Motherwell 0, Dunfermline 1

Match Date: Wednesday, August 16 2000
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 5,257

Motherwell Team:

Goram, Corrigan, Ange, Strong, Hammell, Twaddle (Townsley 45), Harvey, Leitch, McMillan (Adams), Spencer, McCulloch (Goodman).
Subs not used: Woods, Nicholas

LACK OF BITE COSTS WELL DEAR

Motherwell  0     Dunfermline Athletic  1

THIS MATCH WILL SHOW Up statistics to indicate a comprehensive Motherwell victory, only there wasn't due to a lack of cutting edge with the Fir Parkers. Despite dominating the match from start to finish it was the visitors who stole all three points and leave Motherwell already well behind the pace.

A sloppy early backpass by Greg strong put the Motherwell defence under pressure as Crawford looked set to bear down on goals, Scott Leitch coming to the rescue with a timely tackle. A much more positive piece of play by Stevie Hammel then took him on a terrific run towards the Pars box, slipping the ball through to McCulloch but he was beaten to the ball by Thomson who knocked the ball away for a throw. Dair then broke up a move between McCulloch and Spencer setting Mendez off on a run towards the Motherwell box though this time Strong was more positive in his challenge at the expense of a corner. Dunfermline then won a free kick when Oueifio was adjudged to have pushed Crawford some 35 yards out, the free-kick being blasted way over the bar by Thomson. Recent signing for Motherwell Scott Leitch was having a good match in the middle and his chip forward to McCulloch almost caught the visiting defence flat-footed, Ruttenbeek racing from his goal to collect. Some great play involving Harvey, twaddle and Corrigan saw the latter fire a shot inches past the Dunfermline goal. Twaddle then fired in a deep cross which former Fir Parker Doesburg nicked behind for a corner ahead of McCulloch. As the ball came in Thomson appeared to handle the ball in the area, play continued and Lee McCulloch headed goalwards only to see Doesburg head off the line. Dunfermline broke upfield with Mendez making tremendous ground on the wing. The cross came in towards Crawford who was beaten by a timely Corrigan interception. A minute later Mendez then supplied Ferguson who fired over from the edge of the box. Doesburg then again made an important challenge to stop Spencer sending McMillan clear into the box. A clever one-two between McCulloch and Spencer gave the former a chance to shoot but his effort from 25 yards went way over the bar. Motherwell's only danger at this point was a breakaway or an error at the back and it was the latter which almost gave the visitors a breakthrough. Another weak back-pass by Strong was intercepted by Crawford, Martyn Corrigan alert enough to snuff out the danger. Indeed he worked the ball well out of defence to send Spencer away but the ball forward was poor. Strong was not having a good match and he allowed Mendez to turn him on the by-line and cross for Moss, the free header going just over the bar. Hammel then beat a hesitant Mendez to the ball to clear but as the former Saint Mirren player fell he was incredibly awarded a free kick. Motherwell managed to clear and it took an important interception from Dair to deny Corrigan. McMillan met the ball but saw his deflected shot spin of Doesburg when it looked netbound. A snapshot from Leitch then went inches past as he ran on to a McMillan pass. Corrigan then was slack with a pass giving Crawford the chance to run unhindered down the stand side touchline. He crossed for Mendez who somehow managed to skew the ball over the bar when it should have nestled in the net. Motherwell then forced another corner but poor delivery allowed Dunfermline to break. Matthaei crossed for Mendez who appeared to run the ball out of play, but in keeping with several other incredible decisions Referee McDonald awarded a corner, which was head past by Moss. There was uproar amongst the home fans when Hammel was caught by a tackle from behind by Matthaei, with the free kick somehow being awarded to Dunfermline. The visitors received a massive slice of luck when firstly Greg Strong smacked a header off the bar, with the follow-up by McCulloch destined for the net until Nicholson intervened to head off the line. Motherwell kept up the pressure, Corrigan swung in a free kick which looked destined for Strong until Doesburg again intercepted. Strong then conceded a free kick in his own half when he was adjudged to have fouled Crawford. Mendez headed on for Thomson but it was Oueifio with an important knock away. Motherwell then had a fair shout for a penalty denied when Doesubrg body-checked Twaddle on the far side. Play was then stopped for a spell as Leitch received treatment for a head-knock, the midfielder returning after a short spell on the sidelines. Whilst down to ten men Motherwell almost made the breakthrough Strong fired toward goal, McMillan's follow up onto the deflection being chipped just over.

