Partick Thistle 3, Motherwell 0
| Match Date: Saturday, April 26 2003 |
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| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 4,870 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-4-2): |
Dubourdeau, Cowan, Vaughan, Partridge, Hammell, McFadden, Corrigan, Adams, Craig (Offiong 69), Clarkson, Lehmann. Subs not used: Woods, Ramsey, McDonald, Kinniburgh
Yellow Cards: Craig, Partridge, Lehmann
THREE EASY FOR THISTLE AS WELL FAIL TO TURN UP
Partick Thistle 3 Motherwell 0
A PALE IMITATION OF THE SIDE AT Hampden last week, Motherwell seemed to forget the importance of this match and succumbed meekly to a hungrier opposition. Few, if any, could gain pass marks and attention now turns to a vital match against Dundee United in seven days time.
The Fir Parkers began positively enough and after a foul by Mitchell on McFadden the pass from Cowan was only just too strong as Clarkson looked set to run clear. The response from the home side was a header from Hardie which was well wide from the Mitchell cross out deep. Motherwell should have had a free kick when Lehmann was sent sprawling by Craigan though Referee Brines failed to spot. Then an elbow from Britton on Vaughan was ignored allowing Burns to set up Hardie whose shot was saved by Dubordeau. Seconds later Vaughan had to concede a corner though again Dubordeau was alert. The Fir Parkers had a valid penalty claim ignored when Craig made a lung-bursting run from his own box before being bundled off the ball by Craigan but despite being well positioned Brines again waved away the claim. Motherwell came close when Lehmann met an Adams free kick but his header drifted wide. A bad foul by Archibald had Clarkson in agony but there was to be no booking. Partick then conceded a corner when Hammel pressured Craigain into an error but Arthur was on hand to punch clear. And it was Whyte who had to look sharp when he was under pressure from Clarkson and McFadden, hooking the ball away just in time. Martyn Corrigan forced his way upfield until he was body-checked by Ross though once more Referee Brines allowed play to continue. And he enraged the large away support when Ross hauled Lehmann to the ground but gave the free kick the way of the former Motherwell player. It took a good piece of goalkeeping from Francois Dubordeau to keep Motherwell level. Ross went down like a sack of spuds when challenged by Vaughan and from the free kick Dubordeau did well to hold from Burns. Dubordeau was then almost caught by an unnecessary trailing leg of Hardie after the French keeper had held a cross but Referee Brines ignored. Motherwell gained a free kick when Whyte pushed Lehmann to the ground outside the box but McFadden's curler was a foot or two over the bar. And Motherwell were to regret this a minute later. Ross sent a long ball to Burns and from a very tight angle he sent the ball through Dubordeau and into the net. After Lilley had then been fouled by Hammel it took Vaughan's interception to stop Hardie a minute later. Motherwell tried to hit back and Hammel almost found McFadden, the clearance coming from Archibald. Thistle's response was a shot from Hardie which flew well past. McFadden was being well marshalled by sometimes four Thistle players but he managed to wriggle free to set up Corrigan but he shot over. Clarkson was then again fouled by Craigan and from the free kick Craigan's shot was blocked to Lehmann but before he could react Whyte hooked away. Thistle almost made it two when slack defending allowed Burns to hook a Ross pass over. Then Ross himself missed a chance at the far post as a long ball from Burns almost found him. The game's first booking went to Craig who brought down Hardie, the Partick man limping off on the leg which hadn't been caught suggesting a bit of dishonesty on his part. Good chasing by Lehmann forced a corner off Whyte and this was sent inches over his own net by Hardie, though the second corner was cleared.
Half time Partick Thistle 1 Motherwell 0
Just after the restart Adams was fouled some 30 yards out but this was cleared by Craigan. The home fans were up in arms a minute later when Partridge looked to have deflected a Mitchell flick past the post but a goal kick as ordered. Craigan then fouled Craig in midfield and despite some quite blatant dissent the Northern Irish International still escaped a booking. Partick pushed forward with Ross trying his luck but the shot was wild and wide. Motherwell should have drawn level when Craig was set up by Clarkson but he somehow managed to screw the ball wide when it looked simpler to score. The response from Partick was a shot from Mitchell who latched onto the blocked Burns shot to shot over. Hardie then fired in an effort which Dubordeau held. The Firhill men somehow got a free kick in their favour when, despite cleanly winning the ball, Hammel was penalised. Burns found Hardie whose effort was wide. James McFadden then forced a corner for Motherwell which Arthur missed but Whyte rescued his keeper with a clearance in the nick of time. Motherwell then made a change, Craig being replaced by Offiong. However, he had barely appeared and Motherwell were two behind. It was a bad goal to loose, Motherwell failed to clear their lines and as the ball bobbled around the six yard box Britton rattled the ball in with several Motherwell players unable to stop the ball crossing the line. Partridge was then booked when his trip won Burns was deemed more of a foul than several Craigan had escaped with so far. The Fir Parkers came close to pulling a goal back when a superb ball from McFadden found Offiong inside the box and the on-loan Newcastle man volleyed inches over with Arthur well beaten. A run from Britton took him to the edge of the box before unleashing a shot which Dubordeau held, the kick out seeing Lehmann forcing a corner which was wasted. Another chance came and went for Motherwell when Hammel saw his shot well saved by Arthur and falling wide to Corrigan but the normally reliable Supporters' Player-of-the-Year took a fresh air shot and the chance went. Lilley became the next booking for a bad foul on McFadden before Lehmann joined him in the book when his complaints for a foul by Ross were deemed dissent. Partick then had a corner when Vaughan knocked behind under pressure. Dubordeau came and claimed the ball despite both Britton and Mitchell clambering all over the Frenchman. Britton was awarded a free kick despite being the aggressor against Cowan and as the ball ran to Burns his cutback along the six yard box found no takers. A change for the home side saw Buchan replace Burns. Buchan then played a one-two with Britton but saw his shot well held. There should have been a card for Britton when he booted the ball away in anger but typically inconsistent Referee Brines took a blind eye. Just on full time Thistle made a double change and then scored a third. Britton looked suspiciously off side but hooked a Whyte ball beyond Dubordeau to compound the Fir Park misery for the day.
Full Time Partick Thistle 3 Motherwell 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen