Motherwell 1, Livingston 5
| Match Date: Saturday, October 26 2002 |
|
| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 4, 342 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-4-2): |
Woods, Ramsay, Cowan, Corrigan, Hammell, Lasley (Ferguson 63),
Adams, Leitch, Pearson (Jack 74), Khaled, Lehmann.
Subs not used: Dubourdeau, Sengewald, Mathie.
Motherwell scorer: Khaled (79).
Yellow Card: Pearson
MOTHERWELL SUFFER NIGHTMARE ON FIR PARK STREET
Motherwell 1 Livingston 5
WITH HALLOW'EEN UP-AND-COMING, MOTHERWELL Gave their fans more sleepless nights
with a quite awful performance at the back. Livingston were anything but impressive, but they took full advantage to record a victory whose margin did
flatter greatly.
The Fir Parkers took the game immediately to their visitors and came close early
on. A good exchange between debutant Kemas and Ramsay saw Adams force a corner.
The ball fell to the midfield man and he shot wide from the edge of the box.
Shortly afterwards Kemas knocked a cross off Bollan for another corner. Hammel had his shot blocked but then crossed towards Adams who beat Broto but saw his
header drift over. A third corner came to nothing but seconds later Cowan send Ramsay wide and he
found Lehmann but the header went over with Kemas free on his right. However, despite completely
dominating the opening period it was the visitors who scored with their first foray. Dadi laid the ball off
towards former Fir Park trialist Makel and he scored from outside the box with a fierce
drive.
Motherwell tried to hit back, Rubio cutting out Hammel's cross towards Adams, though Ramsay passed up a great chance when he met Lehmann's header but could
only drive the ball past when it seemed easier to score. Livingston's response was a shot from O'Brien which failed to trouble Woods. The keeper kicked long
for Lehmann who looked well on side as he raced away but the linesman flagged.
The visitors went close to a second when Quino was left unmarked but he headed the ball wide. Uncertainty in
the visiting defence almost let in Kemas when Andrews and Broto left the ball to each other with the visiting keeper just
recovering. Dadi was lucky to escape a booking for a late tackle on Leitch, though
Adams failed to trouble Broto by striking the wall. Lehmann was next to be on the receiving end of a nasty challenge when he went down under a crude
Quino tackle. Although seeing little of the ball Livingston went close again, Makel gathering a clearance from Corrigan but driving over the bar. Dadi should
have seen yellow for persistent fouling when he went in late on Corrigan but did
not. Rubio then clattered Lehmann from the back but play continued. Lasley gathered and his net bound shot deflected wide. The corner fell to Corrigan but
his effort was cleared and Leitch saw his 18-yard shot saved. Motherwell were passing up opportunities galore, Pearson next to drive wide with Hammel clear on
his right.
There was a valid claim for a penalty when Adams was brought down by Makel inside the box. Play failed to stop with the Motherwell players and fans up in
arms. Great defensive work from Andrews then stopped Kemas as he looked set to go clear. The ball fell to Lasley but he was blocked out again by Andrews. Play
swept upfield and Ramsay had to be sharp to stop Dadi going clear on Bingham's pass. Superb skill from Kemas left Bollan trailing but Andrews got in to stop
Adams shooting with Broto gathering. The first booking of the match saw Rubio yellow-carded for sending Kemas flying. Andrews should quickly have followed
his teammate but escaped when he was high on Lehmann. The visitors had to make a quick change when O'Brien hobbled off to be replaced by Maman, a change which
was to turn out to be important. It was still Motherwell who were the better team, Ramsay's pass and Lehmann's header causing problems until Rubio nicked in
a head of Lasley. A high tackle from Quino again failed to see a yellow but from the free kick near the edge of the box Kemas sent a powerful shot inches
over. Kemas was continuing to cause the visiting defence problems and his pass found Pearson. His cross was
met by Lasley but only a brilliant save from Broto at the expense of a corner stopped Motherwell going level. Livingston then
forced a corner which fell to Andrews, the centre-half, once at Fir Park on trial,
hooked the ball over. Just before the break Lehmann and Leitch combined to set up Kemas but he was blocked out for a corner which Livingston cleared.
Half-Time Motherwell 0 Livingston 1
Motherwell came out at the start of the second half with the home support
confident of their team going on to at least obtain a share of the points.
However, much like the first half, the visitor's first attack yielded another goal. Lasley's error was pounced upon by Sherif and he made Woods look none too
clever by chipping over the keeper from outside the box to double his side's advantage. Dadi then gained a free kick when a spectacular dive to the turf as
Cowan challenged saw Referee McCurry blow for an apparent foul. The ball eventually fell to Wilson whose shot was deflected over for a corner. As the
ball was cleared Hammel went on a terrific run which took him way upfield but unfortunately his pass for Kemas was only just too strong. Woods made amends
somewhat when he did very well to control a fierce pass back and clear under some pressure. Livingston pushed forward and Bingham's knock down saw Quino
drive wide. However, more dismal defending saw the visitors go three ahead.
Lehmann's knock down for Hammel was missed by the defender allowing Dadi to make
the by-line. His cutback fell for Sherif and he slotted home with ease. Motherwell tried to claw something back, Kemas forced a corner but Hammel drove
his shot well over.
There was a booking for Pearson when he caught Quino late near the touchline.
Quino's angry reaction should have brought him a yellow but Referee McCurry decided to completely ignore this. A little late, Motherwell made an attacking
change by removing Lasley for Ferguson. Motherwell claimed penalty when Kemas' cross struck the arm of Brinquin but the outcome was a corner.
Sherif gathered the cleared ball and his run down the wing ended with a cross to
Bingham who failed to take advantage. Rubio was fortunate not to see a second yellow for a crude challenge on Ferguson. A visiting change was made when
Wilson left and Hart joined the play. Brinquin was another visiting defender who was carrying good
fortune. Twice in quick succession he was late, Lehmann and Kemas left hobbling after tackles, but there was no card. After Woods had
held a shot from Quino both sides made a change, Motherwell replacing Pearson with Jack whilst the visitors took off Dadi, who left to loud heckling from the
home support, and brought on Xausa. Motherwell almost pulled one back when Ferguson's lay off was sweetly met by Adams and his shot grazed the bar from
outside the area. The Fir Parkers were desperately trying to claw something back, Adams seeing Rubio denying him. However, with twelve minutes to go
Motherwell did pull a goal back and in some style. Khaled Kemas, who had a terrific debut, volleyed brilliantly from outside the box giving Broto no
chance. That could have signalled a comeback, but more suicidal defending ensured this was not the case.
Within two minutes Woods was badly caught out when Bingham's cross-come-shot sailed over the keeper and into the back of the net. A two-footed tackle form
Bollan failed to carry the expected red; instead he was cautioned with Kemas recovering. From a corner shortly afterwards Ferguson set up Kemas but his shot
went over. Leitch and Adams then saw shots blocked as the Fir Parkers tried to pull
more back. They should have done so when Kemas did brilliantly to set up Lehmann but the German crucially delayed and was blocked out.
An error from Broto then gave Ferguson a chance but he saw his goal-bound effort
desperately deflected behind. Motherwell captain Scott Leitch then slipped in midfield
allowing Bingham to break but to Leitch's relief he failed to spot Xausa wide. However, the visitors did
gain an unlikely fifth. More shocking defending allowed Xausa to go past a soft challenge from Woods and from a tight
angle he calmly slotted home.
Full-Time Motherwell 1 Livingston 5
Match Report by Ricky Mullen