8.25pm

Ricky's report of the Falkirk game is now available.

3.20pm

Yesterday's result: Falkirk 0, Motherwell 1.

After four consecutive SPL defeats, we finally moved off the bottom of the table with a 1-0 win at the Falkirk Stadium yesterday.  Afraid I missed the game as my Saturday afternoon was spent through at the Edinburgh Festival, but it sounds like a much improved showing from Motherwell and the victory was well deserved.

New loan signing Calum Elliot (see below) started the game, with David Clarkson dropping to the bench.  Sounds like Motherwell had the better of a fairly scrappy encounter, with the winner coming from Scott McDonald after 58 mins.  The home side had a player sent off after 72 mins following an incident involving Elliott, which resulted in the 19-year-old being substituted by Maurice Malpas immediately afterwards.  The match also saw the return of Brian McLean from injury when he replaced Paul Quinn after 59 mins.

Team (4-4-2): Smith, Quinn (McLean 59), Craigan, Reynolds, Paterson (Fitzpatrick 26), McBride, Lasley, Foran, Kerr, McDonald, Elliot (Clarkson 74).
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, McGarry, Connolly, Coakley.

Booked: Clarkson, McDonald.

Motherwell scorer: McDonald (58).

Attendance: 4,594.

Maurice Malpas' post-match comments were as follows:
"It was a great result for us. Falkirk started the season very well and it is a big win away from home.  It is a clean-sheet for us also and I am just delighted to get the three points.  It is the monkey off our backs and we are also off the bottom of the league.  We are now looking forward to the next game to get more points.  We pressurised them, were bright and I don't think our goalkeeper really had a save to make."

Of the incident involving Calum Elliott, Malpas added:
"I actually turned away, I followed the ball, so I did not know what all the commotion was about.  I wanted the game to go on because we were on the break. The fourth official said it was a red card, and I said: 'Can we not come back to that?'.  Calum was desperate to go back on but the medical people said we should take him off.  He was not very sure of what the score was. I don't know if that was concussion or that he is just daft.  He gave us physical presence when he was on the pitch, he worked hard and I would have liked to have seen him get more goal chances."

Hearts striker Calum Elliott has arrived at Fir Park on loan until January.  The 19-year-old, who scored 6 times for the Tynecastle side last season, said:
"If you're not given a chance, you can't show what you can do.  I need to prove myself on loan.  I saw a newspaper article which said Hearts didn't see me as a first-team player and that is disappointing because I see myself as a first-team player at Hearts.  It wasn't a shock, because I wasn't featuring, but I thought I deserved to be given a chance like everybody else."

It was assumed that Elliott's arrival would seal Jim Hamilton's departure to Dunfermline, but for some reason the move has yet to go through.

Scott McDonald has been called up to the Australia squad for their friendly in Kuwait next week.  He also confirmed to the Official Site that following an unsettled summer, he is currently happy to be at Fir Park.

Time for a new opinion poll

Will we struggle to avoid relegation this season?