Motherwell 2, St Mirren 0

Match Date: Wednesday, November 29 2000
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 5,312

Motherwell Team:

Woods, Corrigan, Kemble, Strong, Hammell, Townsley, Brannan, Leitch, Twaddle (Nicholas), Elliott (Ramsay), McCulloch.
Subs not used: Connoly, Wood, Ouiefio

Motherwell scorers: Twaddle (74), Nicholas (90).

DYNAMIC DEL TROTTS OUT WIN 

Motherwell  2     Saint Mirren  0

DEREK TOWNSLEY PLAYED A Major part in this vital win for Motherwell as they overcame a stuffy Saint Mirren side at Fir Park. With the game heading for a no-score draw, Townsley set up both goals to ensure a home win. 

The visitors took advantage of a slow Motherwell start to attack from the off. Brown gave Turner the chance to play forward and his long ball was blocked by Hammel. Brown again crossed in only for Kemble to clear his lines. Motherwell's first opportunity came from a free kick which Townsley met but headed wide with Elliott looking for a knockdown. A minute later the Fir Parkers came close when Twaddle made the by-line and cut the ball back. Striking Turner on the back the ball fell just behind McCulloch and rolled out wide. Corrigan crossed again with Brown forced to concede a corner. Former Motherwell man McGowan was caught for pace by Twaddle, brining down the winger out on the right though the visiting defence held firm from the free kick. Good battling by Leitch in midfield won the ball and his forward pass for Townsley saw him make the 18 only for a weak shot to be easily saved by Scrimgour. Slack defending by the Motherwell back line gave Fenton some hope but he was thwarted by an alert Woods who raced from goal to clear. The away fans were up in arms when Fenton set Brown in on goals though the offside flag rose to Motherwell's rescue. Hesitancy by Corrigan was pounced upon by Gillies who fired in from 20 yards, Woods making the comfortable save in tricky conditions. Woods' opposite number, Scrimgour, then had to get down smartly to smother a low grounder from Twaddle. The Saint Mirren keeper passed out to Turner and his long ball found Fenton. Cutting inside Kemble he shot for goals and the ball spun off Corrigan and wide for a corner. Brown mis-timed his jump and the ball ran wide though had he leapt correctly the Motherwell goal would have been threatened. Ged Brannan, recovered from a virus, threaded a great ball for Twaddle but the low cross was angled away by McGowan. As the ball was pumped forward Leitch beat Fenton and knocked back for Woods. However, Brown nipped in and it took a timely clearance by Leitch to clear. Some good chasing by Lee McCulloch near the visiting goal set up Derek Townsley who curled for goal. The ball looked likely to creep in at the back post but McGowan got a touch to divert the ball wide for a corner. Elliott gathered the ball as it came out though McCulloch delayed with a shot and was crowded away. The ball came back for McCulloch but he drove into the side netting from an angle. Brown of Saint Mirren was doing little to endear himself to either the Motherwell fans nor the Referee and he earned a word in his ear when diving in the box. It hadn't been the first time in the match yet no card was forthcoming. Motherwell drove upfield with Hammel who crossed but Elliott's header struck McGowan on the back and the former Fir Parker recovered to hook away. Brannan then sent Townsley wide and crossing low McCulloch was beaten to the ball by a brave Scrimgour save down low. Motherwell were looking likely and came close to opening the scoring as half time approached. Twaddle robbed Turner to set up Townsley but his side-foot was well blocked by Scrimgour and ran out for a corner. Cleared as far as Brannan his curling effort went inches wide. There was another blatant dive by Brown which Referee Mitchell somehow chose to ignore. Brown amazingly recovered to drive in a shot which struck Strong and ran for a corner which came to nothing. 

Half-Time     Motherwell  0     Saint Mirren  0 

Saint Mirren came out with a slightly more attacking attitude in the first few minutes of the second half and had shots by Brown and Fenton blocked on the edge of the box, neither able to trouble Woods in any way. It took Motherwell a few minutes to get going though they should perhaps have taken the lead six minutes in. A long ball by Brannan arrived at Towns ley's feet out on the right. Bending in a deep cross Twaddle met the ball at the back post but headed over. A cross from Gilles saw a header by Brown flash across the Motherwell six-yard box but with no takers the ball ran out for a throw. The game's first yellow should have came moments later when McLaughlin whipped the feet away from Elliott but to add insult to injury there was no free-kick either. A good piece of goalkeeping by Woods saw him deny Fenton who looked to pounce on a cross from Nicholson. Hammel broke forward for Motherwell, he supplied Leitch and his cross-field pass was sent inches past the far post by Brannan on the run. Turner somehow escaped a yellow card when McCulloch left him standing, the defender blatantly pulling the Motherwell man back. A cross from Brannan was then knocked behind by McGowan ahead of McCulloch who lay in waiting for the ball. Motherwell then forced three successive corners and from the last Twaddle curled the ball in clipping the bar as it went over. The ball then ran loose to the edge of the box and it took a desperate clearance by Baltacha ahead of Elliott though it was at the expense of a corner. Saint Mirren were drifting out of things somewhat though they did carry some menace on the break. Fenton turned inside Strong to send a low shot towards the far post. However Woods got down to divert the ball round the post for a corner which was well cleared. A minute later Motherwell took the lead with a cleverly worked goal. A superb pass from Townsley gave Twaddle the chance to sprint clear and, dummying Scrimgour, clipped the ball into the far corner of the net to give the home side the advantage. Saint Mirren, seeing the game slipping away, made two quick substitutions, bringing on Sharpe and Yardley for McGowan and MacKenzie respectively. It took a header from Turner to deny Brannan a goal as his free kick came close to doubling the home lead. With five minutes left Twaddle became the game's first booking for what was a late tackle on Turner though it would have to be classed as harsh given what Turner had escaped punishment for before. The visitors played their last card with McGarry replacing Gilles, the former becoming instantly involved in curling a shot well wide. Ged Brannan was lucky not to be booked for a challenge on Brown. With time running out Woods made a great punch clear from a corner as Saint Mirren tried desperately to level. In the final minute of the game, however, Motherwell made sure of the points with another great goal. Derek Townsley raced upfield and, upon reaching the box and drawing Srimagour, crossed low for sub Stevie Nicholas, on for Twaddle just moments later, to knock home for the second. Elliott was replaced by Ramsay and that was the game's last action as time up quickly followed. 

Full-time     Motherwell  2     Saint Mirren  0

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

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