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Motherwell 1, Rangers 2
Match Date: Saturday, March 17 2001
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 11,802
Motherwell Team (3-5-2):
Goram, Corrigan, Okoli, Strong, Ramsay (Nicholas 65), Chiba, Leitch, Lasley (Pearson 75), McFadden, Goodman, Elliott (Wood 66).
Motherwell scorer: Goodman (2).
Yellow Cards: Chiba, Lasley.
RANGERS MUG WELL AT WARD 11 FIR PARK
Motherwell 1 Rangers 2
MOTHERWELL LOST OUT TO A LAST-MINUTE GOAL Once again at Fir Park. However, the scorer should not have been on the park following a quite brutal assault on Motherwell's new signing Said Chiba.
Both teams went into the match with several players missing through injury and suspension though it could be argued Motherwell suffered most. However, they began the game the better and should have had a penalty within sixty seconds. Leitch's header forward saw Goodman and Konterman challenge with the Motherwell man winning the ball. As he progressed towards Klos the Dutch defender tugged away at Goodman's jersey and as he fell Referee Freeland waved play on, denying what was a blatant penalty and a sure ordering-off for Konterman as the last man. Moroccan Intenational Said Chiba was then brought down by Gayle out on the right giving Motherwell a free-kick some 16 yards from the by-line. Chiba himself took the kick and his vicious inswinger was neatly met by Goodman who nodded the ball beyond Klos to give Motherwell the early lead.
Two minutes later Goodman's header was met by Chiba and he made space before firing narrowly past, though a late off-side flag would have discounted the effort in any case. Motherwell's other new boy, Nigerian James Okoli, used his powerful throwing to set Elliott up but his turn and shot was blocked by Kaupilla for a corner. Chiba whipped it in forcing Klos into an unconvincing punch away for a second corner. This time Strong headed way past. Keith Lasley then took time to recover from a late, late Porrini lunge but play was waved on. Rangers were rarely being seen as an attacking force and it was 16 minutes before they tested the Motherwell defence. Gayle turned out wide sending a low cross along the edge of the penalty spot though it raced away out at the other end with no connections.
Don Goodman was caught very high by Malcolm, not to be his first awful challenge, and from the free-kick Goodman himself flicked on to Elliott though Ferguson was on hand to clear in time. Flo then had a great chance for the visitors when he got the break of the ball in defence but he dallied and finished more like a £1.20 striker than one bought for £12 Million hitting the side netting with only Goram to beat. A minute later Motherwell really should have doubled their lead when Lasley sent Chiba wide and his inswinger was headed by Elliott straight into the arms of Klos. A superb tackle by Strong then stopped Miller racing clear on Goram. However, seconds later Miller turned well in the box and looked to shoot until Leitch made a great interception at the expense of a corner. Konterman met the ball but headed way over.
Miller was the only visiting player causing any real problems and he beat Strong to get in an effort on Goram though the Goalie dealt comfortably with the shot. It was almost a superb debut goal for Said Chiba when he turned Ferguson as if he wasn't there on the edge of the box. Ferguson managed to get a touch on the ball to deflect it slightly and the ball cracked off the post and out for a corner. A long ball by Konterman was gathered by Flo but despite being way offside play was waved on and only Goram racing from his line to clear averted the danger. On the half-hour Ferguson set up Miller on the edge of the box and his turn and shot went narrowly over. A minute later Ferguson some how escaped a stamp on Leitch. Play ran on with Konterman dispossessed by Goodman but play was stopped then with Goodman set to race clear and a free kick given to Rangers.
Malcolm was at it again when he was very late on McFadden. No surprise when play was waved on with Flo conceding a throw. Flo regained possession and his deflected cross fell to Ferguson who shot way wide of the target. Motherwell swept upfield with Goodman. The striker's effort was deflected by Wilson into the path of Lasley but his shot went past. A clearance by Ferguson then fell to Goodman and he chipped the ball back across for Lasley but it was just too strong and ran behind. Chiba then forced a corner as Motherwell looked to double their advantage. Strong met the ball but drove over from 25 yards out. Strong then cleared a Klos kick-out back upfield and it was Konterman who just managed to beat Goodman to clear.
Half-Time Motherwell 1 Rangers 0
Big Nigerian centre-half James Okoli was already proving popular amongst the Motherwell support with his massive long throws and he almost endeared himself seconds into the second half. His superb long pass found Goodman who was only denied by the attentions of Konterman, though somehow the Linesman failed to spot the interception giving a goal kick instead. Porrini then made a dramatic fall as Goodman challenged to gain a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Konterman took it but drove off Okoli for a throw. Okoli then blocked Johnson's cross for a corner and from this the visitors should have drawn level. Porinni was left alone at the back post and as Malcom's header was cleared across goal by Leitch it fell to the Italian defender in front of a clear goal but he managed to slice it wide.
The visitors were given another corner in dubious circumstances when it appeared Gayle had headed behind and it too a brave punch away by Goram to avert the danger. Malcolm picked up a long overdue booking when he was very late on Chiba. Kaupilla then did likewise though despite an almost identical foul play was waved on. Rangers then took off Miller and Porrini for Dodds and Fernandez. The latter needed only four touches to bring his side level though Motherwell were badly at fault. Picking up the ball 30 yards out Fernandez was allowed to nudge himself into a shooting position and whilst it was a great shot he should have been closed down. It was almost two soon after when Ferguson played a series of one-twos though once clear on Goram feebily shot into the Goalie's hands.
Said Chiba then received a yellow card for a somewhat innocuous tap on the ankles of Malcolm. Motherwell then made a double change, Ramsay for Nicholas and Elliot replaced by Wood. Young Stevie Nicholas made a great run forward to supply Goodman wide but the latter's cross was way too deep with Wood lying in wait at the far post. Good play by Lasley holding the ball up allowed Wood to then given Nicholas a chance but the deep cross was cut out by Konterman. Motherwell's Keith Lasley was then booked for a tackle on Ferguson who had seconds earlier deliberately obstructed the Motherwell man which had been ignored.
Ferguson then swung in a deep free-kick which Flo beat Okoli to but poked the ball over the bar from 10 yards out. Lasley then left to be replaced by Pearson, making his home debut. Klos in the visiting goal got lucky when Wood, chasing a Konterman back-pass, struck the ball off the Motherwell striker only to spin out wide. Malcolm of Rangers should then have been sent packing for a quite dreadful double-kick at Chiba. The Moroccan lost control of the ball out left and as he lay on the ground Malcolm cleared the ball into the stand though at the same time chose to kick Chiba twice on the head. Quite how the Referee, Linesman or even the Fourth Official failed to spot this is anyone's guess with the Rangers man extremely fortunate indeed to stay on the park.
Motherwell should have had a penalty when Konterman pulled Goodman down in the box, the ball rolling to Wood whose shot was saved by Klos. Great play then by Pearson set Goodman up and he beat Konterman only for Kaupilla to block for a corner. Goodman met the ball but his effort was held by Klos. With a minute left, however, the visitors stole the points. Gayle's header across was hooked back in by Flo and knocked across the line by Malcolm who should have been in for an early bath a good ten minutes earlier. Motherwell almost grabbed an equaliser when Person dispossessed Konterman. He in turn supplied Nicholas and with great skill volleyed goalwards only for Klos to turn the ball behind. It was hard on Motherwell to lost this one though the visitors will know how lucky they were to win.
Full-Time Motherwell 1 Rangers 2
Match report by Ricky Mullen