Rangers 3, Motherwell 0
| Match Date: Saturday, February 16 2002 |
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| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 49,284 | |
| Motherwell Team (3-5-2): |
Woods, Ready, Strong, Deloumeaux, Adams, McFadden (Ferrere 67), Leitch,
Lasley, Hammell, Lehmann, Elliott (Pearson 78).
Subs not used: Brown, Forrest, Ramsay.
Yellow Cards: Ready, Deloumeaux.
Red Card: Deloumeaux
AWAY DAY JINX CONTINUES
Rangers 3 Motherwell 0
IT WAS SAME AGAIN FOR MOTHERWELL On their travels as they succumbed to another defeat on the road. The Fir Parkers cause wasn't helped with the dismissal of Eric Deloumeaux, sent of by regular bungler Willie Young obviously keen to make up for his "error" the last time the two teams met.
Motherwell actually began on the attack with a Deloumeaux throw causing havoc in the box until Elliott was harshly adjudged to have fouled Numan in a tussle. Dirk Lehmann then won possession near the edge of the box but his bouncing drive was held by Klos. The home side pushed upfield with Lovenkrands sending in a low ball which Hammel did well to knock behind despite the attentions of Flo. Numan then quite blatantly stole 20 yards at a throw right in front of Referee Young and this allowed him to put Flo clear though Ready was able to block for a corner. James McFadden was restored to the line-up following a suspension and he had a terrific opportunity to send Lehmann clear but the pass was surprisingly poor. Latapy broke and almost sent Flo clear with Ready intercepting. However, some slack marking on the edge of the box gave Latapy another chance and this time he took it himself, firing past a static Woods to score. What looked like a superb tackle by Hammel seemed to have won back possession from Konterman but incredibly a foul was awarded near the corner flag. The ball fell for Ricksen and he drove well over but to great surprise Referee Young blew for a corner. Amoruso met the cross but headed way over. It was no shock when the game's first booking went to a Motherwell player, Ready looked somewhat unfortunate to be carded for his first challenge, this on Flo who went down like a sack of potatoes.
Eric Deloumeaux then made a vital stop on Ferguson as he bore down on Woods. Motherwell could not be discounted and it took an important block by Numan to stop Lehmann getting in a shot. McFadden gathered but his cross was far from perfect. Rangers then missed a chance to make it two when Strong missed a cross leaving Amoruso clear on Woods. The Italian played keepy-up before volleying high into the stand from just a short distance out. McFadden and Amoruso then tussled near the box and despite being fouled the Motherwell man kept his feet only for the ball to run just beyond to Klos. Motherwell should have drawn level and it was extreme good fortune which protected the home side. Konterman crudely brought Lasley down but Young chose only to award a free kick. Hammel curled the ball in and it broke to Ready. He really should have scored but instead could only hit the post. The rebound fell to Lehmann but he saw his shot blocked by Klos with a follow-up effort from Leitch also desperately smothered, Ferguson whacking the ball behind but Motherwell wasted the corner. Rangers then almost profited from more poor officiating when Lovenkrands, way offside, was allowed to continue though his drive went wide of the far post. Referee Young then booked Deloumeaux for what looked like a trip on Numan though the Dutchman looked to have tripped over the ball. Averladze then weaved his way to the edge of the box but fired well over.
Given the soft bookings Motherwell had already endured they were further outraged when Ricksen lunged at McFadden and escaped a card. More awful officiating saw Latapy, well offside, waved on though his cross was expertly dealt with by Hammel. The attack continued and it took a brilliant tip round from Woods to stop Ferguson counting. Woods then made a great point-blank from a Vidmar header. Good play from Hammel and McFadden opened up the home defence forcing Ferguson to concede a corner which was headed wide by Strong. Poor control by Ferguson wasted a chance for Rangers when Amoruso had put him through. After Latapy had saw a deflected drive go for a corner which Amoruso headed wide Motherwell gifted a second goal.. Lasley was woefully short with a pass back to Woods allowing Flo to round the keeper and score the second. Ferguson then should have been booked for a rash tackle on Elliott but no surprise when Young awarded only a free kick. Rangers were then given another opportunity when Ricksen's dive was enough to convince Young to award a free kick 25 yards out, Amoruso curling inches past.
Half-time Rangers 2 Motherwell 0
The second half hard barely begun when Amoruso hacked down Lehmann but there wasn't even a free kick this time. Handball against Lovenkrands gave Motherwell a free kick 30 yards out but Elliott could only curl the ball a foot over the top. Derek Adams then had a chance to cause some trouble but his cross was more like a pass back to Klos. Finding himself in space at the other end was Ferguson but he drove well wide. Averladze then pushed up towards the box but Hammel was on hand to win possession back, the pass to Lehmann seeing Flo bring the German down without as much as a blink from Referee Young. A long ball from Amoruso then picked out Lovenkrands but there was Woods to save well. Any chance Motherwell had of coming back into the game went when Deloumeaux was sent off for a supposed second bookable offence. His first was laughable; the second was given when he and Lovenkrands went for a 50-50 ball out on the wing. Deloumeaux looked to have won the ball but Young decided the spectacular roll by Lovenkrands merited a second yellow for the Motherwell man.
With the Fir Park defence in disarray Woods had to be in top form and he superbly tipped a shot from Latapy behind for a corner. When swung in Woods confidently held firm. However, a minute or two later Woods fumbled a shot from Ferguson but he recovered in time. Lovenkrands is beginning to develop the sort of reputation for falling easily and he enhanced that when he quite literally ran into Adams but fell as if pole axed. Flo then had a chance to score but Hammel did well to block with Woods picking up the ball as it broke to him. There should have been a booking for Numan when he clearly dived in the box but by now Motherwell fans and players alike would have known this was not going to occur. Motherwell at last made a change, Ferrere coming on to replace McFadden somewhat belatedly. The home side also made a change, Flo for Mols. It seemed Rangers could get away with any bad challenge and this was evident when Vidmar sent Elliott flying. Woods again had to look sharp when Mols, turning onto Ferguson's pass, though he had scored only for the Motherwell custodian to brilliantly parry behind. Woods was then fouled by Amoruso from the corner.
A couple of minutes later Mols turned Strong but again there was Woods to block. Ferrere had quickly shown he could not only score but create and clever play saw him set up Lehmann but a crucial delay allowed Amoruso to nip in to knock the ball behind. Cleared as far as the edge of the box Ferrere gathered and his dipping shot only just cleared the bar. The home side made a double change, Ferguson for Dodds and Lovenkrands, going off to a chorus of boos from the Motherwell support, swapped for Ross. Rangers attacked again with Mols though he would have been sick of the sight of Woods who once more stopped him from scoring. A shot then came in from Dodds but this was deflected for a corner which Leitch cleared. Motherwell then swapped Elliott for Pearson. A one-two involving Averladze and Numan had the former in space but his shot joined him in orbit. Motherwell did concede a third, Ricksen firing in an angled drive in acres of room at the edge of the box. Near the end Rangers were given a free kick after shots from Konterman had been blocked and then saved, this one taken by Amoruso who hit the cross bar with the ball being cleared.
Full-time Rangers 3 Motherwell 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen