has replaced Callum Slattery for Motherwell while for the visitors Kieran Dowell is replaced by Leon King and John Souttar comes on for Connor Goldson.

13:42Andy MacKay

Goldson down injured

It’s a worrying sight for Rangers as Connor Goldson is down receiving treatment. He will be replaced but he is able to walk off the pitch.

13:40Key Event

GOAL DISALLOWED: Rangers

Ridvan does brilliantly to shimmy in the middle of the park and burst forward. He then plays in Dessers who has a calm finish past Kelly, but the flag goes up.

A VAR check confirms the offisde call and it remains Motherwell 0-2 Rangers as we enter the final 7 minutes of regulation time.

13:38Andy MacKay

Free-kick for Motherwell

It’s a free-kick from deep on the left hand side as Motherwell pile the bodies forward after Oli Shaw is hauled to the ground but Spittal’s delivery catches the wind and heads out for a goal-kick.

13:34Andy MacKay

Stramash almost provides goal

Motherwell win a free-kick on the right touchline and the cross is headed goalwards by Spencer, with Jack Butland struggling to gather.

There’s then an almighty stramash which Rangers eventually clear, but only as far as Spencer, who fires over the bar.

Again, a decent enough half-chance for the hosts.

13:32Andy MacKay

Penalty shout for Motherwell

Brodie Spencer gets in behind ahead of Ridvan Yilmaz and the Motherwell man goes to ground, but it’s more that he’s cut across the Turkish full-back than any kind of challenge from the former Besiktas man.

VAR have had a look and it’s confirmed as NO PENALTY.

13:28Andy MacKay

Double sub for visitors

Ross McCausland and Todd Cantwell are replaced by Philippe Clement with 18 minutes of normal time remaining as Scott Wright and Sam Lammers come on.

13:28Andy MacKay

Motherwell struggling to respond

It was a promising opening to the second half from Motherwell with a couple of presentable opportunities in the first five minutes or so, but Rangers have responded in a decent fashion, re-establishing control of the contest without managing to create any clear-cut chances of their own.

13:22Andy MacKay

Corner for Rangers

The free-kick is whipped in low and turned behind by Spittal.

13:22Andy MacKay

Another booking

Shane Blaney is booked for a pull-back on Ross McCausland as the winger feints to get in behind him. One for the stick-on category of bookings and it’s a Rangers free-kick in a decent position.

13:19Andy MacKay

Subs for both sides

Oli Shaw is on for Motherwell as he replaces Harry Paton in an attacking switch as Rabbi Matondo also comes on to replace Abdallah Sima, which may be with an eye on the upcoming week of fixtures.

13:18Andy MacKay

O’Donnell booked

There’s a slack pass on the right touchline for Motherwell which allows Sima to nip in but Stephen O’Donnell makes sure his progress is halted with a lunge that earns him a booking.

13:13Andy MacKay

Rangers miss chance

The ball is played long for Dessers, who does enough to put his defender off with the clearance going straight to Cantwell, who plays the ball across looking for Sima, but it zips off the surface and out of reach of the winger and the chance is gone.

You’d have backed Sima to tuck that away had the pass reached him so that goes down as a chance missed for the visitors.

13:11Andy MacKay

Spencer booked

Motherwell have been applying the pressure, but Slattery is robbed by Goldson and sends Sima on the counter, where Brodie Spencer catches him on the achilles for a sure-fire booking.

It’s not been a bad-tempered game by any stretch and that’s actually the first booking of the afternoon.

13:08Andy MacKay

Another chance for the hosts

Motherwell’s Brodie Spencer heads the ball wide of the post (Image: SNS Group)

The ball is sent high into the air and Tavernier can’t bring it under his spell, with the ball pin-balling about three Rangers players before it falls for Biereth, who sends a great cross to the back stick where Spencer is able to meet the cross ahead of Ridvan, but his header is wide of the post.

That was a chance to reduce the arrears there.

13:05Andy MacKay

Good opportunity for Motherwell

McCausland overruns it in the middle of the park and Blair Spittal plays Gent in behind and his low cross is heading for Biereth at the back post before Balogun gets a foot to the ball to send it over the bar for a corner.

Good start to the second half for the home side.

13:03Key Event

Second half kicks off

We’re back under way and Paul McGinn has replaced Bevis Mugabi at half time as Stuart Kettlewell plots the Motherwell response.

12:48Key Event

HT: Motherwell 0-2 Rangers

Rangers’ Todd Cantwell celebrates as he scores to make it 2-0 (Image: SNS Group)

It’s half-time at Fir Park with Rangers in command after goals from former Norwich men Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell in the opening quarter of an hour and Motherwell have had little response.

