Dundee Utd 1, Motherwell 0
| Match Date: Saturday, April 13 2002 |
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| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 5,108 | |
| Motherwell Team (3-5-2): |
Dubourdeau (Woods 75), Bernhard, Deloumeaux, Ready, Corrigan, McFadden,
Adams, Ferrere, Hammell, Lehmann (Martinez 72), Elliott.
Subs not used: Cosgrove, Ramsay, Fagan.
Yellow Cards: Ready, Adams.
ANOTHER AWAY DAY BLANKER FOR MOTHERWELL
Dundee United 1 Motherwell 0
MOTHERWELL'S SEASON THREATENS To completely peter out after another dismal away showing. They created precious little in a match which won't live very long in the memory, and although they couldn't be faulted for effort, there was no cutting edge.
It was the visitors who did threaten firstly, Ferrere trying his luck with a long range shot immediately from kick-off though this drifted wide of the target. Fans "favourite" Miller then made a dramatic roll when challenged by Corrigan convincing Referee Richmond a foul was in order. Griffin curled the ball in but Dubordeaux took the ball cleanly. Ferrere gathered the kick out and his clever pass found McFadden. The winger breezed past Lauchlan though the defender recovered to take the eventual Ferrere cross away from Lehmann. United then pushed forward and Thompson sneaked in ahead of Deloumeaux to shoot well over. The Referee then had a word with Thompson who was perhaps lucky not to receive more potent punishment for the use of the elbow on Bernhard. An early substitution saw Griffin leave the park for O'Donnell. Motherwell went close when Gallacher had to be sharp to take an angled header from Elliott at his near post. Play swung upfield with Venetis making a run from midfield though his shot went wide. United were awarded a soft free kick when Deloumeaux appeared to win the ball from Lilley. The latter recovered to head for goals only for Dubordeaux to superbly parry the ball with Miller following up to send the ball past. Motherwell responded with an Adams shot past the post. Seconds later McFadden showed great skill out wide but his tricky cross was well taken by Gallacher. He then sent the ball upfield where Lilley laid off for Easton in a good position, the shot failing to match the build-up. The meagre away support was then angered when Lauchlan escaped a booking for a rash tackle on Elliott with seconds later a yellow card shown to Adams whose foul on Miller was no worse. Then a two-footed tackle from Lauchlan on Elliott was all but ignored by Referee Richmond. A break by Elliott saw him take the ball well upfield but the lay off to Lehmann was read by Aljofree who conceded the corner. Miller's poor clearance fell to Corrigan who fed McFadden. The cross came in and Elliott somehow sent the ball wide when he really should have scored. United responded with an angled shot from Thompson onto Aljofree's pass. Great running out wide then saw Ferrere supply McFadden, though the cross to Lehmann was inches too high. Only a superb intervention from Deloumeaux prevented Thompson going clear with Miller's shot blocked by the Frenchman. The Fir Parkers had another opportunity when Ferrere ran wide onto Elliott's pass but his fierce shot was turned round the post. Partially cleared to Ready he drove high over. Thompson of United was then prevented from bearing down on Dubordeaux when Adams made a superb block on the 18-yard line. A bad challenge from Aljofree left McFadden writhing in agony but incredibly Referee Richmond waved play on. Venetis fired in a shot which Bernhard turned behind. A free header from Lauchlan then bounced over the head of Lilley at the far post and behind. A minute later Venetis curled a shot over the bar. Just before the break only a great Dubordeaux block stopped Venetis scoring.
Half-Time Dundee United 0 Motherwell 0
It was a quiet start to the second half and a good four minutes before any notable action took place. Ferrere played a superb pass wide to Elliott but as he made the by-line the cross was behind the goals. A rare error from Ferrere then allowed Miller to run towards the box and the lay off was intercepted by Hammel who superbly denied Venetis the scoring chance. Venetis then got on the end of Lauchlan's pass but fired well into the stand behind the goals. The Tannadice men made a second change,
Lilley replaced by Winters. United were beginning to assert themselves and it took good work from Bernhard to stop Miller meeting the cross from Easton. Ferrere broke forward with his lay-off knocked behind by Lauchlan ahead of McFadden. Receiving the corner, Lehmann found McFadden but he saw his way to goals deliberately blocked by Lauchlan but there was no penalty. Motherwell were enjoying a period of pressure with Lauchlan again forced to concede a corner, though this time the ball fell to Corrigan who volleyed high and wide. Fortunately for Motherwell a moment or two later Venetis missed a great chance when Thompson flicked the ball on inside the six-yard box. Then an error in the visiting defence almost gifted a goal to United, Dubordeaux and Corrigan getting in a mix-up allowing Aljofree to lob towards goal though Dubordeaux recovered to gather the ball. However, Motherwell failed to head the warning and fell behind mid-way through the second half. Miller had space to turn on the edge of the box and although Dubordeaux parried his shot onto the post Thompson was the only player alert enough to react and he scored from close-range. Motherwell tried to respond though Elliott's pass to Lehman was well intercepted by Lauchlan. It was almost two soon after but Ferrere was on hand to stop Thompson racing clear. Ferrere himself then forced Duff into conceding a corner which he himself drove past. Lehmann was replaced by Martinez as Motherwell tried to shake things up a bit. The game's second booking then saw Ready carded for catching Aljofree late though the United man should have seen at least yellow as well for a retaliatory push back. There was then the rare sight of Motherwell goalkeeper Dubordeaux being subbed by Woods, the Frenchman limping off with what appeared to be an injury, his kicking throughout the match poor and no doubt connected. Woods was in action almost immediately when he made a brilliant block to stop Aljofree doubling the advantage. O'Donnell then brought McFadden down 25 yards out giving Motherwell an opportunity, Adams failing to take it by sending a shot way over. A third change for United saw Miller replaced by
Ogunmade. Winters then almost went clear, Deloumeaux superbly stopping him with a brilliant tackle. As time was running out Motherwell had a great chance when Elliott was found some 30 yards out. McFadden strode up and curled a superb effort which almost grazed the cross bar on it's way narrowly over. A blatant dive by Winters in the box was ignored by Referee Richmond with the last action seeing Thompson driving well wide.
Full-time Dundee United 1 Motherwell 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen