Stuart Kettlewell talks about Motherwell standout Lennon Miller, but laments his fitness level in the latter stages of Celtic’s collapse

Stuart Kettlewell was frustrated that there was no desire on Motherwell’s side to see off Celtic.

Although the Steelmen took a lead in the first half, they lost 3-1 to the Hoops and showed signs of physical decline in the final stages. Kettlewell’s side held a comfortable lead before the break, but the visitors pressed on after the restart, scoring twice in the closing stages to seal victory.

The manager was disappointed by the fall and suggested fitness levels may have been a factor, as his players looked longer legged as the final whistle approached. And if he can solve that, he asserts, he will retain even more points.

“For us to get better, mentally we have to complete 96 minutes, but we also have to complete 96 minutes physically, so that comes back to me. I’m not saying it’s bad, but once we practice, one or two guys are starting to feel soreness in their hamstrings and thighs, which is probably a sign that their opponent could gain momentum in the game. Probably.

“I felt like we were forced to change out of necessity. We have to work on conditioning ourselves to play 96 minutes. It’s not just the body, it’s the body being turned on. .I have to identify what I was looking at.” “The game ended with us losing at least one point. Considering we worked hard for 94 minutes, I think we did well. In the first half, we really wanted to do what we did.” I executed it and my chances were much better.” And I scored a very good goal.

“In the second half, Celtic are trying to win the league title, but they know how big the expectations are on them, so they know they will be behind at times. That’s the killer of this game, so we’re dealing with a big part of what their threat is. ”

Young 17-year-old Lennon Miller stood out in the center of Well’s park as he scored Blair Spital’s first goal with some fine skill. And Mr. Kettlewell had special praise for this child.

“Great. I thought he was a breath of fresh air. If you look at his contribution in goal, he had chances in the second half, ghosting into the box and is good in the air. All of this is — “Round play doesn’t surprise me. I expect that from him. He’s only 17 years old and we need to condition our players to be able to play 96 minutes.” And I would say, that’s a little bit of me restraining myself.”

“It’s going to take time to play to that level and try to get that intensity out of a player like Lennon over a period of time. What I’m saying is, that’s what we have to strive for. That’s just the thing. We’ll get that from Lennon in time, but I hope he stays alive. “I think he acquitted himself really well on TV against the first team.”