It’s been a dominant display from the Light Blues who are intent on cutting the gap back to two points.

12:46Andy MacKay

Cantwell denied

Liam Kelly makes a top save as a Rangers free-kick from the left is headed straight to Todd Cantwell and he catches his volley from outside the box flush but Kelly alert and does brilliantly to tip it behind.

Big chance and a massive save for Kelly.

12:42Andy MacKay

Free-kick Motherwell

Dujon Sterling is a bit late on Slattery just inside the Rangers half and it’s a chance to get the centre-halves forward.

12:39Andy MacKay

Sima fires over

Rangers work the ball forward well on the counter, stringing a number of passes together before Cantwell finds Sima on the left side of the box, where he cuts inside for the shot, which goes high over the bar.

He’s claiming a deflection, but the goal kick is given.

12:36Andy MacKay

McCausland chance

Rangers win the ball back again in the middle of the park and create another chance for McCausland as Cantwell plays the young winger in behind.

The Northern Ireland international hits a fine low drive across goal which Kelly can only parry into the path of Dessers, but the striker gets it all wrong and has a bit of a fresh-air swipe at the rebound.

Still Motherwell 0-2 Rangers.

12:32Andy MacKay

Motherwell opening

Mika Biereth has been somewhat starved of service in the opening half-hour, but the on-loan Arsenal man does well to initially beat Balogun on the touchline before making a burst towards the Rangers goal, but the big defender does well to get back and get a foot in to concede the corner.

Balogun wasn’t happy as he felt his shirt was being pulled, but it looked a bit like six of one and half a dozen of the other.

12:29Andy MacKay

Dessers denied

Dessers and Mugabi continue their own personal battle as the striker robs the centre-half and then exchanges passes with Cantwell.

The former Cremonese man has a good first touch to work the space for the shot across the goalkeeper, but Kelly reads it well and is down to save easily.

12:27Andy MacKay

Big chance for Rangers

The free-kick causes havoc for the hosts as it finds its way to Connor Goldson at the back post, and the centre-half works some space for a shot that’s well blocked, before the follow-up finds Cantwell, who delivers a deep cross to Dessers at the back-post for an improvised effort with the outside of his right foot that he doesn’t quite get hold of and the chance is gone.

12:25Andy MacKay

Free-kick to Rangers

Dessers wins the flick-on with Mugabi marking him tightly and the big defender drags him to the ground.

12:22Andy MacKay

Slattery off target

The ball finds Callum Slattery in a good shooting position just outside the box and the midfielder has a very decent pop at goal, with the ball wind-assisted as it flies just past Jack Butland’s goal.

It’s an good effort and the conditions will allow for some spectacular efforts you feel.

12:20Andy MacKay

Wind-whipped set piece

The wind has taken Gent’s corner and whipped it out for a throw-in on the other side. The conditions are certainly playing their part here.

12:19Andy MacKay

Motherwell corner

Ridvan Yilmaz is not happy as he feels the final touch came off a Motherwell player, but it is a chance for the home side.

12:18Key Event

GOAL: Motherwell 0-2 Rangers

Rangers’ Todd Cantwell scores to make it 2-0 against Motherwell(Image: SNS Group)

Todd Cantwell doubles Rangers’ lead as he sweeps the ball home from Sima’s chested set pass.

Ridvan’s cross from the left found the Senegalese winger whose chest control into the path of Cantwell was perfect for the playmaker to place it out of reach of Liam Kelly’s despairing dive into the bottom corner.

Motherwell 0-2 Rangers as the visitors start to cruise here.

12:15Andy MacKay

McCausland cross just misses

Motherwell get themselves up the pitch but turn the ball over for a Rangers counter-attack as Tavernier feeds McCausland in behind but the cross from the right just misses out Sima who was trying to get up with play.

12:13Andy MacKay

Another Rangers free-kick

Shane Blaney decides he’s going to try out some parkour over Cyriel Dessers as he leaps into the back of the striker.

12:12Andy MacKay

Kelly makes save

Liam Kelly makes a fairly comfortable save from a Rangers header after a good delivery from Tavernier.

12:11Andy MacKay

Free-kick to Rangers

Brodie Spencer is penalised for a late challenge on Todd Cantwell, who is in need of some treatment after that.

Ridvan had found the former Norwich playmaker in some space and as he advanced, Spencer catches him late, for a free-kick just to the left of the Steelmen box.

12:09Andy MacKay

Free-kick Motherwell

Abdallah Sima gives away the free-kick midway into the Motherwell half after stretching to try and redeem a poor first touch.

