A scrap with Bairns? || Falkirk 0-0 Motherwell

Cool as you like, as the winter fixtures hit hard and fast

Game 4 in quick succession for the Steelmen, as the winter fixtures keep on coming. The Well travel to Falkirk, hoping for vengeance after losing to the Bairns at Fir Park 2-1 earlier in the season. A win for the Well (and other results going our way) could see us pull away from Rangers into third. The Bairns were desperate for 3 points also, though, as a win would take themselves into third and above us (again, other results pending). All to play for.

Line-ups

Falkirk lined up in a 4-2-3-1 for todays match. The same formation they took against Rangers in their 0-0 draw on Sunday, however they made 5 changes to their starting IX. Out went; Keelan Adams; Kyrell Wilson; Calvin Miller; Ethan Williams and Brian Graham. IN came; Finn Yeats; Leon McCann; Alfie Agyeman; Henry Cartwright and Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi.

As for the Well, we kept our 4-4-2 shape, but made 3 changes from our 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday. Out dropped Johnny Koutroumbis, Elijah Just and Elliot Watt. In came Tom Sparrow, Ibrahim Said and Oscar Priestman. Elliot Watt was left out the matchday squad altogether, in a move we believe to rest him after the recent fixture overload. His spot in the squad taken by youngster Luca Ross, who started the evening on the bench.

A dull affair

Normally what follows from us at the Dispatch is a break down of the first half, and a break down of the second, but in all honesty...there wasn't much to report on.

Falkirk started quick off the bat, with Alfie Agyeman trying to really stick it to the club who helped start his career. The former Well academy graduate having a strike on goal pretty much from Kick-Off flash wide of Callum Ward's far post.

Falkirk dominated the chances on goal, however the Well did what they do and dominated possession (69%). Our only opportunity of the first 45 came from Emmanuel Longelo, who perhaps took the wrong option. A run down the left hand side saw Longelo cut inside, and a left footed shot at Scott Bain's near post had Bain beat, if not for the post.

The second half started In the opposite vain, with the Well going gung-ho at Falkirk's goal. Tawanda Maswanhise managed to get the ball bouncing in the Falkirk box, but a sclafed left footed volley was an easy save for Scott Bain. The only save of the half for Bain unfortunately for us, as opportunities came in short demand for the boys in Claret and Amber.

The Bairns however, with less possession again this half, continued to strike when they could at Ward's goal.

So, with that said, what can we take (if anything) from a game that most Well fans would label "disappointing"

The match point(s)- Positive outlook

• We kept another clean sheet. 3 games in a row we haven't conceded. A sign that the defence, which we believed was a worry at the start of the season, is stabilising and getting more comfortable playing the way the gaffer wants. Not as many mistakes, and when there are mistakes, we can recover

• 4 games in a week, and 8 points from 12. Nothing to be sniffed at. Unbeaten in 7 in total, with 15 points from 21 available. Again, not a bad return

The match point(s)- sceptical

• 2 games with no goals. Start of the season the goals flowed, but people may begin to panic as we struggled to create against Falkirk for the second game this season. Followed immediately after a 0-0 against Hearts, some may be inclined to press the panic button

• Have we been found out? Falkirk seem to have our number this season (1 point from 6). Motherwell have typically been a team capable to break down teams and find a way through, but struggled against the Bairns. Hearts have us a bit flustered to (2 points from 6), and we struggled also in the last match (minus 2 offside goals and one clear cut chance).

In all, what does this mean for us that follow the Dossers Fae The Shire? Simply put, and without sounding, well, panicky ourselves; trust the process. Growth in football always sees bumps in the road. It can also at times slow down, be a bit boring and tedious. But let's be fair, we can't expect scintillating football every single matchday, with goals flying every single matchday. It's not feasible. Add into the mix we have had 4 games in a week, with a 5th swiftly following (making it 5 in 2 weeks), it may be a bit wild to expect a perfect record.

We've been able to change not only our shape, but our personnel, and at the very least compete in all games (Falkirk aside, we believe everyone in both sides were slightly off their game, leading to damp squib of a match we saw). There are positives to be snatched at, but the bigger picture needs to be taken into consideration before we panic.

We also really want to take nothing away from Falkirk. For having such little possession, they created many chances, and on another day, we lose that match. They also swapped things around personnel wise, and managed to nullify us completely.

That pitch though....

The stats reflect everything we know from the match. Motherwell with all the possession, yet very little to offer creatively. Falkirk had shots, but were also limited by the Well defence t very little in terms of clear cut chances. Both keepers unworked. The Well not wasteful in the passing department however.