Celtic v Motherwell 26.10.05

Match Date: Wednesday, October 26 2005
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 57,388.

Motherwell Team (4-4-2):

Smith, McLean (Fitzpatrick 73), Craigan, Kinniburgh, Hammell (Paul Quinn 22), Corrigan, Kerr, Fagan, Foran (Clarkson 68), Hamilton, McDonald.
Subs not used: Marshall, Steve McDonald, Connolly, Darren Lee Smith.

DESPITE A BRIGHT START, Motherwell succumbed to a heavy loss at Parkhead on a cold, wet Evening. After looking the brighter of the teams in the opening 12 minutes, the following ten saw the game put beyond the Fir Parkers.

Brian Kerr was on hand to clear an early cross in from Camara. McDonald was upended soon after by a hefty McManus challenge. From the free kick the ball broke to Foran but he was somewhat harshly adjudged offside. A slip from McLean saw Beattie race clear to the 18-yard line but his cross was deep and beyond Nakamura. Motherwell then applied some pressure on Celtic, forcing three quick corners, but the third saw Boruc punch clear as Craigan looked set to nod in. Good exchanging between McDonald and Foran gave Kerr an opportunity to cross but that was somewhat disappointing. After such a bright start, it all began to collapse in around Motherwell. Maloney was able to pick out Petrov and unchallenged he shot beyond Smith. Motherwell tried to hit back, Hammell onto Kerr ball but the forward pass was just beyond McDonald. McDonald then played in Kerr and a cross was plucked away from Foran by Boruc. However, more defensive lapses cost another goal. Beattie sent a deep cross in where Maloney, with acres of space, shot past the helpless Smith. It was almost an instant response from the Fir Parkers, Hamilton only just beaten to the ball by Boruc in the home goal. Motherwell had to make a change when Hammell limped off to be replaced by Paul Quinn. He was barely seconds on the park when the third goal was scored. Again Beattie had time to find Petrov, and his shot went in off the far post. A minute later Beattie was guilty of a clear dive inside the box though Referee Richmond turned a blind eye. Three minutes after that Nakamura went down with what looked like a leg knock in an innocuous challenge, and after the Referee had initially allowed play to continue, he halted proceedings with Motherwell looking promising in attack. Nakamura then decided it was a head injury after all, and recovered with minimal treatment seconds later. A push by Blade sent McDonald sprawling to the ground giving Motherwell a free kick. Cleared to Corrigan the resultant cross was gathered. Jim Hamilton was taken late by McManus but the free kick from Kerr was way too long. Kerr and Foran combined to set up Quinn but his angled drive was charged away. Motherwell were seeing enough of the ball, and after Foran had a shot cleared Corrigan drove wide from outside the box. A loose ball outside the home area was pounced upon by Hamilton but his half volley failed to trouble Boruc too much. Two minutes from the break Motherwell had an excellent opportunity to pull a goal back. A short pass-back from Balde gave Foran a chance but, after being forced wide by Boruc, he was unable to turn the ball into the net. Just before the interval Shaun Fagan was booked for what the Referee indicated was his fifth foul, when in fact it was only the second time Fagan had been late with a challenge.

Motherwell came out with purpose at the start of the second half, and an exchange between McLean and Corrigan allowed McDonald to lay the ball off for Kerr, though the drive was over the top. A run by Camara took him to the by line and whilst it looked as if a goal kick was in order the Linesman decided on a corner kick, Motherwell clearing. A clever McDonald pass then sent Fagan clear but a late, and somewhat dubious, offside flag halted play. After McManus had conceded a corner, only a goal-line clearance from Camara prevented Brian McLean hauling Motherwell back into things. The ball broke to Fagan but he couldn’t keep the ball down. Willie Kinniburgh became the second Fir Parker to be booked in what was anything but a dirty contest. His foul on Beattie was deemed bookable, with Quinn clearing the free kick. Camara then made way for Wallace for the home side. A break from Maloney took him into the box but Smith was equal to his shot and ensured no addition to the scoreline on this occasion. Craigan then did well to stop a Wallace cross reaching Beattie inside the area. Crucial defending from Balde denied Foran latching onto a Hamilton through ball, with Wallace breaking upfield. Crossing for Sutton, his header flashed wide. Wallace then gathered the ball and drove well past from outside the box. Another home change had Beattie replaced by Hartson. An opportunity for Foran then arose when McDonald set him up but he delayed with the shot allowing cover to come back. The ball returned to Foran but his header was held. Celtic forced two quick corners but the Motherwell defence saw these away comfortably. Willie Kinniburgh was adjudged to have handled some 30 yards out shortly afterwards, and from the free kick Nakamura gave Smith little chance by placing the ball just inside the top corner. Before the restart Foran made way for David Clarkson. He immediately won a corner but the Linesman somehow declared it to be a free kick for an apparent push on McManus only he saw. McLean burst forward down the wing and his pass almost gave Hamilton a chance, McManus hooking clear. It was McLean’s last involvement, Fitzpatrick replacing him. A break from Wallace saw him cross towards Sutton though the header was cleared by Corrigan. A late Petrov challenge had McDonald down out on the right though Referee Richmond deemed this not to be even worthy of a free kick. Hartson and Kinniburgh then collided with a soft free kick being given in favour of the home side. Paul Quinn saw yellow for apparent dissent. The ball was flicked into the path of Petrov by Sutton and he finished the scoring. Motherwell forced successive corners but were unable to make them count. Sutton was withdrawn in favour of McGeady soon after. The Fir Parkers could have pulled one back when Clarkson did well to cut back towards Hamilton from the by line but his fellow striker saw the ball fall just behind him and was cleared. A late Telfer tackle on Clarkson went unpunished and in the final few moments Craigan cleared a Sutton effort away.