7.50pm

Today's result: Motherwell 2, Dundee United 3.

Poor finishing and embarrassing defending resulted in Motherwell losing to a 10-man Dundee Utd side at Fir Park this afternoon.  After clawing our way back into the game from 2-0 down at the interval, we contrived to gift the visitors one of the softest goals you are ever likely to see to ensure we stay deep in relegation trouble.

There was one change to the team which lost heavily at Tynecastle last week, with Darren Lee Smith making his debut in midfield and Steven McGarry dropping to the bench.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say we could have been 3-0 up after around 20 mins, but opportunities for Clarkson, Foran and Quinn were all passed up.  The match was completely turned on its head when the visitors took the lead completely against the run of play after 29 mins, with Conway skinning Quinn all too easily before crossing for Samuel to volley home.  Seconds later, United were reduced to 10 men when Kalvenes received his second yellow card of the afternoon, but their goal had completely knocked the stuffing out of Motherwell and we failed to take advantage.  In the final minute of the half, the visitors doubled their lead when McCracken headed home while our defence stood and watched.

There didn't seem any way back for us, but things improved with a couple of early second half substitutions.  With Elliot replacing the ineffective Clarkson and Fitzpatrick coming on for the equally inept Quinn, we started to pick up the pace and trouble the United defence again.  We were back in the game after 62 mins when Foran converted from the penalty spot after Smith had been brought down in the box, and we had a good shout for a second spot kick a few minutes later when McDonald went down in the area.  Not long afterwards we were back on level terms when Reynolds headed home from a Paterson corner, and with Motherwell well on top against 10 men there seemed like only one team was going to go on and win the game.  United had been penned in their own half for virtually the entire second half, but with 10 mins to go we gifted them a goal which proved to be the winner.  Kerr lost his man at a throw in, and Robson took advantage to cross for an unmarked Hunt to head home, although quite what Meldrum was doing I have no idea as it appeared he could easily have caught the ball rather than bizarrely jumping over it(?) 

I still can't believe we managed to throw this game away after all the work we put in to get it back to 2-2.  United only had around three efforts on goal all afternoon yet scored with them all, AND they played with 10 men for over an hour.  Absolutely pathetic.

Meldrum has been at fault for a few goals recently, and given the number of goals we have been conceding in general its surely time he was dropped in favour of Graeme Smith.  Similarly, I don't think its a coincidence we started playing better when Clarkson and Quinn were hooked, and quite how both of these players continue to get a game is beyond me.

With an Old Firm double header on the horizon, our Boxing Day trip to Dunfermline is now shaping up to be our most important match of the season.

Team (4-4-2): Meldrum, Quinn (Fitzpatrick 54), Craigan, Reynolds, Paterson, Darren Lee Smith (McGarry 85), Kerr, Corrigan, Foran, Clarkson (Elliot 51), McDonald. 
Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Kinniburgh, McBride, Connolly.

Scorers: Foran (62 pen), Reynolds (68).

Booked: Paterson.

Attendance: 4,420.

Maurice Malpas' post-match comments were as follows:
"Our defending today was pathetic. If you defend like that, you are going to struggle. It was schoolboy defending.  I thought we did well enough going forward. We scored a couple of goals and created a few chances.  But we have to defend far better as a team than we did today, or it is going to be a long, long struggle.

"It was disappointing also that we were up against 10 men.  But they kept their shape well, were disciplined and took their chances.  We defended poorly and never took any of our chances - and defending is meant to be the easy part of the game.

"We are into the stage where we need some freshness about the squad and the team."

Irish duo Trevor Molloy and Paul Keegan have spent the week on trial at Fir Park.  Molloy (29), a right-sided winger, and Keegan (33), a striker, have apparently impressed Maurice Malpas during their week in Lanarkshire, with the 'Well boss quoted as saying:
"They have done well and we will be sitting down with their agents in the next few days.  One of them we is not far away and we hope to have that sorted out over the weekend, and the other may take a wee while longer but we will hope to have both signed next week.

"We are trying to make sure that we don't disrupt things too much as it can unsettle the normal programme we have, particularly if there are too many in too often.  We might have one more trialist in next week but that will be the last until after the Cup tie as there are too many games to worry about in that period."

Meanwhile, a newspaper report during the week linked us with a move for freed Gretna midfielder Steve Tosh (33).  And another tabloid report claimed we were chasing Aberdeen defender Zander Diamond.

Stephen Craigan has extended his contract with Motherwell until 2010.

Maurice Malpas has confirmed that Calum Elliot will return to Hearts at the end of his loan period in January,  The 'Well manager said:
"We spoke to Pedro Lopez at Hearts on Tuesday and he confirmed they wanted Calum back, which is a bit of a blow.  We will continue to play him as normal as we will need the bodies over the holiday period. He has never let us down any time he has played for us to date"

Last weeks' Sunday Herald reported that Gretna will approach Motherwell with a view to groundsharing at Fir Park next season if they win the 1st Division AND Motherwell don't finish bottom of the SPL.

Paul Quinn is suspended for next Saturday's match at Kilmarnock.  Hurrah!

Details of Matt Johnstone's new Motherwell book, "Extended Highlights", are available here.