Aberdeen 1, Motherwell 1
Match date : Wednesday, January 26 2000 Competition : Premier League Attendance : 10,000
Motherwell Team:
Goram, Corrigan, Denham, Kemble, McMillan, Goodman, Valakari, Brannan, Twaddle (Nevin 25), McCulloch, Spencer (Nicholas 81).Motherwell scorer: Spencer (22).
EXTRA-TIME MYSTERY PEGS BACK 'WELL
Aberdeen 1 Motherwell 1A GOAL IN THE THIRD Minute of excessive injury time added on by Referee Kenny Clark denied Motherwell the opportunity to go third. After a terrific John Spencer goal in the first half the Steelmen looked set to lay claim to third spot until the late, late leveller.
Good work by Stevie McMillan in the first minute denied Winters as he attempted to latch onto Stavrum's pass. As Motherwell broke forward Corrigan was clearly fouled by Winters but no award was given. Play was waved on, Spencer picked up a loose ball and he almost picked out McCulloch only for Whtye to intercept at the expense of a throw-in. A late tackle by Bernard on McCulloch then gave Motherwell a free-kick in a dangerous position some 30 yards out but the take by Brannan was poor. Soon after it was the visitors who were on the attack again though this time Goodman failed to deliver a telling cross after Spencer had dis-possessed Bernard's pass. McCulloch was clearly revelling being back for his first match since late November and it wasn't long before he was in there again. This time he ran onto Spencer's pass but as he tried to control inside the box the ball flew high in the air where Bernard's attempt at a clearance fell short. Goodman picked up the loose ball but again the cross was far from what was required. Aberdeen burst forward with Dow, but his cross was well taken by Goram. The ball was soon returned and Whyte fired in a shot which Goodman successfully blocked away. It was Aberdeen's turn for a short spell of pressure though successive corners were dealt with easily by Motherwell. Some quick thinking by Goram almost sent Goodman clear had Whyte not nicked in to put the ball out of play. Corrigan received the ball near the corner flag but the cross fell behind. The visitors had a good shout for a penalty denied when Solberg used Lee McCulloch as a climbing frame when heading clear. Seconds later, however, only a great save by Leighton denied McCulloch. The Motherwell striker turned brilliantly in the box and the shot looked goal-bound until the veteran keeper spectacularly turned the effort behind. A break by Aberdeen showed some promise for the home fans after a good exchange between Winters and Stavrum but the cross was cleared by Corrigan. Solberg then crossed low but Goram made a great take. The eager McCulloch then won the ball after some great work to dis-possess Solberg, though the resultant corner by McMillan was headed away by Whyte. Fir Park new-boy Martyn Corrigan then made a great cross-field pass to pick out Goodman, and his header was only just nicked away from Spencer by Whyte. More good play by Corrigan sent Goodman away wide though he was forced off the ball by McAllister and the ball ran out for a goal-kick. Motherwell were playing the better football but delays up front allowed the home team to re-group, Valakari epitomising this when he was 25 yards out with the goal beckoning and instead chose to pass to Goodman. He in turn supplied Corrigan but the cross was poor. Solberg then tried a header back to Leighton which fell short but Twaddle hesitated and Leighton managed to collect. The Pittodrie veteran played the ball long for Stavrum but despite being in an off-side position it was only a very late flag which came to deny him. Although Goram did head clear it was one of many late decisions by the main stand-side linesman. With 22 minutes gone, however, Motherwell took the lead with a great goal. Kevin Twaddle made a terrific run to the bye-line and although his cross fell behind McCulloch there was Spencer to fire the ball home from 16 yards. Twaddle was injured as he collided with the ridiculously-placed advertising boards, just inches from the touchline, and was replaced by Pat Nevin. Referee Clark, far from a favourite with the Fir Park fans, made himself even less popular when he awarded Aberdeen a free-kick after McAllister had hauled McCulloch away when the Motherwell striker looked set to burst into the area. Stavrum then raced forward and his ball for Dow was expertly cleared by the alert Denham. The Motherwell centre-half then made an error which almost gifted the home side an equaliser. Winters burst forward and passed to Dow who turned and twisted before firing in a 20-yarder which went just wide. Pat Nevin, who hadn't seen much action since coming on, then made space to cross for Corrigan. Unfortunately for the defender he mis-hit his shot and it was cleared otherwise it looked likely to trouble Leighton. A tackle from behind by Dow on McCulloch resulted only in a free-kick which Motherwell once again took poorly, this allowing Aberdeen to break again though Jess saw his shot blocked. Bernard then was late on McCulloch presenting Motherwell with another free-kick some 40 yards out, but another poor take gave the home side more opportunity to attack. Stavrum burst forward and as Winters looked likely to go clear Valakari made a great challenge allowing Goram to gather. Just before the break Don Goodman made a rare run from the half-way line and ended with a 20-yard shot just over, though he perhaps would have been better served slipping the ball wide to Valakari.
