Motherwell 1, Dundee Utd 2
| Match Date: Saturday, November 16 2002 |
|
| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 5,381 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-3-3): |
Dubourdeau, Ramsay (Russell 59), Corrigan, Partridge, Hammell,
Adams, Cowan, Pearson, Khemas (Fagan 36), Ferguson, Lehmann.
Subs not used: Woods, McDonald, Kinniburgh.
Motherwell scorer: Lehmann (81).
Yellow Cards: None!
SIX OF THE WORST KEEPS WELL BOTTOM
Motherwell 1 Dundee United 2
MOTHERWELL SUFFERED A SIXTH-SUCCESSIVE DEFEAT To remain rooted at the bottom of the SPL. Desperately needing a morale-boosting win they got off to the worst possible start and rarely looked likely to make things any better.
Barely 35 seconds had gone when the visitors were quite literally gifted the opening goal. Miller had plenty of space out wide to cross and it was Hamilton who outjumped Hammel and had the easiest of tasks to nod beyond the helpless Dubordeau to give United the lead. Motherwell attempted to hit back immediately and did come close when McCracken was there to rob Lehmann and he looked likely to knock home Pearson's cross. Then Kemas pounced on a loose ball and at an acute angle fired a cross-come-shot across the six-yard box and out wide. Cowan then lost possession in midfield allowing McIntyre to race forward and as he released Miller a superb interception from Corrigan stopped his progress. A minute later Easton found himself in space but sent a shot way over. Motherwell responded with Hammel picking out Ferguson though he was denied by Lauchlan. More slack defending from Motherwell almost presented the visitors with a second. A long free kick from Easton was met again by Hamilton though he fortunately headed wide.
Motherwell were denied a leveller when a vital block from McCracken stopped Pearson's shot finding the net. McIntyre then needed no second invitation to crash to the deck convincing Referee Brines to give a free kick 25 yards out. Miller stepped up but amidst loud cheers from the home support sent the ball way over the bar. The visitors had to make a relatively early change when Miller went off to be replaced by Gunnlaugsson. The Icelander was barely two minutes on the park when he contributed to Dundee United doubling their advantage. They needed little assistance from the Fir Park defence, however, as again it caved in. Gunnlaugsson could have scored but his miscued header took the ball into the path of Hamilton and he slotted beyond the helpless Dubordeau and into the net. Motherwell began to look a bit brighter and were only a few inches from pulling a goal back. Great play from Lehmann and Hammel had Ferguson in with a chance and his par-post effort scraped the post on it's way past. The visitors thought they had trebled their advantage when Hamilton scored but he was well offside. Hamilton was determined to get what would have been his hat trick but Partridge did superbly to deny him shortly afterwards. Motherwell themselves then made a change when Kemas went off for Fagan. Referee Brines made another poor decision when he decided that Lilley's dive was worthy of a free kick. McCunnie whipped the ball in where Lauchlan nodded towards goal though Dubordeau saved easily. The Fir Parkers thought they had pulled a goal back when, from a free kick, Lehmann slide in to slot home but the far side linesman decided to raise his flag somewhat questionably. A minute later Motherwell appealed for a penalty when a Lehmann header crashed off the outstretched arm of Lauchlan but Referee Brines wasn't interested. And then Lehmann looked well on side when he ran through onto Partridge's ball but once more the Linesman flagged. Just before half time Pearson and Partridge combined to force a corner, though Partridge himself headed wide.
Half-Time Motherwell 0 Dundee United 2
The visitors again made the better start and pushed up field. Paterson made his way into the box though his cross along the six-yard box was booted away by Partridge. There had been no yellow cards up to now and despite what was quite blatantly a dive from Lilley there were still no sign of any movement from Referee Brines. The visiting fans were incredibly up in arms when Dubordeau took a free kick, well within his own half and to no advantage, from the wrong spot though the Referee waved play on. Another handball inside the area, this time against Lilley, wasn't picked up on by either the Linesman nor the Referee. Adams then found himself being climbed all over by McCracken though the Fir Parkers failed to take advantage of the free kick. Lehmann then burst down the wing but the cross was headed over by Corrigan. Another poor offside decision had the Motherwell fans and players angry when Lehmann looked to have beaten the trap with perfection. United then had a free kick in a dangerous position when it had appeared Partridge had headed cleanly away. From the free kick Gunnlaugsson had space but headed wide. Sean Fagan then gathered possession and supplied Pearson although as the midfielder burst towards the box he delayed in shooting and was eventually crowded out on the edge of the 18-yard line. Another change for the visitors then saw sub Gunnlaugsson, on the park for some 45 minutes or so, being replaced by Carson. Motherwell tried the long ball route and it almost paid off when Corrigan sent Ferguson into the box but his shot was held by Gallacher. Corrigan himself then took control and his 25-yard pile driver forced a good save form the United goalie.
The Fir Parkers couldn't be faltered for effort and were giving everything in trying to get Motherwell back into the match. Lehmann crossed to Hammel and his volley was well held by the visiting custodian. However, with ten minutes to go, Motherwell hauled themselves back into the match. Ferguson won a corner and from the flag-kick Lehmann rose above the defence to bullet home a header and bring life back into the team. It took a brilliant piece of goalkeeping to prevent the visitors wrapping up the game when Easton broke forward and his shot was superbly parried round by Dubordeau. A third case of handball against a United player was ignored, and again Lauchlan was the lucky man. Derek Adams then tried his luck from 35 yards though Gallacher was equal to his effort. Motherwell were pushing United back, the visitors tactics of time wasting having been evident since they took their two-goal advantage, and eventually one of their number was booked. Probably the biggest offender of the time wasting had been Gallacher and the visiting Keeper saw yellow for some quite disgraceful delaying in taking a goal kick. Hamilton and Dubordeau then collided as the United man had fired in a shot which the French keeper blocked. During the follow-through Dubordeau caught Hamilton high and he looked badly injured. However, seconds later Hamilton raced to the other end of the park to assist as Motherwell won another corner, raising questions over his part in the incident with Dubordeau. And Hamilton's influence didn't end there, he appeared to elbow Lehmann in the box as the corner came in but unsurprisingly Referee Brines, along with his linesman, failed to spot and United held on.
Full-time Motherwell 1
Dundee United 2
Match Report by Ricky
Mullen