Motherwell 1, Celtic 2

Match Date: Saturday, October 13 2001
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 9,933
Motherwell Team (3-5-2):

Brown, Forrest, Ready, Strong, Hammell, Pearson, Leitch, Lasley (Martinez 90), Nicholas (Corrigan 90), Kelly, Elliott (Adams 84).
Subs not used: Woods, McFadden

Yellow Cards: Forrest, Pearson, Kelly..

CELTIC STEAL THE POINTS THANKS TO A GIFT FROM THE 'BOTTOM

Motherwell  1     Celtic  2

DISBELIEF BEST DESCRIBED THE FEELING Amongst the Motherwell support at the end of this match. Having looked the better side throughout the 90 minutes they lost out to a penalty which, best described, couldn't have hardened enough to ever be called soft. Subject to some strange and baffling decisions Referee Rowbotham topped them all when Maloney fell as if having been shot with seconds to go.

The Fir Parkers signalled their intent from the off. Big Karl Ready launched a long free kick which Mjallby was forced to knock behind for a corner, nipping in just ahead of man-of-the-match Stuart Elliott. Joining the corner Ready headed back across and as the ball fell invitingly for Forrest he was quickly put off by Petrov and sliced his shot wide and eventually away. Moravcik then brought Nicholas down 35 yards out though as the free kick fell to Lasley he volleyed over. The visitors took 4 minutes to put together a move and they finished with a shot on target. Moravcik found Petrov who steadied himself before firing in a shot which Brown comfortably held. Guppy then fouled Kelly but the free kick, which Leitch delivered low, was easily swept away. Some loose defending by Motherwell gifted an opening to Larsson but he was only able to direct his header, from a Hartson cross, over the bar.

Elliott was giving the visiting defence a hard time and despite being constantly tugged by Sylla he was able to deliver a dangerous cross, Guppy rescuing the Celtic defence by beating Kelly to the ball. The visitors took the lead much against the run of play on 13 minutes. Petrov needed no second invitation to fall dramatically 30 yards out as Lasley snapped away. Up stepped Moravcik and he scored with a well taken free kick though Brown, fooled by the flight of the ball, may feel he could have done better. A rather more obvious foul at the other end was completely ignored when guppy sent Nicholas flying. The first booking came when Lennon was shown yellow for a lunge at Lasley. The free kick was taken by Leitch and he found Pearson but the first touch was poor and the ball ran out.

The visitors almost doubled their advantage thanks to some poor officiating by the linesman. Larsson looked way off -side as he ran onto Hartson's pass and as he entered the box the Swede turned Ready but found Brown a tougher obstacle, the Keeper making a terrific parry away. Petrov then sent Larsson away again and though on-side Strong made a brilliant stop at the expense of a corner. Finding an alarming amount of room Balde should have done better than to head over. Pearson then had another opportunity as Elliott sent him into the box but again the first touch was lacking. Motherwell won a free kick inside their own half when Hartson was adjudged to have fouled Ready, and the Celtic man could count himself lucky as TV later showed an elbow was used.

Motherwell attacked with a volley on the drop from Lasley well held by Douglas. A superb run forward by Elliott almost took him all the way, only a well-timed Valgaeren tackle stopping him. The corner was cleared to Larsson and he sent Moravcik racing away though some solid defending from Forrest stopped any further danger. Good work from Elliott then forced Sylla to give a way a throw and although it came to nothing it showed the sheer commitment from the Motherwell side. The second booking of the game went unsurprisingly to Sylla, his rash tackle not his first of the match on Elliott. Curled in by Lasley it almost took everyone by surprise though thankfully for Douglas the ball dropped just over the bar.

Eddie Forrest became the first Motherwell man booked with a trip on Larsson. As Petrov connected with Larsson's touch Leitch made a superb charge from the wall to block. Motherwell fans were up in arms when Pearson was penalised for a tackle on Sylla. Seconds before an identical challenge from the visiting fullback on Hammel went without punishment. Petrov whipped the ball in and Hartson met it with a header which Brown saved well. Just before the break Elliott was fouled again by Balde, though the ball fell to Forrest from the free kick and he volleyed well over.

