Motherwell 1,
Celtic 1
Match Date: Saturday, April 29 2000
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 8,115
Motherwell Team:
Woods, Corrigan, Strong, Kemble, Hammell, Goodman (Townsley), Harvey (Nevin),
Brannan, Adams, Spencer (Nicholas), McCulloch.
Subs not used: Brown, Ramsay.
Motherwell scorer: Brannan (45)
GED GEES WELL TO WORTHY POINT
Motherwell 1 Celtic 1
CAPTAIN GED BRANAN LED By example to drive in a brilliant equaliser and keep Motherwell in with an outside chance of a UEFA Cup place. Motherwell were unfortunate not to take all three points after a poor start led them chasing the match.
Deputising for injury victim Stevie McMillan was Steven Hammel, and he was alert to cut out a dangerous cross from Burchill within the first few seconds. As the ball was played forward Don Goodman caught Mahe high on the knee after the defender had chipped the ball forward. There was no card for the striker though he was perhaps fortunate not to be booked. Some fine passing from Motherwell opened up the visiting defence, after Brannan had dispossessed Berkovic in midfield the ball eventually found it's way to Harvey and his fine pass to Spencer saw Kerr forced into a block for a corner. Benito Kemble met the ball but his free header went past when he should have done better. A hand ball against Riseth on his own 18-yard line was ignored by Referee McCluskey giving Celtic the chance to break. McNamara was denied by Hammel, and from the corner Brannan headed clear. Riseth was then high on Spencer but play was waved on, Brannan then sending a ball forward for Adams which was just too long. Burchill and Viduka combined on the Motherwell 18 and it took a fine interception by Hammell to deny McNamara at the back post. Viduka, like Kemble, was in acres of space though his header also went wide of the mark, this time onto the top of the net. Riseth again was lucky to escape a foul when his push on Spencer was completely ignored. Brannan then won the ball from Berkovic's clumsy touch and made a good run up the wing. He attempted a one-two with Spencer on the edge of the box and although the ball was blocked by Mahe it broke back to Spencer and his curling shot was well held by Kerr. Motherwell then gifted Celtic the lead and it was a blunder by Goalkeeper Stevie Woods which put his team behind. Strong intercepted a forward ball and passed across to Woods. Instead of a first-time boot upfield Woods attempted to take a first touch giving Burchill the chance to nip in. He rounded Woods and slotted in from a tight angle. Motherwell almost drew level right away when an error from Tebily allowed Spencer in but his low 20-yard shot was well held by Kerr. An attempted header clear by Strong was then met by Burchill and he strode forward before unleashing a 20-yard shot which was tipped round the post by Woods, eager to make up for the goal. CRAINEY crossed deep where Riseth rose high but his header was wide as Kemble put him off his stride. Viduka then burst into the box and fired in a shot from a tight angle which flashed across the face of goal and away. The Motherwell defence were living dangerously and another error from Kemble allowed Viduka to set up Burchill but he sent his shot wide of the far post. Ged Brannan was the game's first booking, a very unfortunate yellow card after he had swiped at a clearance and missed the ball, connecting instead with Burchill who recovered. Berkovic then passed up a great chance when Viduka had burst past Kemble and saw his flick blocked by Woods, the ball breaking to Berkovic who missed blazed over from 10 yards out. Benito Kemble was having a nightmare and his miss at an easy clearance allowed Viduka to run on into the box. There was minimal, if any, contact between Kemble as he came back to challenge Viduka but the large Aussie needed no second invitation to fall pole-axed. Fans favourite, McCluskey, immediately pointed to the spot for what was a soft award. However, justice was done when the lax Viduka nonchalantly strode up and saw his kick parried by Woods. The keeper redeemed himself for the earlier slip by then blocking a header by Crainey and Viduka, following up amidst a static Motherwell defence, slid in a shot against the outside of the post and behind. That was a definite turning point in the match, and Motherwell began to come more into the game. Harvey showed some fine skill on the wing before passing inside to Spencer. He laid the ball off for Brannan who drove a shot in from some 30 yards which Kerr did well to hold. A foul by Riseth, by now surely worth a card, gave Motherwell a chance some 40 yards out, though Strong's header went well past. The game's next booking was a Celtic player, though this time it was McNamara who was carded for an off-the-ball challenge on Adams. Harvey was having a fine match ,and his run and cross was plucked out of the air by Kerr just as Spencer looked set to pounce. McNamara then left the field on a stretcher after a clash with Goodman, with Petta replacing him. A run forward by Riseth took him past several players and into the box but once in a good position he sent a shot well wide. Just before the break Tebily was penalised for a push in the back on Spencer, Motherwell gaining the free-kick a couple of yards out side the box on the right. With the wall lined up Don Goodman joined the edge, and his presence was vital as Brannan curled a shot in which Goodman, on the wall, ensured ended up in the net preventing Petta making a clearance.
