Motherwell 2, Aberdeen 3
| Match Date: Saturday, May 17 2003 |
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| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 4,731 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-4-2): |
Dubourdeau, Corrigan, Vaughan (Craig 63), Partridge, Hammell, Lasley, Adams (Offiong 63), Leitch, Pearson, Clarkson, McFadden.
Subs not used: Woods, McDonald, Quinn.
Yellow Cards: None!
SPL FUTURE HANGS IN THE BALANCE
Motherwell 2 Aberdeen 3
DEFENSIVE BLUNDERS COUPLED With a lack of luck and poor finishing saw Motherwell consigned to the basement position of the Premier Division for the season. Now all attention turns to the ridicule of the SPL vote on Friday to determine whether or not Motherwell will play SPL football next season.
The Fir Parkers began positively enough and after Hart had body checked Clarkson the free kick from Hammel was met by Partridge whose header drifted narrowly past. A handball from Deloumeaux then gave Motherwell another free kick but despite being under pressure Kjaer was able to clear. Then a last ditch interception from Payne prevented McFadden supplying Lasley and as the ball broke Leitch fired over the bar from the edge of the box. Martyn Corrigan looked to have made a well-timed tackle to rob Clark but Referee Rowbotham decided otherwise, though the free kick was cleared by Hammel. Good chasing from Clarkson then kept the pressure up on the visitors and it took another good challenge from Deloumeaux to deny Lasley. Tosh became the first booking when he was very late on Pearson. Motherwell had a penalty claim denied when Hammel found Clarkson but he was sandwiched by Deloumeaux and Tiernan inside the box, Rowbotham deciding that it somehow was no foul. The visitors then gained a corner when Vaughan knocked behind seconds after a Hinds foul on Corrigan was ignored. Partridge did well to clear just as Mackie looked set to pounce. Motherwell made their early pressure count when they took a deserved lead. McFadden did exceptionally well to make the by line and his cut back was slotted home by the alert Clarkson. It was almost an immediate response as Tosh was left alone to nod a Clark cross over the bar. Terrific work from McFadden saw him send Pearson wide and the low cross was swept behind by Tiernan. Adams then found Vaughan and his header was cleared by Sheerin as McFadden looked set to score. It was a crucial interception as Aberdeen levelled a minute later. Hinds turned on the edge of the box to send an angled 18-yard drive beyond the despairing hands of Dubordeau to score.
Motherwell tried to regain the lead and McFadden and Pearson combined to send a low ball across the box but there were no takers. Dubordeau then did very well to block Mackie as he met the return from Tosh but a minute or so afterwards the French keeper looked none too clever as the visitors went ahead. Deloumeaux was some 35 yards from goal but blasted the ball in at a height which the Motherwell keeper should have been able to at least block. However, a one-handed swipe was not enough to stop the shot reaching the net. Aberdeen sensed the unease in the home defence and searched to finish the match. Clark saw his shot blocked for a corner which, when swung across, saw Dubordeau rather uneasily swipe at the ball but it was enough to send it behind again. A third they did get and it was Sheerin who pounced on a parry from Dubordeau to slot home. The Motherwell response was a free kick which Sheerin was able to nod to Kjaer under no pressure. The visitors then gained a soft free kick when McNaughton and McFadden clashed with the former of the two losing possession but getting the benefit of Rowbotham's decision. Motherwell were able to clear though shortly afterwards Vaughan was fouled by Sheerin. There was no whistle and Vaughan decided to take matters into his own hands and grab the ball. At this the Referee decided to give Aberdeen a free kick for handball and Vaughan was fortunate to escape a booking. More vital defending from Tiernan stopped Leitch going clear on McFadden's pass. McNaughton then somehow went without a booking or worse when he firstly was very late on Clarkson and also kicked the young striker as he lay on the ground. A foul by Hart on Clarkson was seen though the resultant header from Partridge was wide. Aberdeen forced successive corners before the last action of the half saw an angled drive from Hinds go wide.