Half-time     Motherwell  0     Dunfermline  0

As the players came back out Motherwell made in immediate substitution, Twaddle having been replaced by Townsley. Dunfermline found it very difficult to get a touch of the ball in the first few minutes of the second half, Motherwell retaining possession very well indeed. Oueifio showed his team-mates the route forward by making an impressive run through the middle, laying off to Spencer who shot on the turn inches past with Ruttenbeek well beaten. Stevie Hammel then made a blistering run down the wing only to be hauled down by Ferguson who rightly received the yellow card. Skinner headed the free kick away and Crawford burst forward, but he was halted by a great Ouiffio challenge and the danger was gone. It was all Motherwell now, Harvey forcing his way forward only for Matthaei to haul him down to the right of the box. Townsley was being held by Doesburg but still managed to knock in a shot which went over the bar. Spencer and Harvey then combined to set-up McCulloch, the out-of-sorts striker beaten by Ruttenbeek to the ball. As so often happens, however, Dunfermline stole the lead. Awarded a rather soft free-kick was swept in by Ferguson and looked harmless until Moss sneaked in at the backpost to loop a header over Goram and into the net, almost reminiscent of the goal lost at Tannadice four days earlier. It should have been an instant reply by Motherwell, but hesitation by McCulloch, treble falling to him after Spencer had forced an error from Ruttenbeek, saw the chance go. Doesburg went off injured after blocking McCulloch's shot, being replaced by Reid. Goalscorer Moss made an important block to deny McMillan's run along the by-line, the corner then being swung into Strong who was given a barge in the back by Moss but there was no penalty. Spencer tried to set Townsley up but it was Dair who cleared. McCulloch tired his luck but as he attempted to enter the box Reid brought him crashing to the ground and play was amazingly waved on. Dunfermline almost snatched a second when Dair was given the freedom of the left wing to set up Mendez, the shot hitting the side netting. Motherwell made a double-substitution when Goodman and Adams replaced McMillan and McCulloch respectively. Another blunder by McDonald then saw a free kick given to the visitors when Goodman was brought down on the run by a late Thomson tackle. Crawford met the pass from Mendez and fired not far over the bar, Mendez then being replaced by Boyle. A break by Nicholson saw a cross along the six-yard line run through without any takers, Crawford eventually meeting the ball at the far side and looking to have run the ball out. A corner was given, however, which was cleared. There was controversy when a long kick-out by Goram saw Spencer run clear. He looked to have been brought down by Ruttenbeek and with everyone expecting a penalty and a red card for the Keeper Referee McDonald incredibly booked Spencer for an alleged dive. The visiting Keeper seemed to make no complaints and it looked to be another of McDonald's many blunders. Townsley made positive run towards to the visiting defence and his chip to the back post was collected by Ruttenbeek ahead of Spencer. Motherwell kept up the pressure and Adams dinked a ball to the back post for Goodman but his header was wide. Townsley then laid the ball off neatly for Adams but again it was Ruttenbeek who managed to nick in. Paul Harvey played a magnificent ball in to split the defence, though Townsley's low cross was blocked by Thomson and away. Motherwell forced a succession of corners but that ended with Strong's 20-yard shot going well over. Corrigan picked out Spencer and his shot on the turn was expertly parried by the alert Ruttenbeek and cleared. Motherwell still retained the vast bulk of possession but were finding it near impossible to break down a massed Dunfermline defence. Adams then had a shot cleared, Harvey too, and Goodman saw a shot well taken by Ruttenbeek from the edge of the box. With time running out Corrigan fired a shot over the bar, and in the final minutes of the match Moss was replaced by Coyle who was roundly booed by the home support. Greg Strong was rather harshly booked for a handball offence, and Dunfermline held on to record an unlikely victory.

Full-Time     Motherwell  0     Dunfermline Athletic  1

Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)