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Motherwell 0, Dundee 3
Match Date: Tuesday, December 26 2000
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 6,183
Motherwell Team:
Goram, Corrigan, Kemble, Strong (McFadden), Hammell, Nicholas, Leitch,
McMillan, McLen (Lasley), Spencer, Elliott.
Subs not used: Woods, Ramsay, Ouiefio
DISMAL 'WELL VANISH IN THE FOG
Motherwell 0 Dundee 3
THE POOR RUN OF FORM Against Dundee continued for Motherwell as the slumped to another defeat against the Tayside version of the Mafia. With only two wins in the past three seasons it is, and was, a truly poor showing against a team the Fir Parkers should be able to compete against.
Motherwell received several pre-match blows with Twaddle and Townsley both out injured, Lee McCulloch joining them after having damaged an ankle in the warm-up. With only four minutes gone the visitors went ahead with a goal which, despite being way off-side, was allowed to stand. Sara ran clear onto Carranza's pass to slot beyond Goram though his position upon receiving the through ball was questionable to say the least. Motherwell tried to hit back immediately with Hammel's cross being headed goal-wards by McCulloch, Rocatti making the save. Scott Leitch then played Elliott wide and his driven cross was met by Spencer who drove over the bar. A deliberate elbow by Smith on Elliott should have seen the defender walk but Referee McDonald chose only to warn the player. A clever pass by Carranza then sent Milne wide but his cross was turned away by Strong. A deliberate trip by Carranza should have seen him booked but once again McDonald took the easy option and gave a free-kick. Elliott flicked on and with Nicholas set to pounce Tweed headed away. McMillan ran on to Leitch's chip but he too was thwarted by Tweed. The Dundee goalie then dropped a cross but Smith was on hand to clear. Leitch then had to look sharp near his own box when a chip from DEL RIO looked set to cause danger. Leitch was able to head to the side where Hammel mopped up. Spencer was somewhat quieter than on Saturday but he still carried plenty of threat. His terrific cross-field ball set up McLen for the cross but it was blocked for a corner. Dundee's Rae was booked for a deliberate trip on Elliott. From the free-kick McLen crossed for Spencer but his header was held by Rocatti. ith Dundee doing little in attack it was a surprise they doubled their lead 11 minutes from the interval. IN the thickening fog Sara disposed Kemble allowing Milne to run down the wing. He crossed for Rae to head home and put Dundee two ahead. Motherwell weren't doing particularly all that much in attack either but they were forcing the play. Marrocco became the next Dundee booking for a tug on Spencer as the midfielder looked set to run clear. Spencer then sent McMillan clear on the right but Marrocco was able to divert the ball for another corner. Stuart Elliott then forced a corner almost in quick succession but the delivery once more was poor. D15 burst clear but Strong was back to block for a corner to the visitors. However, seconds later the half-time whistle came on a first half which was poor to say the least though despite doing little to deserve it the visitors went off two-ahead.
Half-Time Motherwell 0 Dundee 2
Three minutes after the break Sara became the latest booking for a quite blatant dive in the box. Motherwell broke forward with Elliott but Tweed sent the ball behind. The ball was cleared by DEL RIO as far as Elliott but again the ball went behind for a corner to Motherwell. Elliott was in the thick of things and his header was deflected for another corner by Rae. As the ball came in Kemble was clearly pushed by Tweed but play was waved on. With five minutes gone McLen went off to be replaced by Lasley. A push by Corrigan on Smith gave Dundee a free-kick wide left some 35 yards out. The ball was cleared by Strong and as play continued Lasley broke forward only for Marrocco to haul him to the ground. It was a second booking for the Italian giving Referee McDonald no alternative but to send him off. Motherwell burst upfield with Kemble knocking a back post header just too deep for Spencer to collect. Spencer almost pulled Motherwell back into the game when he broke into the box and fired towards goal only for Rocatti to make a great block to deny him. Dundee took Milne off and brought on Manager Bonetti, sent off in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season. A minute later Motherwell were reduced to ten men. Play was stopped by the linesman's flag. Upon consultation with the linesman Referee McDonald produced a straight red card for Stevie Nicholas alleging a kick whilst booking Tweed for retaliation when he should also have gone. Motherwell were beginning to push Dundee back somewhat it was Carranza who was forced into conceding the corner ahead of Elliott inside the box. Hammel then crossed for Spencer but his header was held by Rocatti. Carranza should have joined team-mate Marrocco in the bath when he blatantly brought Leitch's progress to an abrupt halt. Perhaps not for that offence alone but for the numerous fouls he had conceded to this point. Indeed, three minutes later Carranza was with drawn for Artero. In between Leitch and McMillan played a good one-two which McMillan crossed but Strong's header was weak. Indecision in the Motherwell defence between Kemble and Hammel allowed Sara in but Goram saved well. The linesman, who had earlier apparently witnessed an off-the-ball incident which led to Nicholas being sent off failed to spot Tweed retaliating to a late nick from Leitch. The Motherwell players were further enraged when Strong sent Spencer racing clear but despite being well on-side the East Stand-side Linesman raised his flag very late. Dundee all but finished the game with 20 minutes to go when the broke from defence. Rae burst down the wing to cross low and Sara bundled the ball in at the back post in complete isolation. Greg Strong then went off to be replaced by McFadden. It took a great interception from Stevie McMillan to stop Sara going clear onto Rae's chip a minute later. Young James McFadden, making his first-team debut, began to give Dundee problems and he made a great run to send Elliott clear on Rocatti. However, the Bologna keeper made a great block to turn the ball behind. Dundee made their final substitution taking Sara off for former Motherwell man Falconer. Dundee almost made it four when Rae broke clear to shoot but Goram held with Falconer clear at the back post. McFadden again then turned the visiting defence but McSkimming blocked for a corner. Smith was lucky not to be sent packing when he brought down Elliott wide on the right, and despite being last man the only award was a home free-kick. Two minutes later Smith was at it again, late this time on Lasley but once more Referee McDonald was lenient. The ball broke for McFadden and he was unlucky to see a 20-yard drive go inches over the bar. With time running out McFadden again made a clever run before shooting just the wrong side of the post. In a game of gloom for Motherwell McFadden was the one bright spot to emerge.
Full-time Motherwell 0 Dundee 3
Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)