Rangers 6, Motherwell 2

Match date   : Saturday, March 18 2000
Competition : Premier League
Attendance   : 49,622

 

Motherwell Team:

Goram, Corrigan, Kemble, McGowan, McMillan, Twaddle (Nevin 40), Brannan, Valakari, Adams, Curcic, McCulloch.

Motherwell scorers: Kemble(18), McCulloch (41).

 

'WELL HIT FOR SIX AS THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE COLLAPSES AGAIN

Rangers 6     Motherwell 2

DESPITE TAKING THE LEAD Motherwell succumbed to defeat largely of their own doing. Some questionable decisions by Referee Rowbotham and his linesman didn't help, though Motherwell can have little cause for complaint after another poor showing at the back. 

Motherwell should have had an early opportunity when new signing Sasa Curcic provided Twaddle with a pass of class. Twaddle cut in for Adams who managed to control the ball before it went out of play though the far side linesman, hardly with a good view, decided to award a goal-kick. Another run by Curcic was only just thwarted by the alert Amoruso. Rangers broke forward thorough Bronckorst but he was stopped by Jaime McGowan at the expense of a throw. Albertz, who had been an apparent doubt before the match, crossed in where McGowan made a partial clearance. Albertz again received the ball but the shot was well over the bar. Motherwell were not coming to Ibrox to sit back and ran forward at any opportunity. Martyn Corrigan sent a cross-field pass to McMillan but the ball was knocked out by Kanchelskis, though much to the amazement of everyone in claret and amber a goal-kick was given. Corrigan was then forced to concede a corner at his own end of the park as Kerimoglu went on a run, and as the ball came in Twaddle completed the clearance. The Motherwell support were up in arms when a fair challenge by McGowan, who won the ball from the Turk Kerimoglu, was met by a shrill whistle from Referee Rowbotham who gave a free-kick to rangers. Play continued, the ball went out wide, and as Bronckhorst chipped in Goram and Kemble left it to each other, Goram collecting just as Wallace was about to intercept. It was almost a dream debut for Sasa Curcic who, upon receipt of McCulloch's intelligent low cross, took on step to the side and fired in a shot from 15 yards which Klos somehow managed to tip over the bar. A minute later Albertz slipped near his own box allowing Twaddle the chance to cross, though the ball was knocked out for a corner. Twaddle himself whipped in the ball and there was Benito Kemble to bullet home his first goal for Motherwell. Rangers pushed forward from the kick-off and it too a great block from Jamie McGowan to deny Ferguson, his follow-up going way over the bar. Curcic was back defending and he stopped Moore's progress only for the ball to roll out for a corner. Some shocking defending by Motherwell allowed Amoruso to nod across where the unmarked Wallace had an easy task to score. It could have been a quick equaliser for Motherwell when Amoruso was slack but Moore nipped in just ahead of Adams to clear. The home side made a surprise substitution when Kanchelskis was replaced by McCann. Motherwell had a fair shout for a penalty denied when Wilson climbed all over Lee McCulloch to clear, Rowbotham remaining unimpressed by the obvious. A Kemble challenge on Kerimoglu was deemed a foul and as Wallace chipped in for Bronckhorst there was McGowan with a great block, Corrigan conceding the corner. When whipped in there was a scramble for the ball though when Rowbotham blew his whistle almost everyone in the stadium presumed for a foul. The only person to see anything amiss was Rowbotham, who pointed to the spot and indicated hand-ball against Brannan, whom he proceeded to book. The ball was given to Rozenthal and he scored from the spot. Kerimoglu was lucky to escape any punishment when he was over the top with a tackle on McCulloch, play was waved on and Sasa Curcic tried his luck from 30 yards, Klos saving. A flick from McCann gave Wallace a chance but McGowan was solid in his block, and seconds later it took a tremendous tackle form Corrigan to stop Albertz on the edge of the box. However, the defensive frailties of Motherwell were once again exposed when the home side scored again. Albertz turned Corrigan who seemed frozen to the spot, and the German had an easy task to shoot beyond Goram from 18 yards. Motherwell were not for giving up, and they should have had a free-kick near the box when McCulloch turned Moore only for the Aussie to deliberately body-check the striker. A minute later only another outstanding save by the home keeper denied Motherwell. Curcic set-up Derek Adams from 25 yards and the striker hit the ball beautifully towards the bottom right-hand corner. It looked a certain goal, until Klos managed to tip it away. Motherwell replaced the tiring Twaddle, just back from injury, with Nevin. A run by Stevie McMillan ended with a tackle from behind by Moore, and whilst a card should have been shown a free-kick was all that came. McMillan picked himself up, swung in a dangerous free-kick, and there was Lee McCulloch to head beyond Klos and to bring Motherwell right back into the game. However, the Motherwell defensive destruct button was pressed once again. Nevin and Corrigan lost possession near the half-way line leaving the home side to break forwards. McCann go the break of the ball and crossed to the back post and Wallace headed home from a tight angle. With time running out in the half Motherwell won a free-kick 30 yards out. Kemble ran in and with a free header really should have done better than to head over.

