McGinn wants to prove Motherwell have turned a corner

Motherwell defender Paul McGinn is determined to ensure their two wins under Stuart Kettlewell are no short-term “bounce”.

Kettlewell was this week handed the reins until the end of next season following a perfect stint as caretaker boss in the wake of Steven Hammell’s departure.

Motherwell have moved up to ninth in the cinch Premiership, six points off the bottom, and now face the two teams directly below them, Kilmarnock and Ross County.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Rugby Park, McGinn said of Kettlewell’s appointment: “We are really pleased. I would have been surprised if it was anyone else after those two performances and results.

“We are just glad to have a settled manager in and hopefully we are looking up now.

“The confidence the wins can give you make the games slightly easier and hopefully we can keep the run going.

“Panic stations would happen again if we don’t carry it on so it’s up to us to keep the wins going or at least positive results and positive performances.

“We can’t have it just being a bounce. We want it to be more than that.”

McGinn was particularly disappointed to see Hammell leave and felt luck deserted his former manager.

But he also praised Kettlewell for what he brought ahead of wins against St Mirren and Hearts.

“Just a calmness and quite a clear plan on how we were going to attack both games,” the former Hibernian player said.

“There is a bit of luck as well, you get the results and it all plays a big part. It’s just football sometimes, it’s just mad, if you watched us against Raith and then the next week, it was quite a turnaround.

“It seems weird that only a week and a half we are in such a different frame of mind.

“The old manager didn’t really have luck, especially in defence. We had a different defence every week. I think I have played every position bar up front and in goal.

“Luck does play a big part in it and now we have had a settled defence for the last two games for the first time in who knows how long so hopefully we can stay together for a while.

“We did have a lot of turnover in players and a lot of the new ones were getting flats sorted and getting personal lives sorted and I think they are a lot more comfortable now.

“You feel that sort of thing. Towards the end of the window the results and games came at a bad time when people are trying to settle in but if you talk to them they are more comfortable now.”