12:07Andy MacKay

Balogun heads over

From the corner, Rangers work it short to get a better crossing angle and the deep ball to the back stick has three visiting players queueing up for a header, but it’s Leon Balogun who heads over the top of the bar.

A decent enough half-chance for the centre half there.

12:06Andy MacKay

Rangers corner

The visitors have got their tails up now and win their first corner as Dessers does well to power forward and find Ross McCausland on the right, with the young winger’s effort blocked behind.

12:05Key Event

GOAL: Motherwell 0-1 Rangers

Rangers’ Kieran Dowell scores to make it 1-0 against Motherwell(Image: SNS Group)

Rangers have hit the front with three minutes on the clock as the visitors rob Motherwell as they try to play out from the back.

Kieran Dowell’s the man to make the interception and he plays a nice one-two with Dessers to get into the box and he has a big finish at the end, keeping his composure to lift it into the roof of the net.

Motherwell 0-1 Rangers. Perfect start for the visitors.

12:02Andy MacKay

Loose pass from Sterling

Dujon Sterling misplaces his pass to James Tavernier and Georgie Gent is almost onto it for Motherwell but the Rangers captain does well to recover and marshall his man out for a throw-in to Rangers deep in their own half.

12:00Key Event

Kick-off

We’re under way at Fir Park as Rangers take the kick-off, playing from right to left in the first half.

Can Motherwell snap this 14-game winless streak or will Rangers cut the gap to Celtic back to points. We’re about to find out.

11:57Andy MacKay

Teams in tunnel

The teams are ready to take to the Fir Park pitch as we get set for another Scottish Premiership battle.

Kick-off is just moments away.

11:56Andy MacKay

Clement pre-match

Rangers manager Phillippe Clement(Image: SNS Group)

Philippe Clement was speaking to the Sky Sports team ahead of this one and he was keen to emphasise the size of the challenge his team will face in today’s match. On the confidence provided by his own side’s winning run, the Belgian replied:

It’s better to have confidence, but if the result was not good the last game, then you always have the power to react also, so it’s game by game keeping our concentration.

On Motherwell’s bad run of form:

You can say bad run, yes that it’s [a] long time they didn’t win, but for example they get a point against Celtic and the other games against the Old Firm was a one-goal difference. So we know it’s going to be a hard game to break the wall and we need to watch out not to take transitions, not to take set-pieces. It’s a team that will wait for their moments, they have nothing to lose in games like this so it’s going to be a hard fight.

On Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling starting in midfield:

It’s [midfield] a very important position, but in the football I want to play all the positions are important.

You miss also the leadership of Lunny [John Lundstram] in the midfield and his coaching, so it’s a really interesting test for them. They did really well in the second half [against St Johnstone] of course with 10 men, now we need to confirm against 11.

11:39Andy MacKay

Warm-ups in full swing

There’s a real need for the thermals as the players take to the pitch to step up their prep with their pre-match warm-up ahead of this one.

11:37Andy MacKay

Countdown is on

Kick-off for this one is fast approaching and we’re at t-minus about 23 minutes to go.

11:35Andy MacKay

Weather Watch

It’s blowing a gale and absolutely teeming with rain for this festive fixture but here’s hoping the 22 players on the pitch can serve a winter warmer of a performance to heat things up.

11:20Andy MacKay

Dowell pre-match

Kieran Dowell in action for Rangers(Image: SNS Group)

Kieran Dowell was speaking to Rangers TV in the buildup to this early-afternoon kick-off and the former Norwich midfielder was happy to embrace the busy festive period his side are facing.

Yeah, another game they’re obviously coming thick and fast at the minute, so we’re buzzing. That’s what you want as footballers just a game every three or four days, so yeah we’re looking forward to it.

On the weather, Dowell quipped:

You don’t get many sunny days in Scotland do ya! So like you say, keep the ball on the grass and I think we’ll be sound.

11:14Andy MacKay

24 minutes

Motherwell’s 14-game winless run speaks for itself, but drilling down a bit further it’s even more galling as the Steelmen have been ahead for only 24 minutes in this barren spell.

Football, though, has a habit of upsetting the odds when you least expect it so Motherwell fans will be clinging onto hope that they can pull off a shock this afternoon.

11:03Andy MacKay

Unchanged XI for Well

Motherwell’s Oli Shaw (Image: SNS Group)

For Stuart Kettlewell, it’s an unchanged XI despite his Motherwell side enduring a 14-game winless run but the former Ross County boss will be hoping that some continuity will breed success after a battling draw at St. Mirren last time out.

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