Today's result: Hibernian 0, Motherwell 1.

Wasn't at Easter Road today (or at the Dundee Utd game last week for that matter), but good to see us finally get our first win of the season.  John Sutton looks like he's going to be a decent signing with two goals in as many games, while Keith Lasley was apparently outstanding.  Good to get some points on the board before the international break, especially as our next two matches are against both halves of the Old Firm.

Team (4-3-3): Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Lasley, Hughes (Fitzpatrick 81), McGarry (O'Brien 90), Clarkson, Sutton (Murphy 80), Porter.
Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Malcolm, Darren Smith, Connolly.

Motherwell scorer: Sutton (79).

Booked: none.

Attendance: 11,285

Mark McGhee's post-match comments were as follows:
"Obviously, we're delighted to get the first three points but I've been trying to make the point all week that we felt we were in form. Last week, we played ever so well and didn't win.  We weren't playing without confidence but with Celtic and Rangers coming up next, those are two games that we could just as easily lose.  So, to go into those two games without a win would have made us feel a little bit uncomfortable."

Motherwell had a seemingly decent penalty claim turned down by the referee in the second half, and McGhee added:
"One of the things I've tried to say to my players today is that we're going to try our best to assist referees.  I don't know if there was any noticeable difference in terms of our attitude to the referee today but they were under strict instructions from me to claim for every decision they wanted to but not to dispute any decisions.  We're entitled to claim and you would see it at the penalty kick incident that we claimed for it but there was no big scene when it wasn't given.  That's something we're going to try to do."

Anyway, to much more important matters.  Has everyone managed to get booked up for the UEFA Cup trip to Nancy on September 18?  My plans are roughly as follows:

• Fly from Glasgow to Paris CDG with Easyjet on the morning of Wednesday 17th
• Spend one night in Paris (hotel still to be booked)
• Get the 12.12 TGV from Paris Est to Nancy Ville on the day of the game (booked via www.raileurope.co.uk)
• Spend the Thursday night at this Ibis hotel
• Get the 06.15 (ouch!) TGV back to Paris on the Friday, before flying back to Glasgow at 12.15

Ticket and Official club travel information will be confirmed and announced at 2pm on Monday.

See you at the Place Stanislas!

Mark McGhee's reaction to the draw:
"It's a difficult draw as any seeded team is going to be a good side, but the fact that we're away from home first is really important.  The match that would have been the glamour tie and would have given us little chance was Valencia.  But I think this one, like the three other teams we could have had, gives us a chance.  We have to be prepared to win 1-0 over the two legs, which isn't the the way we normally play, but you have to be very strict and disciplined in your defending and you have to take your chances.  Being drawn away first gives us a little opportunity to go there, keep it tight and maybe not be too ambitious; and then to come back here and really play the sort of expansive football we're used to playing to try and beat them.  I think that if we play the way we did against Dundee United last Saturday then we will beat Nancy because we played as well then, particularly in the second half, as we played at any time last season.  Our form is there so we have to take that into this tie.

"I don't know a tremendous amount about Nancy; I know a little bit about French football generally, but I've already made calls already to acquire some DVDs from our satellite television friend.  By the time we play them, we'll have watched two of their matches and we'll have plenty of knowledge of them.  I had 10 years of playing in European football every season and I have to make that count because the players will come up against things in the first game and it can pass you by so quickly.  The best way I can put it is that we have to play in the present, not thinking about anything else like what happens in the next leg or what happens if we win, lose, we score, they score - we just have to play in the moment.  You have to be really disciplined and focused, and you also have to go the distance because it's no use playing well for 85 minutes and then losing a goal, so they're really difficult games which require high concentration and that's what I'll have to instil in the players."

John Boyle's transatlantic budget carrier Zoom Airlines has suspended all flights and is applying to go into administration.  Full details from the BBC.

The club have dropped their interest in trialist Togo midfielder Souleymane Mamam as manager Mark McGhee's priority is to sign a defender.  With the transfer window closing on Monday, he'd better get a move on...

The reserves beat their Aberdeen counterparts 3-1 in midweek, with goals from Murphy, Darren Smith and Hutchinson.  Full details from the Official Site.