Motherwell Maintain Top-Four Push with Commanding Victory at Livingston

Motherwell strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Premiership with a dominant 2-0 victory over bottom-half strugglers Livingston at the Home of the Set Fare Arena.

The Steelmen’s clinical first-half display proved the difference as they secured all three points before the interval, extending their impressive recent form and moving further clear of the chasing pack in the race for European qualification.

Stuart Kettlewell’s side entered the encounter in excellent spirits, boasting 40 points from 23 matches and sitting comfortably in fourth position with a superior goal difference of +18. Their recent form (WDWWL) contrasted sharply with Livingston’s dire run, which has seen David Martindale’s men collect just one point from their last five outings.

The visitors’ quality told from the opening exchanges, with Motherwell capitalising on their superiority to establish a commanding 2-0 lead by half-time. The early goals effectively killed the contest, allowing the away side to manage proceedings and preserve energy for upcoming fixtures.

Livingston’s struggles were evident throughout, with the Lions unable to mount any meaningful response to falling behind. Currently languishing in 12th position with just 11 points from 23 matches, their woeful goal difference of -24 tells the story of a campaign that has spiralled from early optimism to relegation concerns.

The result was somewhat harsher than ScoresFooty’s pre-match prediction of a narrow 1-0 Motherwell victory, though the outcome never looked in doubt once the visitors had established their early advantage. With referee S. McLean overseeing a relatively straightforward afternoon, Motherwell demonstrated the clinical edge that has characterised their push for European football.

For Motherwell, this victory maintains their impressive points-per-game average of 1.74, keeping them well-positioned for a top-six finish. Livingston, conversely, remain mired in the bottom half with an average of just 0.48 points per match, highlighting the eight-place gulf in quality that separated these sides on the day.