Chris Porter: We can learn from UEFA Cup disappointment to set up SPL success

Oct 5 2008 By Gordon Waddell

MOTHERWELL'S Euro campaign lasted only 180 minutes - but Chris Porter reckons it's time well spent as they bid for another stab at Europe next season.

The Steelmen were outclassed in both legs by AS Nancy and lost two set-piece goals in the first half at Fir Park on Thursday night on their way to a 3-0 aggregate defeat.

But despite a comprehensive lesson in ball retention and movement from the French side striker Porter reckons it will help the Well players sharpen up their overall game in the months ahead rather than leave lasting damage.

The 24-year-old said: "I don't think it will affect our season in a bad way at all.

"We'll actually learn from the experience of having played against them and watching their players. We can take some of what we've seen into our SPL games.

"It won't change what we do in the league, we'll just learn from the positives.

"We're aiming to finish third in the SPL for a second year and hopefully we can use what we've learned to get past the UEFA Cup qualifiers and into the group stages next time.

"The French were good individually and as a team. But they killed us with the goals when we were trying to keep it tight. And to lose them both from set-pieces is a nightmare."

Whether the result will affect boss Mark McGhee's stellar reputation, only time will tell.

In pre-season he admitted the prospect of leading his side into Europe was the deciding factor in him snubbing the Hearts manager job.

Without that high to see him through another SPL winter, he may get itchy feet after a summer of frustration on the transfer front.

But Porter insisted: "The manager didn't just stay because of European football. He stayed because of the way the team played throughout last season.

"Of course, we didn't have Europe to deal with and from day one we played well, got the points, got the breaks.

"This year we've not started too well but we are not far away and now can give the league our full concentration.

"I've only been here one full season but it strikes me that it's the same every season - that third spot is up for grabs to whoever puts a run together and hopefully we can do it again."

If they are to do that, midfielder Stephen Hughes believes Well must tighten up at the back in a hurry.

They've lost 18 goals in 10 games so far - double what they conceded in the same spell last season.

Hughes sighed: "If someone scores a great 25-yarder then you can sometimes hold your hand up.

"But when you concede the way we did against Nancy it's disappointing. We made it an uphill task for ourselves early on.

"We're an inexperienced team in Europe and gave away sloppy goals that cost us the game. We had talked before the tie about keeping it tight and not conceding.

"And we had great support from the fans. In the second half we went for it but the damage was already done in the opening 25 minutes.

"The annoying thing is the goals we lost were similar to those we've been losing all season.

"We need to work on solving that. You can't gift goals when you are playing good sides and the strikes we are losing are too soft.

"But we are a team and all in it together. We need to work on improving, starting against Falkirk this afternoon, and get the points."