Dundee 2, Motherwell 0
| Match Date: Saturday, March 16 2002 |
|
| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 5,785 | |
| Motherwell Team (3-5-2): |
Woods, Ready, Deloumeaux, Strong, Corrigan, Martinez (Soloy 71), Lasley,
McFadden, Hammell, Ferrere (Elliott 71), Lehmann (Adams 81).
Subs not used: Brown, Pearson.
Yellow Cards: Ferrere, McFadden, Adams.
WELL RESUME NORMAL AWAY DELIVERIES
Dundee 2 Motherwell 0
DESPITE RETAINING THE BULK OF POSSESSION Motherwell carried no finish and subsequently lost out to a Dundee side which also failed to shine. The Fir Parkers also passed up a penalty and summed up a bad day by losing Dirk Lehmann to a nasty looking injury.
Motherwell had a fair shout for a free kick near the box ignored when Lehmann was tugged by Wilkie. The Dens parkers pushed up after Martinez lost out in the middle and from Smith's cross Sara headed well wide. Some clever play from McFadden had the home defence in tatters but the finish went narrowly over the bar. However, an error from Stevie Woods was to set the tone. Ketsbaia went on a run from the middle and with no one able to stop him he shot from 25 yards. Woods should have turned it round the post but instead pushed it high into the net. Seconds later Martinez had to be on hand to clear a dangerous Rae cross. Motherwell were struggling to create leaving the home side to attack, a run from Del Rio ending with a shot over the bar.
Slack play from Martinez then almost gifted a chance to Ketsbaia but the Spaniard did well to recover and clear. The visiting play was erroneous, this time Lasley passed to Artero though fortunately Ready tackled expertly to clear. Lehmann was then sent flying by Ketsbaia but play continued until Corrigan cleared the eventual cross from Rae. A superb pass from Deloumeaux sent Corrigan scurrying to the by-line but the cross failed to match the ball through and Wilkie had an easy task to knock it behind. Ready's header clearly struck the hand of Caballero but this was ignored. The ball broke out and although Martinez made a brilliant tackle to regain possession and stop the breaking Sara the dramatic fall ensured the Dundonian got the free kick. Motherwell then had a chance when Torres brought down McFadden 22 yards out. Martinez stepped up but curled the free kick over.
Motherwell slipped further behind with a goal which was almost a carbon copy of the first. Ketsbaia again went unchallenged and unleashed a shot which beat Woods who perhaps saw it late with Ready in his line of sight. The Fir Parkers had another appeal for a penalty ignored when Ready was fouled in the box by Wilkie, though a minute later they at last got the spot kick when Lehmann was knocked over by Smith. Last week's scorer from the spot McFadden strode up but this time the result was different, Speroni blocking the shot.
Del Rio became the first booking for a trip on Lehmann on the half-hour. Motherwell lost possession but despite being way off side Artero ran on to a through ball to set up Sara but he missed completely. Caballero picked the ball up but his cross was booted away by Ready and although Martinez gathered possession he was tackled late, play being waved on as Ketsbaia ran upfield. Motherwell managed to win the ball back and after some good interplay between McFadden and Ferrere the former crossed low for Lehmann who scored but a dubious offside flag cut short the visiting celebrations. Eric Black's men went close again shortly afterwards when Lehmann headed on for Hammel and his low ball sent inches past the far post. Just before the break Dundee won a corner which Rae headed way wide, then Ready beat Rae to a loose ball inside the box to clear.
Half-time Dundee 2 Motherwell 0
The Dens men made two immediate changes, Traverso replacing Caballero and Robertson coming on for Artero. Pushing up from the re-start they won a corner when Deloumeaux nipped in ahead of Sara, with Woods gathering the cross. Motherwell won a corner themselves a minute later but wasted it. There should have been a booking for Rae when he rather unnecessarily nipped at Lasley, but despite a lengthy word from Referee Brown there was no card. Martinez showed some good footwork and almost set up Ferrere but Ketsbaia sent the ball racing behind. Beghetto conceded a second corner but Motherwell failed to capatilise.
Dundee broke forward, Rae looked way off side but play continued and only a superb stop from Hammel prevented a probable third. Motherwell were beginning to assert themselves in terms of possession but the final ball was still lacking, McFadden putting in a terrific cross but it found only Beghetto who cleared. Ketsbaia went on another run and again no one seemed willing to challenge, though this time the end result was a chip over the bar. McFadden was then sent sprawling 30 yards out but Ferrere's shot hit the wall and was cleared for a throw. Greg Strong was next to be fouled, almost on the line of the penalty area, and McFadden's curling shot looked to have struck the outstretched arm of Smith as it went behind. McFadden was booked for his colorful complaint and the corner came to nothing. Dundee were seemingly willing to surrender possession to Motherwell and hit on the break, and they almost made it count when Smith found Torres whose head flick was blasted over by Traverso.
A minute later Ketsbaia's cross was returned by Sara and it took a cool Martinez to chest into Woods' arms. Another handball decision went against Motherwell when Beghetto palmed a cross from Hammel away. Sara broke upfield though Strong was on hand to stop his progress at the expense of a corner. Motherwell had a second man booked when Ferrere was carded for an earlier challenge, though it did look a good deal on the harsh side. Motherwell then made a double substitution of their own, Elliott replacing Ferrere and Martinez making way for Soloy. Whilst Motherwell re-adjusted Beghetto found Torres who headed wide. Never one to give up McFadden chased a seemingly lost cause and won a corner off Robertson though again the Fir Parkers let the chance go. The Dens Parkers passed up a great opportunity when a run by Ketsbaia set up Traverso and he shot past the post. Greg Strong then had to be alert as Sara almost set up Robertson. A blatant dive from Dundee's new boy, Traverso, went without a card which surprised many in the visiting ranks, and moments later Ketsbaia also escaped a booking for a quite awful lunge at Lasley.
Motherwell continued to try and get back into the match, Stuart Elliott's fierce shot deflected by Wilkie and cleared. They should have pulled one back when McFadden and Deloumeaux combined and the cross fell for Elliott but he delayed slightly and the eventual shot was saved. Unfortunately for Motherwell Dirk Lehmann caught his studs in the turf and was sadly stretchered off soon afterwards to be replaced by Derek Adams. Dundee also made a further change, and a curious one at that, replacing sub Traverso with sub Garrido. This met with a chorus of boos from the home support. A clever bit of play from Lasley set up McFadden shortly afterwards and he saw his shot tipped round by Speroni. Adams complained bitterly when Brown refused to award the corner and was promptly booked. Dundee had the last chance, Beghetto finding Rae but he drove way wide.
Full-time Dundee 2 Motherwell 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen