Match Date : Saturday 14 December 1996 Competition : Premier League Attendance : 10,000
SHADOW 'WELL MAKE THEIR POINT
Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 0MISSING as many as 8 first-team regulars, Motherwell ended the long trip North with a worthy point after this encounter at Pittodrie. Although the home team enjoyed a lot of possession, they rarely threatened, and in a quiet first-half punctuated mainly by the Edinburgh-based Referee's insistence on booking Motherwell players, it was the men from Lanarkshire who looked most threatening. Two incidents of note occured early on, firstly Jamie Dolan, the hero from the Celtic match recently, found himself clear on goal with only Walker to beat but he blasted over when a little composure might have resulted in a shot on target. Then, after a poor Koumbarre clearance, Roddie strode forward and unleashed a dipper from 25 yards which smacked off the top of the crossbar, a relieved Frenchman looking on anxiously as it continued on towards the Donald stand. Roddie was proving to be the instigator in most Motherwell attacks, though he was well-supported by May and Lehtonen, making his full league debut for Motherwell. And alongside Roddie, Tommy Coyne's off-the-ball runs and promptings proving troublesome for the home defence.
Half-time Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 0The second half continued in much the same pattern as the first, with Aberdeen again continuing to hold the ball longer but Motherwell again dangerous on the break. Dodds came close for Aberdeen when he latched on to a short cross from Miller but his header went the wrong side of the post for him and his team-mates, with Woods in the Motherwell goal less-than-pleased at the poor marking. Roddie could have tied it all up but he mis-cued in front of an open goal when leaving it to the in-rushing Burns might have resulted in the winner. Miller then had a chance to snatch it for the homesters but good defensive work by Philliben prevented a clear shot on goals. To say that neither Keeper would have had to wash their gloves for long at the end of this match would tell how quiet it was for the custodians of goal, and the truth was Roddies' shot apart there were precious little else in terms of shots on goal to speak of. After match Aberdeen boss Aitken was quoted as saying Motherwell had went to string defenders along the 18-yard-box and shut up shot for a point, when in truth Motherwell, with a virtual second-string side out on the park, only allowed Aberdeen to play as much as they wanted to. With the Motherwell formation of 3-5-2 attacking at every given opportunity it sounds like a tale of sour grapes from Mr Aitken. A good point though it should have been three for Motherwell on chances alone, and they will face a daunting Christmas and New Year programme with better heart than their North-East counterparts.
FULL TIME Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 0