Half-Time Motherwell 1 Celtic
1
Celtic were first to show when Lambert shot from 18 yards though the weak effort was easily held by Woods. Motherwell burst forward with Goodman but his forward pass to Spencer caught the forward narrowly off-side. Spencer the dispossessed Mahe but the full-back recovered well to win the ball back from McCulloch. The ball was played upfield but quickly returned by Corrigan to McCulloch, the striker being taken late by Mahe who somehow managed to escape a booking for the clumsy challenge. The free-kick fell to strong but his pass was intercepted by Tebily and cleared. Another foul by Tebily gave Brannan another chance but Kerr was equal to the kick. However, a minute later Mahe used McCulloch as a climbing frame giving the home side a free-kick forty yards out. McCulloch met the ball, laid it off for Goodman who turned Viduka and set up Adams. His low drive was parried by Kerr on the line with Crainey making a great block to deny both Strong and McCulloch, with Goodman's effort then blocked wide by Riseth. Celtic broke upfield to relieve the pressure and it was Burchill who rose above the static Strong to head just wide from Crainey's cross. A good exchange of passes involving McCulloch, Spencer and Adams almost gave the latter a shot on goals though Tebily got in well to clear. Woods then was slow for a forward ball and it took a great tackle by Kemble to stop Burchill racing clear, Corrigan completing the clearance. Riseth then repeated his earlier lung-bursting run and playing a one-two with Viduka rounded Woods16 yards out, though the attempted chip was well wide. Don Goodman was then carded for a late tackle on Crainey out on the left touchline. Good build-up play by the visitors gave Petta the chance to cross for Burchill, Strong alert to the danger to clear. Motherwell then replaced Don Goodman for Derek Townsley. A clever turn by McCulloch almost gave him a clear sight of goal though an excellent recovery by Riseth ended the chance. Good work by Townsely sent McCulloch down the wing, and his low cross was met with a first-time shot by Adams from 20 yards, Kerr getting across to brilliantly tip the ball round the post for a corner. Brannan sent the ball in where Kemble appeared to be pushed in the back by Lambert, play being waved on by McCluskey. Motherwell kept up the pressure and Corrigan's long ball for Spencer was just headed clear by Kerr. The ball was sent wide by Harvey to Spencer, and he ran in to send a shot into the side netting though he perhaps would have been better served crossing deep for Adams. Riseth then sent a long ball which Burchill beat Kemble to in a chase and from the edge of the box Woods made a good save from the shot. Woods cleared upfield where the ball fell to McCulloch, and as he turned into the box Tebily deliberately body-checked the striker though no penalty was forthcoming. Stevie Hammel cut inside to pass for Adams and his drive curled wide of the far post. A terrific long ball by Townsely was cut back in the direction of McCulloch by Spencer but again it was Mahe who intercepted just in the nick of time. Celtic were becoming restricted to breaks upfield and from one such attack a weak shot by Tebily was easily dealt with by Woods. Motherwell resumed the attacking with Townsley. His cross was headed out to Spencer who strode forward and unleashed a powerful 25 yarder, the ball going a foot by the post with Kerr struggling to get across. The Motherwell defence were not finished with their free gifts, Burchill pounced on Hammel's pass inside to Adams and, via Berkovic, sent Viduka clear. The Striker ran in Woods but clipped his shot narrowly past the far post. The visitors took off the ineffective Berkovic and replaced him with Lynch whilst shortly afterwards Motherwell took of the impressive Harvey for the young Pat Nevin. Motherwell were given a free-kick when Viduka rose to head in a free-kick from the right, the Fir Parkers bursting forward with Nevin though his low cross was well taken by Kerr. The visiting Keeper was called into action again soon after to deal with a drive by Corrigan. With three minutes left Nicholas replaced Spencer. The winger, just on, sent in a great cross which Pat Nevin managed to beat Crainey to and head inches past with Kerr beaten. Motherwell were finishing stronger with Kerr again having to look lively to take ahead of McCulloch. Celtic almost gained an unlikely winner when Petta's cross fell to Viduka but Kemble blocked well and the ball ran through to Woods.
Full-time Motherwell
1 Celtic 1
Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)
