Steven Hammell has urged Motherwell fans to get behind the team again for the visit of St Johnstone on Saturday.
Hammell was delighted with the backing their travelling support gave him and the team during their 1-0 win at St Mirren on Sunday, despite a difficult week that saw them exit the Europa Conference League qualifiers with a whimper, before losing manager Graham Alexander.
Now the interim boss wants them to make Fir Park an intimidating place to visit this weekend.
He said: “It’s a massive game.
“The fans brought the noise [on Sunday], they got right behind the guys, especially after a tough week.
“We knew that, we needed it, and they got us through it. They got us over the line and they were fantastic.
“We’re hoping for the same again, against St Johnstone, really making the first home game of the season a positive one, bringing a positive atmosphere, bringing the noise, and making Fir Park a really tough place for teams to come and play.”
Hammell added: “It means a lot to me, the support they’ve given me over the years has been fantastic, but it’s no surprise, even with the week they’ve had, and the disappointment of going out when we shouldn’t have.
“To come out in their numbers and support us, and support me, is brilliant.”
Motherwell’s win in Paisley will have given them a major boost in a difficult week.
Hammell said: “It was a huge win, it was needed. It has been a disappointing week before this with the performances, the results, the manager leaving, but the message in the last two days was we were coming here to win.
“That was the plan, everybody was aware of that, at times we had to defend – especially down to 10 men – but we came here to win, and we did.
“It has been good, but it has been a lot. We’ve tried to cram in as much as we could, in such a short space of time, but also give the players an element of freedom to go and express themselves and bring their identity onto the pitch.
“In spells in thee first half we saw that.
“Obviously you come here and you’re going to defend long balls, and then set-pieces, throw-ins, corners, everything’s going into your box, and we stood up to that.
“I know the character the boys showed to stand up to that was brilliant, and it helps when you’ve got a top-class keeper in Liam Kelly behind them."
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