Half-time Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 1The home team predictably came out on the offensive and inside the first minute Corrigan showed great awareness to deny Winters a chance. Motherwell broke with McCulloch shooting inches past as he ran on to Valakari's through ball. A minute later Motherwell should have had a free-kick near the box when Solberg, not for the first time, was very late with a tackle, Nevin the recipient this time but Clark ignored the appeals. Spencer then tried a shot which was deflected by Whyte for a corner, though in keeping with the corners so far Leighton made an easy catch. It then took a piece of magic by Andy Goram to keep Motherwell ahead. Jess twisted his way into the box before shooting from 12 yards, though just as he thought he had scored Goram brilliantly palmed the ball away. A deliberate hand-ball by Solberg, who must by now have realised he could get away with just about anything, gave Motherwell a well-positioned free-kick some 30 yards out. McMillan's take was headed behind for a corner with the predictable outcome of a Leighton catch. Aberdeen came out of defence with Whyte charging forward, though as he approached the area a terrific piece of defending by Kemble stopped his progress. The Motherwell defender was injured in the process, and it was a good few moments before Denham put the ball out of play, Aberdeen showing little interest in allowing treatment. Once Kemble had recovered the unsporting side of the Pittodrie men came out as they refused to throw the ball back to Motherwell, a move which gained little support. It was far from all Aberdeen attacking, with Motherwell taking the opportunity to break on occasion. Brannan picked out McCulloch but his shot was deflected high by Solberg. The ball was then partially cleared by Winters though Goodman's header was an easy take for Leighton. Play raged on and it took more expert defending by Kemble to stop Jess in his tracks. Aberdeen then howled for a penalty when Corrigan chested the ball down for Goram to take, and to be fair it did look like a difficult one to call. Denham then denied Stavrum after he had rushed into the box. Aberdeen then made a change, bringing on Zerouali for Winters. The Morrocan almost made an instant impression when his low cross was missed in front of goal by McMillan and Stavrum. Just before the hour Peat was booked for a deliberate pull on McCulloch. McCallister tried his luck from outside the box with a shot but it was going to take something special, or unusual, to beat Goram. A free-kick went the way of Aberdeen when McMillan was late on Guntveit with the Motherwell defender fortunate to escape a booking. Motherwell broke forward but Brannan failed to spot Spencer's dangerous run and the move broke down. Guntveit then made way for the home side's second Morrocan sub, Belabed. The combination of Spencer and McCulloch allowed Nevin to receive the ball wide, with the cross only just cleared by McAllister as McCulloch looked certain to pounce. Kemble on the follow-up shot wide. With 20 minutes to go Motherwell were denied another solid penalty claim when Nevin was barged off the ball inside the box by Solberg, now touting a 007 licence. It became ridiculous when Kemble was then booked for no more than a tap on Zerouali who needed no second invitation to imitate a plough. The ball was swung in but Solberg headed well over. Belabed then made the bye-line and whipped in a low-cross which Goram did well to tip only partially away, but with nobody in the middle Denham was able to clear eventually. As Motherwell broke forward International Assassin Solberg pushed Nevin to the ground and looked almost inconsolable as a free-kick went Motherwell's way. The Fir Parkers gained another free-kick when this time Belabed brought down McMillan 8 yards out on the left, but the inswinger was taken by Leighton ahead of McCulloch. Motherwell were looking more attack-minded as the second-half wore on with Spencer unfortunate as Whyte managed a lunged clearance. The ball came back from Corrigan with Spencer set to run clear, though despite being so onside he was almost on the beach the flag was raised. With 10 left Bernard made way for Rutkiewicz, much to the displeasure of the home support who booed roundly. Motherwell also made a change, Spencer going off for Nicholas. Another poor decision by the standside linesman denied Nicholas as he ran from an onside position to go onto Brannan's pass only be hauled back. As Brannan then tried to attack, latching onto a loose ball, he was challenged by Belabed. The Motherwell striker shrugged off the Moroccan's efforts which clearly displeased Referee Clark, awarding the Aberdeen striker the free-kick by way of consolation. Stavrum, in isolation, headed over. Two minutes later Belabed dropped like a stone as Kemble made a fair challenge. The resultant free-kick was headed well over again by Stavrum. Rutkiewicz was hardly on the park and he made two bookable offences, none of which untimately were carded and on both occasions Motherwell failed to take advantage. As the 90 minutes approached the board showed an incredible four minutes of injury time to be played, and whilst there was treatment for Kemble four minutes was most definitely excessive. In the first minute Stavrum, from an off-side position, was allowed to play on though his shot was well blocked. However, with almost the last kick of the ball Zerouali and Stavrum collided, the ball broke for the Moroccan, and he shot from 20 yards low beyond the unsighted Goram to level.
Full-Time Aberdeen 1 Motherwell 1