Motherwell 0, Kilmarnock 1

Match Date: Tuesday, April 3 2007
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 3,784.
Motherwell Team (4-4-2):

Graeme Smith (Meldrum 56), Corrigan, Craigan, Reynolds, Murphy, Darren Smith, Kerr, Vadocz, Paterson (Molloy 74), McDonald, Keegan (Clarkson 80).
Subs not used: McGarry, McBride, Quinn, Fitzpatrick.

Booked: McDonald.

MASKED THIEVES STEAL THE POINTS

Motherwell  0     Kilmarnock  1

A LATE, Late goal by Nish of Kilmarnock saw the visitors quite literally steal all three points in a game which Motherwell dominated throughout. Unable to get the crucial goal, the Fir Parkers saw the points disappear south with one of the visitor’s rare efforts on target.

A misunderstanding between Murphy and Reynolds allowed Fowler to attack and find Quinn but he was denied access to the box as Craigan cleared. Murphy dispossessed Naismith but the convincing fall by the visitor gained him a free kick which Sylla wasted. McDonald was brought down by Wright and, recovering, gathered the ball and saw a fierce shot deflected behind for a corner. Paterson crossed in and the ball broke kindly for Reynolds, though the curling effort was well held by Smith in goals. Sylla made progress down the wing and crossed deep though Murphy did well to clear under Wales’s pressure. The ball then broke kindly for Smith in the Kilmarnock goal as a deep Paterson cross seemed destined to be knocked in by Vadocz. Kilmarnock won a corner when Reynolds was forced to knock behind, but a high, looping header from Wales failed to trouble Smith. Quinn tripped McDonald to concede a free kick 25 yards out but this was hooked away as Sylla defended. Good pressing from McDonald took him near the box and his angled 25-yard drive wasn’t too far off the target. A superb save from Smith in the visiting goal kept his side level when he did well to parry a Paterson shot after Vadocz had set him up. McDonald returned the ball but Paterson saw his header clutched out of the air as Smith gathered. Motherwell pushed again and went close a second time. Again McDonald turned and twisted before firing in a low cross. Keegan gathered, but his turn and shot was narrowly wide. The Fir Parkers burst upfield soon after with Smith and Kerr combining to find McDonald, but he saw an effort deflect behind. Kilmarnock were forced into a change when Hay limped off to be replaced by Locke. Naismith was fortunate not to be booked when he was very late with a challenge on Graeme Smith in the Motherwell goal, receiving only a word of warning. The challenge was unnecessary and would see the Motherwell keeper limp off later in the match. A fantastic Kerr pass then sent Darren Smith to the by line and his low cross was cut out at the expense of a corner. Sylla then sliced a McDonald cross awkwardly across the box and out for a throw. Kilmarnock made a rare foray upfield when Sylla burst down the wing and crossed just beyond the waiting Wales. The visiting striker then blasted a shot well over from 25 yards out. Paterson was having a fine match and his run and cross saw Fowler clear under severe Keegan pressure. Locke, guilty of a couple of fouls already, was at it again, taking Vadocz out of the play but conceding only a free kick. Just before the break Kilmarnock had a half chance when Wales headed a long Greer ball past.

Half Time     Motherwell  0     Kilmarnock  0

The visitors made a change with Quinn being replaced by Gibson, whilst Graeme Smith came out last of all in goal for Motherwell when it looked likely he would be replaced by Meldrum. The visitors began in positive fashion after the break, Reynolds knocking a Gibson cross behind. Reynolds partially cleared though Craigan completed the job. A shout for a penalty was ignored despite McDonald being tugged by Sylla in the box, though a free kick was quickly awarded when McDonald did likewise soon after as the two continued to challenge. Kerr and McDonald attempted to link on the 18-yard line but were denied when Greer intercepted. Still the play continued in an almost relentless direction, towards the visiting goal. Smith ran onto a Vadocz ball and crossed just behind McDonald. The ball ran for Vadocz and his drive from outside the box had Smith worried as it sailed past. Referee Clark then angered all in claret and amber when he awarded Kilmarnock a free kick after Vadocz had fairly won from Greer to set up Smith 18 yards out. Motherwell should have taken the lead when Corrigan played a superb ball to McDonald and, crossing to Keegan, the latter crucially delayed allowing a clearance when a first time shot would surely have nestled in the net. A hobbling Smith just cleared before Wales could take advantage of a ball forward, with Corrigan then adjudged to have fouled Wales, the Referee choosing to ignore the Kilmarnock man’s foul on Darren Smith seconds before. Graeme Smith could take part no more, and he reluctantly made way for Colin Meldrum. More magic from Paterson took him past two mesmerised Kilmarnock defenders but his cross was met, and cleared, by Greer. A foul by Wright on McDonald gave Murphy a chance with a free kick from 30 yards out but, with Kerr clear to his right, he chose to shoot and the ball was over the top. A deep Smith cross was met by Paterson but Smith was untroubled in the visiting goal. Paterson then won a corner which Reynolds headed wide under a heavy Wales presence. Wales almost burst clear on Meldrum soon after but a superbly-timed Murphy tackle ended the danger. A third, and last, visiting change saw Wales make way for Nish. Gibson swung in a free kick for Greer but he headed well wide. Only a fantastic one-handed parry from Smith then denied McDonald a deserved opener for Motherwell when he got down to knock the ball behind, McDonald latching onto a Smith cross ball. As the corner came in Reynolds could only head wide. Smith did well to set up McDonald but, as he raced towards the box, an unfortunate stumble saw the chance go. Kilmarnock made another rare excursion upfield with Fowler curling a shot in though Meldrum comfortably held the ball. A minute later Gibson had his head in his hands when he saw a shot rebound off Corrigan and away to safety. Jim Paterson was then substituted with an injury, Trevor Molloy taking his place. Still Motherwell looked likelier, Keegan heading a corner behind. Smith looked to have dispossessed Leven fairly out on the right and start a Motherwell attack but Referee Clark wrongly awarded the visitors a free kick. Some justice was done when Gibson sent his effort well wide. Smith raced from the Kilmarnock goal to deny Keegan who looked favourite to win a through ball from Vadocz, the striker being injured in the collision and replaced soon after by Clarkson. A fine through pass from Corrigan gave McDonald a chance and his teasing low cross was somehow missed by all as it zipped across the six-yard box. McDonald took matters into his own hands when he broke forward before shooting over from 20 yards with support on both sides. A long ball forward was met by Ford for Kilmarnock but Meldrum was not going to be beaten by such a tame header. A foul on Darren Smith by Leven saw him carded and Motherwell gain a free kick 25 yards out. Murphy swung the ball in and Ford quite clearly knocked the ball behind. However, the Referee pointed for a goal kick with the Linesman in agreement despite having a perfect view. McDonald, enraged, was also booked for protesting. He almost broke the stalemate with a header from a Corrigan cross, but it was the visitors who quite literally stole the points in the last minute. Locke fired in a fierce shot from outside the box which Meldrum did well to tip over and, as the corner came in, Nish rose relatively unchallenged to head in. Motherwell attempted to grab an equaliser, and Smith saw a header from a Molloy cross held. Both sides exchanged corners, though the latter, which Motherwell had, was disappointingly straight to Smith in the visiting goal.

Full Time     Motherwell  0     Kilmarnock  1

Match Report by Ricky Mullen

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