Aberdeen 3, Motherwell 1

Match Date: Wednesday, November 6 2002
Competition: CIS League Cup, 3rd Round
Attendance: 6,557
Motherwell Team (4-4-2):

Woods, Cowan, Corrigan, Partridge, Hammell, Lasley (Ramsey 33), Adams, Leitch, Pearson, Khaled (Ferguson 72), Lehmann.
Subs not used: Dubourdeau, McDonald, Kinniburgh.

CUP OF WOE FOR WELL

Aberdeen  3     Motherwell  1

MOTHERWELL SLUMPED OUT OF THE CIS Cup at a chilly Pittodrie last night with a combination of poor defending, questionable officiating and rank bad finishing contributing to the exit.

The home fans rather ridiculously claimed penalty an amazing four times in the opening few minutes and not one could even have been put down to possibly. Within the first 60 seconds Corrigan and Michie clashed with the latter going down easily but play waved on. A long ball out of defence from Corrigan then almost played in Kemas but Kjaer was out to gather. Rutkiewicz almost picked out Mike with a cross though Partridge booted well clear. Motherwell should have taken the lead on 8 minutes and it was one of the misses of the season which was to prove costly. Great play from Pearson saw him nutmegged Rutkiewicz and although the cross was parried it fell to Kemas who somehow sent the ball wide from just a few yards out. Aberdeen almost made Motherwell pay when Fabiano played in Michie though Cowan was on hand to concede a corner. A hand ball against Mike was ignored by Referee Rowbotham who instead awarded a corner off Hammel, which Pearson cleared. Woods was then called into action when Deloumeaux found Michie but Motherwell broke clear only for Kjaer to beat Kemas to the ball. Michie then cut in from the left but his curling 18-yard effort sailed wide of the far post. The Fir Parkers went close shortly afterwards when Kemas did well to turn and shoot from just inside the box though Kjaer got down well despite the presence of Pearson. 

A minute later Kemas won what should have been a corner off Anderson but despite being well placed Referee Rowbotham decided otherwise. That was a decision which also proved crucial as Aberdeen took the lead from the kick from goal. Young and Mike combined to cut open the 'Well defence but as the Englishman raced in on goals and slotted through the legs of Woods and into the net. Worse was to follow just sixty seconds later. Mike and Partridge clashed in midfield and the Fir Parker appeared to cleanly win the ball. However, Referee Rowbotham decided on a free kick. McAllister rolled it sideways for Deloumeaux and although his shot from 30plus yards was well hit Woods got down rather slowly and allowed the ball to bounce under him and into the back of the goal. Motherwell were denied a free kick on the edge of the box when Lehmann was barged to the ground by Young, then the German pounced on a poor kick from goal and his attempted lob from outside the box landed just on the wrong side of the bar. Shortly afterwards Lehmann then gathered a loose ball but saw his shot blocked behind by McGuire. As the corner came out Lasley and Anderson went in on the ball with the Motherwell man coming out worse, being stretchered off and replaced by Ramsay. The Fir Parkers were attempting to strike back with Leitch firing over before he was clattered by Deloumeaux and gaining a free kick. Kemas was next to be fouled, this time by Anderson with Referee Rowbotham deciding not to book. Five minutes from the break Rowbotham again failed to caution when Pearson was clattered by Bisconti. However, from the free kick some 25 yards out Derek Adams curled a beautiful shot in off the underside of the bar to pull Motherwell back into things. His celebrations involved running to the 120 Motherwell fans who had braved the cold and exorbitant entry prices, leaping onto the perimeter wall, and being ticked off by Rowbotham who seemed determined not to book anyone. 

The celebrations were to be short lived. A lob from Mike over the defence found Michie who was well off-side. The linesman, for reasons known only to himself, kept the flag down leaving Michie to run clear, round Woods, and eventually score. This incensed the travelling fans and Motherwell players alike to no avail. On the other side of the park, the main standside linesman then failed to spot a flying elbow from Young in the face of Cowan who required treatment. There were a couple of questionable falls by firstly Fabiano and then McGuire which were both waved away but instead the home side were given a corner. Mike rose to head towards goal but Woods made up for his earlier error with a great parry round the post. From this corner Young fired towards the far post but Hammel was on the line to clear. Just before the break Deloumeaux was a lucky man to stay on the park when he lifted his hands to Adams, Referee Rowbotham failing to even warn the Frenchman.

Half-Time     Aberdeen  3     Motherwell  1

Motherwell began the second half brighter and won a free kick when Pearson, not for the first time, was pushed over by Bisconti. Up stepped Adams, but despite whipping in a dangerous shot Kjaer was there to gather on the line. Mike, and then Bisconti again conceded free kicks but again Referee Rowbotham decided not to use his cards, indicating he had forgotten them. The home side attacked and it took a great saving tackle from Martyn Corrigan to deny Mike as he latched onto a through ball from Michie near the box. The ball was played forward where Lehmann knocked it off the legs of Fabiano to gain a corner. However, Kjaer gathered unchallenged and sent Michie racing wide on the left only for a superb challenge from Ramsay to end the danger at the expense of a throw-in. A foul by Anderson on Leitch went unnoticed allowing Aberdeen to win a corner as the ball rolled off Cowan. This was cleared but the danger wasn't over as Ramsay and Rutkiewicz collided with the decision going in favour of the home man. Partridge cleared this one well downfield and eased the pressure. Lehmann then found himself being barged off the ball by Anderson and got the free kick near the box. Although Anderson managed to partially head clear Adams connected with the lob from Leitch and was unlucky to see Kjaer gather. A blatant dive from Mike should have seen a yellow card but again Referee Rowbotham decided that no way was he booking anyone. The home side then made a change, with one Young replacing another. 

Rutkiewicz forced a corner which was met by Anderson though under sever pressure from Partridge. Play swung to the other end and Corrigan burst into the box but with a shot perhaps the better option he chose to cross and Anderson headed behind. Up rose Pearson unchallenged and he should have pulled a goal back but instead sent his header behind the goal. Both sides then made a change, Anderson replaced by Tiernan with Motherwell taking off Kemas and bringing Ferguson on. Motherwell almost did pull a goal back from an unlikely source when Rutkiewicz sliced an attempted clearance inches over his own bar. The corner fell for Adams but his shot cleared the bar by some distance. A further home change had Mike go off for Billio. Referee Rowbotham confirmed his no bookings policy when McAllister booted the ball away after conceding a free kick but failed to receive a yellow card for his show of dissent. Bisconti then sent Hammel flying though Motherwell failed to take advantage of the free kick. They did, however, come close soon after when Adams combined with Lehmann and the latter's dipping volley going just over the bar. 

Some of the time-wasting from Aberdeen was becoming ridiculous, none more so than Kjaer who seemed unable to make up his mind to take goal kicks or wait for the furthest away defender to come back. A superb save from Woods kept Motherwell in the hunt when he blocked Billio. Then, a minute later, he again saved from the former Dundee man who had raced into the box. Despite the time wasting there were just two minutes added on. During this time Motherwell almost made it a very nervy closing period. Lehmann's knockdown found Leitch on the penalty spot but despite connecting well Kjaer made a brilliant save to concede the corner. Kjaer again denied Motherwell when he held a good Partridge effort before time up.

Full time     Aberdeen  3     Motherwell  1

Match Report by Ricky Mullen

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