In fairness, we can have little complaint with the penalty. It was as stonewall as they come and had the colours been reversed, the east Stand would have been baying for the spot kick. All fans secretly revel in the thought they are hard done by.
Motherwell’s season starts properly after the international break and while three points from three games is no one's idea of a great opening, it is decent given our circumstances. Whether the current squad capable of challenging for Europe is doubtful but it already seems clear we won't be relegated. That could result in a campaign where we spend months in the limbo of mid-table.
That would be hard to take for many fans following the excitement of our recent adventures and the club must be more concerned than ever about falling attendances. Leeann Dempster, our chief executive, has been superb since arriving at Fir Park but boosting morale among the support could be her biggest challenge yet. Hopefully a deadline day signing or two by Craig Brown will have given her a hand in this regard!
The draw for the 3rd round of the CIS Cup will offer some interest in a week when no match preparation is needed. It is scheduled for 2.30pm on Tuesday and it takes place at Hampden. In contrast to the last Europa League draw, we’ll be one of the seeds in this round of 16. That means we’ll be matched with on of; Inverness, Kilmarnock, Queen of the South, Ross County, Brechin, Dunfermline, Falkirk or Raith Rovers.