Motherwell 1, Cardiff City 0
| Match Date: Sunday, July 28 2002 |
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| Competition: Pre-season Friendly | |
| Attendance: 2,540 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-4-2): |
Team: Woods, Ramsay, Corrigan, Partridge, Hammell, Lasley, Adams (Kinniburgh
85), Leitch (McDonald 78), Fagan, McFadden, Lehman.
Subs not used: DuBordeau, Clarke, Dempsie.
Motherwell scorer: Adams.
Yellow Cards: McFadden
FOUR-IN-A-ROW WELL FOR BUTCHERS BABES
Motherwell 1 Cardiff City 0
A PENALTY FROM DEREK ADAMS Gave Motherwell their fourth successive win in the pre-season build-up to next week's opener at Livingston. Despite numerous howlers from the Referee the Fir Parkers were rarely in serious trouble of the winning streak ending.
The fairly tepid opening gave little indication of the flare-up to come. Motherwell claimed a penalty in the fourth minute when Weston appeared to handle Adams' head flick from the Fagan cross. It looked blatant, but not in the Referee's eyes. Not long afterwards the game dramatically sprung to life when Boland made a ridiculously dangerous and late tackle on Fagan. The young Motherwell lad retaliated and things threatened to get out of hand as several players became involved. Once the Referee had calmed things down somewhat he rather ridiculously chose to firstly red-card Boland and then Fagan when surely requesting immediate substitutions might well have been a more sensible option.
Once play had resumed the Referee continued his bizarre performance. Campbell dived near the box as Corrigan appeared to win the ball but the Referee chose instead to lecture the Motherwell defender and award a free kick which Corrigan himself cleared before Earnshaw drove way over. Motherwell responded with a run from McFadden but Gabbidon cut out the pass for Adams. Ramsay then made a run through the middle but saw his shot deflected behind. The Referee then ignored a foul by Gabbidon on Lehmann outside the box, with the big German then committing a similar foul seconds later outside his own box on Thorne and a free kick was immediately given. Whalley drove the ball off the wall before Young shot high and wide. A minute later Campbell then angled a drive beyond the far post. Dirk Lehmann was then the subject of an elbow from Gabbidon which the Referee amazingly decided was accidental.
Loose defensive play saw Motherwell concede a corner when Partridge's late header back saw Woods scramble but fail to gather. Partridge made up, however, when he headed well clear. Good possession from Motherwell saw Lasley and Adams combine to give McFadden possession but Cardiff snuffed out the danger. McFadden appeared to win back from Thorne fairly but the Referee thought otherwise. More McFadden magic saw him leave Young and Weston chasing a non-existent shadow but the cross failed to match the build-up. Adams then looked to have won a corner off Barker but again the Referee, poorly positioned, gave a goal kick. Motherwell regained possession with Leitch sending in a 25 yarder over the bar. The Welsh lads attacked with Campbell setting up Thorne who drove an angled drive wide. A late, late tackle from Gabbidon on Ramsay should have seen at least a card but the Referee decided only a word was sufficient.
However, just on the half-hour Motherwell took the lead and given the Referee's insistence on rules Cardiff should have been reduced to 9 men. McFadden burst clear in the box and as he was about to shoot Gabbidon tried desperately to remove the shirt from his back. Gabbidon remained on the pitch but justice was done when Adams slotted beyond Alexander to give Motherwell the lead. Within a couple of minutes Adams almost made it a quick double, McFadden's terrific run setting up his team-mate but Alexander made a superb tip round. Next McFadden again almost gave Adams a chance but Gabbidon made a legal block and cleared. Good build-up play saw Lehmann have a shot deflected before Corrigan almost scored, his close-range shot hitting the side net. Cardiff's response was a weak shot from Earnshaw which went well wide. Young then sent a header across the box but Partridge was on hand to clear. A shocking tackle from Young on Hammel had the Motherwell man writhing in agony but incredibly the Referee failed to even stop play. Partridge was also caught late by Thorne but typically the Referee continued the action. As the play continued McFadden raced into the box and was fouled twice in quick succession by Weston and although both were fouls play failed to stop. Just before the break Ramsay set up Adams but Barker made the block.
Half-Time Motherwell 1 Cardiff City 0
Cardiff made a quick change, Legg replacing Campbell. Motherwell had an early chance when McFadden was brought down 35 yards out. Derek Adams made an ambitious attempt but Alexander was equal to the shot and saved. Scott Leitch then brought down Whalley but Lehmann made a solid clearance. Earnshaw then threatened to test woods only for Ramsay to make a terrific tackle. Lehmann looked set to sprint down the wing until Whalley sent him flying. Fine play from Motherwell almost had Cardiff in further trouble, McFadden sending Ramsay wide but the cross was blocked behind. Cardiff put together a clever move of their own and Earnshaw set up Thorne whose shot took a deflection behind for a corner. Stevie Woods came under pressure and dropped the ball, he did however recover and blocked the shot from Earnshaw.
The classy McFadden then laid the ball off for Lasley but from 35 yards his shot was wide. Adams then conceded a free kick which Thorne drove past. Persistent fouling by Maxwell was eventually punished when one too many saw him booked. McFadden was blocked twice for a corner before Maxwell was substituted for Kavanagh. There was another shout for a penalty when McFadden went down in the box under another heavy Gabbidon challenge but play was waved on. McFadden was the next in the Referee's book when he was yellow-carded for going in late on Maxwell. Motherwell custodian Stevie Woods had to be alert to hold a rasping shot from Young from way out. Earnshaw then sent a wild drive over from outside the box. The Fir Parkers gained a free kick in a dangerous position when McFadden was sent Prior and Fortune-West replacing Weston and Earnshaw respectively. Fortune-West was immediately involved, raising his hands to Scott Leitch but the Referee decided a word was merely enough.
Motherwell chose to take Leitch off and put on MacDonald. Cardiff won a free kick when McFadden pulled Barker down, and it was Barker with the header which Woods easily held. The rapidly improving Martyn Corrgian then played a superb ball to Lehmann and after controlling drove over under severe pressure on the edge of the box. More overly physical play from Fortune-West had the Motherwell fans on their feet angrily but the Referee took the easy option of awarding a free kick to Motherwell. Derek Adams made way for Kinniburgh, the goalscorer going off to a rapturous round of applause. Brilliant play from McFadden had Ramsay about to score until Gabbidon made a superb stop. A looping header from Fortune-West failed to trouble Woods. A minute later McFadden and Barker clashed and there was an unnecessary over-reaction from Barker, the Referee completing ignoring things. Just near the end Corrigan made a great block to stop Barker inside the box with Partridge clearing for a corner just before the end of the match.
Full Time Motherwell 1 Cardiff City 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen