Motherwell’s attempt at an unlikely qualification for the top six fell short on Saturday but the valuable point increased the safety buffer.
The positive spin on the result is that a point has been gained over Livingston and St Johnstone. Now that the prize of a upper half success has gone the next imperative is to secure a place in next season’s top flight.
For most of the afternoon the game failed to deliver the anticipated drama that attracted over 7,000 to Fir Park. The home crowd rallied with their team’s late surge as the bubble in the away end burst. Shane Blaney’s wonderful equaliser, his second goal of the season, saved the blushes of his shot shy forwards.
Once the pre-match rains disappeared the strong wind remained to give the players uncomfortable playing conditions; few mastered them. The sympathetic view would blame the gale for the poor fare on offer, the alternative would reflect badly on the players.
An interested spectator was Erik Barmack. The potential investor would have been as surprised as the rest of the home support with Blaney’s curtain call but he has now seen the old stadium on a match day. The discussions with both the club’s executive board and the Well Society will stretch over the weekend.
The Society has been active in spreading the word that an alternative to an external investor remains. A business plan is in development and the new faces on the board are working hard to demonstrate that a loss of fan control is neither necessary or desirable.
It may be that ‘Well fans have plenty of off-field interest to fill the gap until the final five fixtures get underway in a fortnight.