Motherwell 0 Rangers 2: Decision-making irks Stuart Kettlewell as Steelmen slip to 15th game without a win

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell says his players' decision making early on gave them a mountain to climb in their defeat to Rangers, which extended the Steelmen's winless streak to 15 games.

Kieran Dowell broke the deadlock after just three minutes when the visitors pounced on slack play in the Motherwell defence, before Todd Cantwell was allowed to doubled the visitors' lead 13 minutes later with a strike inside the box.

It looked like being a long Christmas Eve afternoon for Kettlewell's side at that point, but in the second half the hosts improved and Brodie Spencer headed wide from a good position, while the Steelmen had a penalty shout when Cyriel Dessers pulled Mika Biereth to the ground in the box.

There were some positives for Kettlewell to take but, ultimately, his side remain second bottom of the Premiership and without a win since September.

Kettlewell told BBC Scotland: "I think the greatest frustration doesn't come down to the second half because we showed a good reaction, we tried to deal with the conditions and the games on its merits.

"In the opening few minutes we were okay but the decision making process when we were on the ball was so poor, and we fell into the trap Rangers set.

"For us to play straight into that trap is the most naive thing we can do.

"The second goal was avoidable. We can do so much better than we did.

"It gives you an absolute mountain to climb and then Rangers get their tails up and we were a bit dejected but I think that was all our own doing.

The second half is how it should look for us, that is what we wanted it to be.

"I am expecting us to start to show a confidence that we can keep clean sheets and not concede goals. I am more annoyed at the players and the decision