Half time Motherwell 1 Aberdeen 3
Motherwell took considerably longer than their visitors to come out and when they did the Fir Parkers began the half with a renewed vigour. Clarkson almost made it through only for a vital interception from Tiernan before McFadden saw a dangerous low cross gathered by Kjaer. A run from Pearson found Clarkson whose shot hit Tiernan on the way past. The corner fell to Hammel and his shot looked to be racing into the net of a defender before the outstretched leg of Hart diverted it to Kjaer. It took a terrific piece of defending from Corrigan to stop a fourth when he tackled Clark, the ball eventually ending up with Clark again but his drive was wide. Motherwell forced a corner and although cleared Adams picked up and saw his shot blocked and cleared by Deloumeaux. The visitors had a free kick when Tosh was fouled by Vaughan. Tosh returned the clearance and Adams was forced to head behind from almost under his own cross bar. It was Corrigan again to the rescue and he did well to deny Hinds as he looked set to meet a ball from Mackie. Some magic from McFadden almost brought dividends when he took the ball almost the full length of the park before seeing his shot blocked by Kjaer for a corner. Vaughan found Clarkson but his looped header was held. Aberdeen were given a corner by the linesman who decided that, although Clark had carried the ball out, it was a corner to his team. Dubordeau partially cleared to Sheerin whose shot was wild and high. Motherwell then passed up a great chance to level when, from a corner conceded by Clark, Partridge headed over when he should have pulled a goal back. The Fir Parkers then made a double change when Vaughan and Adams made way for Craig and Offiong respectively. Offiong was almost immediately involved when he went clear but was eventually crowded out on the edge of the box. The ball ran to Lasley but although he hit the ball off Tiernan there was no corner. Terrific build-up play from Motherwell almost brought a goal but Pearson was blocked by Clark though with options he would have been better served passing.
Motherwell were upping the pace and Deloumeaux just cleared in the nick of time as Offiong threatened. After McNaughton had fouled Lasley the same visiting defender conceded a corner. A poor punch from Kjaer should have been snapped up but there was no one on hand to slot away. A foul by Clark on McFadden was penalised with a free kick which saw Clarkson fouled by Deloumeaux inside the box but play continued. The visiting keeper then made an exceptional save to deny Lasley as he fired in a ball from Hammel. The corner was met by Offiong but despite knocking the ball behind off Tosh there was no repeat. The visitors made a change with Clark replaced by McAllister. Motherwell then forced successive corners and the second was headed over by Pearson when again it should have at least troubled Kjaer. Motherwell were hemming Aberdeen in and only a desperate clearance from Kjaer, after Deloumeaux had blocked McFadden, denied Clarkson. The East Stand side Linesman further enraged the Fir Park fans when he decided Offiong was off side as he raced onto a well-timed ball from Partridge. With 9 minutes left Motherwell did pull a goal back. Hammel's free kick was handled in the box by McNaughton and despite his protests there was little doubt. McFadden confidently slotted the ball home to bring Motherwell right back into things. However, Aberdeen almost regained their two-goal advantage when Sheerin raced wide but Dubordeau blocked well. And it should have been all-square moments later when Richard Offiong somehow headed wide at the back post when it was easier to score. Motherwell pressed hard and Craig was fouled by Hart out wide. McFadden met the ball but his header was parried by Kjaer as Clarkson looked set to pounce. Then Tosh nipped in to deny McFadden by conceding a corner. A further change for the visitors saw Tosh replaced by O'Donoghue. A break by O'Donoghue moments later looked set to finish the match but Dubordeau did well to hold the shot. Right into injury time Payne conceded a corner but McFadden saw his shot blocked and the last chance was gone. Soon after the final whistle went and Motherwell players and fans alike realised that it all now depends on the vote on Friday.
Full Time Motherwell 2 Aberdeen 3
Match Report by Ricky Mullen