Motherwell v Southampton 12.07.05

Match Date: Tuesday, July 12 2005
Competition: Pre-season Friendly
Attendance:

Motherwell Team (4-4-2):

Marshall (Smith), Corrigan (Keogh), Craigan, Partridge, Quinn, Foran, Leitch (Kerr), O'Donnell, Paterson, Hamilton (Clarkson), McDonald (Wright).

MOTHERWELL FAILED TO FOLLOW UP The first of the pre-season matches on Saturday and instead went down to Championship side Southampton at Fir Park. Despite a bright opening, it was the visitors who looked livelier and began their own build-up by winning the match.

It was an encouraging start for the Fir Parkers, Foran playing in McDonald though Lundekvam cleared. McDonald then dispossessed Powell and fired in a low drive though Niemi was equal to the shot. Pahars broke forward for the visitors and tested Marshall but again the last line of defence was unbeaten.

It was Pahars involved again and after he had gone down under minimal Paterson pressure the resultant free kick was cleared. Phil O’Donnell took possession to send Paterson wide and his cross was nicked away from McDonald by Powell. Southampton man Higginbotham made a run down the wing and his low cross was well cut out by Craigan as Pahars looked to pounce.

As McDonald chased a ball from Quinn he looked to have been fouled by Lundekvam but play continued. Solid defending from Quinn then stopped Crouch getting clear and again the ball went in the direction of McDonald. The striker was once more fouled, this time by Telfer, but there was still no free kick. Walcott made the by line for Southampton but saw his cross cleared by Corrigan. Racing from his goal was Niemi and he was able to beat McDonald in the chase for the long ball.

Jim Hamilton was the subject of a hefty Lundekvam challenge but the free kick came to nothing. There was a faint shout for a penalty when Powell looked to have caught McDonald but play went on. What looked like a perfectly good piece of dispossession by Jim Paterson should have seen him race away down the left, but the decision by Referee Smith to award a foul in favour of Nilsson was mystifying.

His teammate Quashie then fired in a 20-yard shot, which went well wide. The response from Motherwell was a header from Paterson which similarly failed to hit the target. McDonald and Paterson combined to force a corner but it was placed too near Powell. Motherwell thought they had taken the lead when a superb ball from Paterson saw McDonald race away clear and he coolly slotted beyond Niemi. However, a new FIFA directive, whereby a player deemed offside is only flagged when touching the ball, was executed by the linesman much to the anger of the home players and fans alike.

Another penalty shout came when McDonald was clearly fouled by Higginbotham. As play continued McDonald was able to find Hamilton whose fierce drive was deflected over for a corner. This was cleared, but the ball returned to Hamilton and despite looking on side the flag again only came up upon him making contact. Southampton went close when, after winning a corner, the ball ran all the way through to Lundekvam who squared a pass from six yards into Marshall’s arms.

From another corner Telfer swung the ball in and the unmarked Crouch, already off the field of play, knocked the ball into the side net. It was Quashie who then tried to net but his drive was wide. With two minutes left to the interval Southampton took a perhaps undeserved lead. The two youngest players on the park combined, Walcott making the by-line before crossing low and Surman took advantage of hesitancy to slot beyond Marshall.

There were wholesale changes at the interval mainly from the visitors who took off every player bar Powell, introducing a trialist alongside Blayney, Kenton, Jakobsson, Baird, Prutton, Folly, Fernandez, Delap and Ormerod. Motherwell, on the other hand, introduced Keogh for Corrigan and Kerr in place of Leitch.

Foran had the second half’s first chance, firing wide from 25 yards, but the visitors, with a new team on the park, understandably began the half at a pace. Delap shot across the box and out wide from around 16 yards. Then, after Partridge had fouled Ormerod, Jakobsson tried to surprise Marshall but he made a comfortable save. Ormerod then tried his own luck and wasn’t far way with a chip from outside the box. The chances the visitors were getting were alarming, but Motherwell failed to take heed and fell further behind some 10 minutes in the second half.

Delap placed a perfect, low ball into the path of Ormerod and he turned quickly to beat Marshall at his near post. Delap then tried to find Ormerod with a long ball which ran out of play. McDonald looked well on side when the ridiculous new FIFA rule once again came into play, halting proceedings after a perfectly timed pass from Kerr had seen him go wide. Ormerod then played a neat one-two with Prutton but the latter was unable to gather.

Motherwell replaced Marshall with new keeper Smith making his home debut. A good run from Paterson saw him make the box but the cross was turned behind by Jakobsson. Southampton broke quickly with Foran forced to concede a corner which Powell headed wide. The Fir Parkers made a double change, Fagan and Clarkson replacing O’Donnell and Hamilton respectively. Partridge did well to clear a dangerous free kick moments later.

Foran had a chance from a free kick awarded after Jakobsson had fouled McDonald but the shot was blocked. Motherwell came desperately close to pulling a goal back when Clarkson, picking up a loose ball, strode forward and unleashed a tremendous drive from fully 25 yards which Blayney did superbly well to tip over the bar. The corner was cleared, as was a Southampton one within a minute at the other end. Clarkson was then again denied by Blayney, the keeper diving to his right to hold the header. McDonald then made way for Kenny Wright.

Racing up field for the visitors was Delap, and he found Folly but the Motherwell defence surrounding him he was crowded out. After Foran had gained a corner, another fantastic save from Blayney kept the Fir Parkers out, this time denying Partridge. Former Rangers player Fernandez then passed up a chance when he was clear on the left and skewed his shot wide. With seven minutes to go Motherwell deservedly pulled a goal back, Foran powering forward before hitting a 25-yard drive which Blayney could do little about. As time ran out a crucial interception from Jakobsson denied Foran finding Wright.