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Motherwell 2, Dundee Utd 1
Match Date: Saturday, November 4 2000
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 6,848
Motherwell Team:
Woods, Corrigan, Kemble, Strong, Hammell (Leitch), Adams (Townsley), Brannan, McMillan, Elliott, Spencer, McCulloch (Goodman).
Subs not used: Connolly, McLen..
Motherwell scorers: Brannan (pen 44), Elliott (50).
REVIVAL CONTINUES AS UNITED LOSE AGAIN
Motherwell 2
Dundee United 1
MOTHERWELL’S RECENT RECOVERY FROM A POOR Start to the
season continued as they saw off bottom-dogs Dundee United with a bit of
difficulty. Making things difficult
for themselves they managed to do enough to deserve the three points at the end
of the day.
Ged Brannan was keen to start as he finished the game
against Celtic with a goal but he sent an early header wide of the mark.
United new boy Miller then forced a corner running on to Aljofree’s
ball though Stuart Elliott was able to deal with the corner when it came in.
Miller then made a rash trip on Brannan and he was fortunate not to see
yellow for the unnecessary trip. De
Vos then saved his side from going a goal down when he cut out Hammel’s pass
in to McMillan. Hammel did get the
cross in eventually and it took another important interception, this time from
Partridge, to deny McCulloch near the penalty spot.
A dramatic fall by Atangana won his side a free kick when it looked like
Brannan had fairly won the ball. Miller
curled in but the wall did its job and Hammel cleared. McCulloch then looked to run clear but a deliberate
body-check by Partridge was brushed away by referee Freeland. Elliott made a great run through the middle and his pass sent
McMillan tearing towards the box. McMillan’s
progress was ended, however, by a crude tackle form behind by McQuillan who must
have felt lucky to only have been booked. The
free kick was curled well over by Brannan.
The visitors were not completely behind the game and won a corner when
McQuillan pushed up on the right, though when it came in Motherwell broke
forward. McMillan sent Elliott wide
but he delayed in getting the ball into the danger area from Hammel’s return
pass and the ball was booted away. Argentinean
Nevada then had a chance when he ran clear but Woods made a terrific block.
The Motherwell keeper then sent the ball long downfield and although
McCulloch forced a corner he had a legitimate claim for a penalty as Lauchlan
pulled him back. Motherwell captain
Ged Brannan was unlucky to see a booking when his innocuous challenge on Miller
resulted in a yellow, the former Ibrox man making the most of the challenge.
However, four minutes later Miller should have seen red when his quite
shocking two-footed challenge on Martyn Corrigan sparked fury amongst the
Motherwell players. It was, without
doubt, a viscous, nasty lunge and Corrigan was lucky not to be leaving the field
on a stretcher. Stevie McMillan and
Miller were both booked for squaring up though had Referee Freeland done his job
properly tension would have been instantly relieved.
Three minutes after that United were reduced to ten men and there
appeared to be a touch of harshness about the decision.
McCulloch and Lauchlan challenged for the ball near the Main Stand and it
appeared an accidental elbow which caught the Motherwell striker.
Freeland saw otherwise and he produced a straight red card.
In keeping with the strange run of decisions the East Stand Side Linesman
flagged Stuart Elliott when he ran clear on Spencer’s perfectly-timed ball,
despite being well on the off-side flag sprang up.
Motherwell were well on top and Adams cross was mis-hit by De Vos only to
fall the wrong side of McCulloch and the ball was cleared.
Corrigan’s long-ball gave McMillan the chance to set up Spencer but
again the ball fell behind the striker and the chance was gone.
Former Aberdonian Buchan had a great chance when he ran clear on
Atangana’s through ball though a superb tip round by Woods denied the visitors
the opener. There were more claims
of a penalty for Motherwell when Aljofree held McCulloch who despite the
attentions of the ex-Bolton player managed to head over.
The visting fans had a legitimate claim for a free-kick inside the box
denied when Strong looked to have deliberately back-passed to Woods right in
front of the linesman. Just on the interval, however, Motherwell deservedly took the
lead. Corrigan sent McMillan
tearing into the box and there was no doubt about the award when De Vos slid in
to take the defender out. Ged
Brannan strode up to give Combe no chance from the spot.
Half-Time
Motherwell 1 Dundee United 0
United almost hit back right away when McQuillan picked out
Buchan who volleyed over on the run. Motherwell
then retained the ball and despite forcing United back the final ball failed to
penetrate the visiting defence. Five minutes after the re-start Motherwell did grab a second
with a well-worked move. Derek
Adam’s low cross found Spencer inside the box and he produced a piece of magic
to reverse-pass into Elliott’s path. The
winger composed himself before toe-poking beyond Combe for Motherwell’s
second. Motherwell took Adams off
at this point to replace him with Derek Townsley.
More Spencer magic gave McCulloch a chance and after chesting down he
sent a drive in which was deflected wide for a corner.
Brannan got a free header in and should have done better than to clear
the bar. The visitors gave
themselves some hope when cashing in on slack Motherwell defending to nick a
goal back 10 minutes into the second half.
McQuillan’s low cross was smacked in by Miller and although Woods
managed to block Nevada was free to knock the ball into the unguarded net from
six yards out. Motherwell almost
regained the two-goal advantage when Townsley crossed for Spencer but his header
was blocked by Combe and hooked away. Easton
made a bit of a dive on the edge of the box to win his side a free-kick but the
same player drove well over. Stevie
Hammel then made way for Scott Leitch as Davies tried to regain the upper-hand
in the midfield battle. Elliott
went close to his second of the game when driving Brannan’s free-kick narrowly
wide of the mark. Hannah chopped
down Elliott and got away with only conceding the free-kick when a yellow should
have accompanied the award. With 20
minutes to go United took off Nevada to replace him with the nippy Thomson,
whilst shortly afterwards Motherwell brought on Don Goodman in place of Lee
McCulloch. United stalwart De Vos
had to be sharp to stop Elliott’s ball reaching Spencer in space inside the
box, though soon after Spencer was unlucky not to score when his header from
Corrigan’s cross struck two United defenders before being booted out of play. United made another change, Miller leaving to a loud chorus
of boos from the Motherwell fans to be replaced by O’Connor.
It took a brilliant clearance from right on his own line by Aljofree to
deny Elliott a second goal, the winger latching on to Spencer’s ball after
great build-up play involving Goodman and McMillan.
Motherwell centre-half Strong then conceded an unnecessary
free-kick 20 yards out on the right.
Aljofree curled in and the ball fell just an inch over the bar with Woods
appearing to cover. A minute later
Kemble was unlucky to be punished for what looked like a fair challenge on
O’Connor though this free-kick, a carbon copy of the previous in terms of
distance, was sent way over by McQuillan. The
game was almost put well beyond the visitors when Goodman ran onto Leitch’s
pass to drive inches past from 18 yards. In
the final minute of four during injury time there was the amazing scene of the
linesman flagging for a blatant hack on Goodman by Partridge with Referee
Freeland ignoring the obvious and waving play-on.
However, seconds later the final whistle went and Motherwell recorded
their third win in four.
Full-Time Motherwell 2 Dundee United 1
Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)