Motherwell's loss on Saturday came as no great surprise to Fir Park regulars but it did little to remove the shine from a potentially season saving month.
In mid-February Motherwell seemed to be in free fall. Months had passed without a win in the league and an embarrassing cup exit followed. The long time CEO had his bags packed and with a relegation struggle to come many fans feared the worst.
Keep the heid
By mid-March three wins and a draw under the charge of a new manager had transformed the outlook. A small but significant gap has opened up over a bottom trio and the team now takes to the field without the shaky nervousness that typified earlier performances. Safety is far from assured but the trailing teams must be envious of the Steelmen's upturn.
The fine early goal against Rangers cheered the home support but through long and bitter experience few would have expected it to be a winner. Hope was revived when Bevis Mugabi poked in a second half equaliser but the visitors’ relentless pressure bore fruit in the end. Goals from the Ugandan are rare but that was his second against Rangers. He scored an opener at Ibrox last season, sadly a 6-1 defeat followed. Maybe next time?
The league season resumes in a fortnight after the international break. Motherwell face Hibs (a), Livingston (h), Dundee United (h) and Celtic (a) before the split. The prospect of a bottom half finish to the campaign is never appealing but a few more points before the end of April should offer some breathing room and a chance for the manager to look to next season.