Half-time     Motherwell  0     Celtic  1

It took a good block by Brown to stop Celtic doubling their advantage within the first few second soft the second-half. A quickly taken free kick from Petrov found Larsson but Brown blocked the shot. Sylla then fell easily as Lasley challenged giving Celtic another opportunity and again Brown had to be at his best to turn Moravcik's vicious shot over. Hartson got on the end of the corner though he headed wide of the far post. Motherwell then came close when Lasley sent Pearson in on Douglas who made an important block at the feet of the young midfielder. Good combining between Lasley and Nicholas almost set up Elliott, Valgaeren having to concede a corner. The ball fell to Strong on the edge of the box and showing some good skill the big centre-half sent in a dipping volley which Douglas did exceptionally well to turn over.

Play swung to the Motherwell box where a shot from Moravcik struck Leitch on the head, the Motherwell captain taking some time to recover from the powerfully struck ball. Young Stephen Pearson then entered the Referee's book for a kick at Sylla who still managed to escape more or less everything he handed out himself. Trickery from Moravcik won the visitors a corner and a good block from Elliott stopped Petrov who volleyed over at the second attempt. With 12 minutes of the second half gone Motherwell should have been given the opportunity to draw level from the spot, and given the eventual nature of Celtic's winner, another blunder by Rowbotham. The cross from Nicholas deflected off Valgaeren and as Lasley looked to run onto the ball he was caught by Lennon. There was definite contact but despite the protests Rowbotham refused to give the obvious. As the ball was cleared eventually it fell to Pearson but he drove over from 25 yards out. Motherwell continued to push and Valgaeren had to concede a corner with Elliott snapping away. Lasley flicked the ball on but Pearson could only head behind.

Good backtracking from Stevie Nicholas saw him ensure that Larsson failed to trouble Brown. Similarly at the other end Balde had to look smart to stop Elliott connecting with a neat flick from Kelly. A desperate boot out for a corner from Guppy seemed to sum up the panic in the visiting rearguard though that was scant reward as a second before a deliberate trip on Elliott just 20 yards out by Mjallby was ignored. Sylla nipped in ahead of Elliott to concede a second successive corner and from it Motherwell at last drew level. Hammel whipped the ball in where Hartson cleared only as far as Leitch. Knocking to Strong, he controlled the ball on his knee before whipping in a shot which beat Douglas and nestled in the corner of the net. Special mention must go to Kelly whose dummy in front of the keeper helped no-end. Celtic attempted to regain their lost lead and as the corner came in Hartson feebly headed wide. Hartson was more direct with his next header, from a Balde flick, but Brown easily held. Rowbotham continued to be inconsistent, ignoring a foul by Sylla on Nicholas but stopping play when Lennon was challenged by Nicholas. From the free-kick Hammel had to defend well, heading away from near his own line despite the attentions of Sylla.

The bookings were then squared up when Kelly was rather unfairly booked as he appeared to win the ball from Larsson, the Celtic man always making the most of every challenge made. Brown, however, made a great take once the free kick was swung in. Motherwell were continuing to attack with Nicholas only an inch away from connecting with Elliott's flick. And at the back, superb tackling, like the one from Leitch on Moravcik, was keeping the visitors at bay. Good battling play from Nicholas then forced a corner from Petrov and there were shouts for a penalty when Forrest's shot struck Petrov, Referee Rowbotham unsurprisingly unconvinced. Eddie Forrest then had to defend a cross from Petrov, conceding a corner which Balde looped goal-wards but Brown saved.

Motherwell and Celtic then made changes, Elliott replaced by Adams with Moravcik making way for Maloney. It was almost a dream impact from Adams as he drove an angled shot not far past from good work from Kelly. Another strange Rowbotham decision saw Celtic gain a free kick when Larsson and Leitch clashed, the visiting player looking to have gone over the top on Leitch. With 2 minutes to go came the decision, which even the most biased of Celtic fans would have to admit, was incorrect. Forrest stuck out a leg to clear a loose ball just as Maloney attacked it. There looked to have been minimal, if any, contact but from Maloney's vivid, colourful dive, Rowbotham clearly had no option but to point to the spot. The reaction from Larsson, a master himself at this sort of thing, said it all, clutching Maloney's head in appreciation of it all. Larsson put the ball away and with it Celtic undeservedly snatched all three points. There was a late flurry of subs, Motherwell taking off Nicholas and Lasley and bringing on Martinez and Corrigan. At the end, the Motherwell fans roundly cheered their team off the park, instantly letting Rowbotham know of his blunder with a chorus of boos as he left the park.

Full-time     Motherwell  1     Celtic  2

Match Report by Ricky Mullen

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