Half-Time:        Rangers 4        Motherwell 2

Motherwell had what looked a perfectly legitimate goal chopped off soon after the restart when McCulloch met McMillan's free-kick to nod home. Off-side was the apparent decision though both the linesman and the Referee failed to spot the tugging Moore was doing to McCulloch's jersey. A deliberate hand-ball by Kerimoglu then went unnoticed in midfield. Although two behind Motherwell were still determined to make a game of it and Neivn's chest-down for McCulloch was met with a good save by Klos. The lack of match fitness was telling on Sasa Curcic and he soon made way for Steven Nicholas. Motherwell forward Lee McCulloch was booked for an innocuous tackle on substitute Dodds, though from the free-kick Albertz sent the ball way, way over the top. A great long-ball by McMillan sent Adams racing into the box and he was barged off the ball by Amoruso, though once again no penalty was given. A long-ball by Amoruso then sent Albertz in the clear but his shot on the drop went wide of the far post. Ged Brannan passed up a great opportunity to bring Motherwell right back into the game when Amoruso lost possession near his own box. Lee McCulloch played a great one-two but Brannan wanted one touch too many on the edge of the box and Amoruso was able to recover in time to make a clearing tackle. Moore then had a great chance when the break of the ball fell in his favour but a good tackle by Kemble stopped the defender. The ball was played forward and when Amoruso showed more poor control Nevin had the chance to pick his cross but sent the ball out of play. Rangers then got a fifth goal out of nothing. McCann made a run down the wing and went without company. As he received the ball he had time and space to pick out Wallace at the back post and with Goram not coming for the ball Wallace had the easiest of tasks to nod in. Rangers then replaced Moore with Nicholson at the back., whilst Motherwell brought on Paul Harvey for Derek Adams. Rangers were given a free-kick some 25 yards out on the left when Kemble brought down Wallace, though the shot from Albertz was again on the wild side. Amoruso was leading a charmed life and another blatant push by the Italian, this time on Nicholas, went without a card. Albertz almost redeemed himself when he set up McCann though the alertness of at least one Motherwell defender, Kemble, was enough to stop the current danger by conceding a corner. McCann crossed in but McCulloch was there to clear. Motherwell should have been awarded a penalty when Nevin was clearly pushed off the ball by McCann in the box. McCann then took one of his trademark dives as Harvey challenged in the box and whilst no penalty was given there was no yellow either for the spectacular fall to the ground. McCann was getting well involved to wards the end of the match and he made good ground into the box though his cross left a lot to be desired. In the final minute McGowan conceded a completely unnecessary penalty when he handled a cross. After receiving his yellow card Kerimoglu scored to give the result a comprehensive look about it.

Full-time     Rangers 6         Motherwell 2

Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)