Martin Moormann has called for Motherwell to use their heavy home defeat as a key lesson. The Steelmen were thumped 4-0 by Aberdeen at Fir Park on Tuesday, a result that shattered their perfect defensive start to the Premiership season on home soil.

That loss leaves Motherwell fifth in the Premiership with eight points from six games. They have now lost their last two league matches, conceding five goals without reply after a 1-0 defeat to Rangers earlier this month.

A second-half collapse

Moormann admitted the nature of the collapse, after a first half where Motherwell had taken the lead, was particularly hard to take. Aberdeen scored four times in the second period to turn the game completely. "I think then it puts the game out of our hands," Moormann said. "We didn't play a good second half. I've got the feeling it was four shots on the goal and four goals, so yeah."

The defender was blunt in his assessment of the defensive performance, describing it as atrocious and stemming from errors in trying to play out from the back. This marked a stark contrast to their previous home games, where they had kept clean sheets in the league. Some early-season optimism built during European outings has begun to drain away with this consecutive setback.

Keeping heads up

Despite the disappointment, Moormann insisted the entire squad must respond positively. He stressed the importance of maintaining their footballing philosophy while learning from the mistakes made against Aberdeen. "I think we had a good start, but it was clear it can't be that good all the time," he said. "So maybe it's good to get such a defeat right now so we can learn from it."

Manager Alfred Johansson was also understood to be deeply unhappy after the final whistle. The team must now regroup quickly, with their focus shifting to an upcoming trip to face Dundee. Moormann said mistakes can happen but emphasised the need for total concentration ahead of that fixture.

The scale of the defeat is reflected in the season's statistics, with Motherwell now having conceded nine goals while scoring eight. They face a significant challenge to get back on track, with key players like Callum Hendry and Paul McGinn currently sidelined. Their next assignment is a daunting away match against league leaders Celtic on 26 December. Fans can track the team's preparations and the busy schedule on our fixtures list.

More detail at Daily Record Football