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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andy McGilvray

Celtic deserve Premiership title, but Well want to beat them for our own targets, says boss

Motherwell boss Graham Alexander says they're heading to Celtic Park tomorrow in search of a win to secure a fourth-placed Premiership finish, rather than to spoil the champions' title party.

Alexander says Celtic are worthy champions and will present a predictably tough obstacle, but the Steelmen have their own targets and are looking to finish as high up the table as they can.

A 2-1 Fir Park win over Hearts on Wednesday means the worst they'll drop to is fifth, with Europa Conference League football secured for next season.

But which round they start in depends on whether they finish fourth or fifth, and Alexander has his sights fixed firmly on a win tomorrow.

He said: "It's nothing to do with spoiling Celtic's title part, we want to try and keep fourth.

"Us going there to try and win a game is nothing to do with spoiling anyone else's party.

"Celtic deserved to win the league and they deserve to celebrate, regardless of what the result is tomorrow. That's not on my agenda and it won't be on my players'. We're going there for our own reasons.

Alexander says Motherwell are always looking to win games for their own targets (SNS Group)

"Our season isn't over, we have to go and make sure we're concentrated and as focused as we have been, certainly in the last few weeks, to get the job done.

"We still have a job to do, we still want to try and get that fourth position.

"I know we've qualified for Europe, and regardless of whether we finish fourth or fifth, it's still a success, but being professional and ambitious people, we always want a little bit more.

"I think that's what keeps you driving along, it keeps that ambition burning strong, and we want to try and secure fourth. I believe we'll have to take something from the game to do that."

Alexander says finishing fourth isn't as big a leap financially as it would have been, had they landed outside the European places, but says it was a massive achievement.

He said: "We'll still finish in a position we weren't expected to finish in, with what we have, but the next qualifying round is later in the season [if we finish fourth], and the finances will be a little bit different as well, but I don't think it will be a major difference.

"The biggest difference was between finishing fifth and sixth. I don't believe it's as big between fourth and fifth, I still think we will have a successful season, no matter what happens tomorrow.

"We want to win, we always want to win. It's a great feeling, we saw that on Wednesday. It's a great feeling when you win in training, anything like that gives you a warm glow, it makes you smile and makes the people around you happy.

Motherwell have had a great season and Alexander wants them to finish on a high (SNS Group)

"We always try to do that, and we understand we're not always going to achieve that, but the will to win always has to be there, and I think it has been, from our players and our squad.

"That will be there again tomorrow, but we also understand we're up against a fantastic team who have had an unbelievable season and they'll want to finish off in style as well.

"But we'll go there and give it our best shot."

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