Rangers v Motherwell 01.05.04
Rangers 4, Motherwell 0
| Match Date: Saturday, May 1 2004 | |
| Competition: Scottish Premier League | |
| Attendance: 47,579 | |
| Motherwell Team (4-4-2): |
Marshall, Quinn, Craigan, Corrigan, Hammell, Fagan, Adams, Burns, Dair (McDonald 80), Clarkson, Craig (Wright 76).
Subs not used: Corr, Kinniburgh, McDonald.
Booked: Quinn, Craig.
COLLAPSE SEES WELL LOSE HEAVILY
Rangers 4 Motherwell 0
AN ELEVEN-MINUTE SPELL AROUND HALF-TIME Saw Motherwell lose heavily at Ibrox. After competing well a disastrous period saw the Fir Parkers switch off and give the home side a comfortable win.
An early slack pass from De Boer saw Burns intercept though and although finding Clarkson it was Hughes who stopped the ball reaching Craig. Good pressure from Craig on De Boer saw Motherwell remain up at the opposition box. Hammel then sent the ball on to Clarkson only for Burke to clear. De Boer escaped punishment when he took Craig out though play was stopped when the same player decided to foul Clarkson. A third late challenge from De Boer still failed to bring a warning from Referee Dougall, Craig this time in pain. Hammel failed to take advantage with a poor free kick. Burke made progress out wide and cut in along the touchline though Craigan got in the important interception. Motherwell broke forward through Quinn and via Clarkson they almost set up Craig though Klos gathered. Burke then showed dissent by booting the ball away after dribbling it out but Dougall failed to book. A minute later Thompson got on the end of a Burke cross to head wide. The Fir Parkers were getting up the park and Clarkson almost made it onto Craig’s header, Hughes nicking the ball to safety; Dair regained possession but a body-check on him by Ricksen was ignored. Clarkson picked play up and found Craig but the lay-off for Dair only found Khizanishvilli. Namouchi burst upfield and found Burke though Corrigan did well to hook it away. Thompson then raced away and found Burke though Marshall was easily equal to the drive. An error by Jason Dair then gave Burke a chance though he shot wildly over. Burke forced a corner moments later and although De Boer got contact under pressure from Corrigan he sent it over. A slip from Marshall saw him direct a clearance right to Namouchi but the Motherwell keeper recovered to save. The home side were creating more chances with Vanoli crossing for Thompson though his header struck Ricksen on the way past. Although then forcing successive corners, Motherwell easily dealt with them. The home fans were screaming for a booking after Craig had caught Burke late though if anything the unnecessary afters from Burke should have seen him carded. Corrigan and Namouchi then clashed with the latter lashing out in the direction of the Motherwell man, though again there were no cards in evidence. There was a yellow card for Ricksen though when he went right through on Hammel. Craig gained possession from the free kick and raced into the box but with only Klos to beat he found the side net. Ricksen then should have walked for a quite disgraceful tackle on Dair, with Referee Dougall claiming the home defender had got the ball first. Vanoli found Thompson with a cross though the header was wide. Thompson was then guilty of a late foul on Craigan but play continued until Hutton scythed Clarkson down and was rightly yellow carded. Arteta made a burst from midfield before firing way over. Burke gained a free kick when Hammel tackled and although winning a corner off Hammel, Craigan headed away. Two minutes before the break a quite dramatic dive by Arteta, under minimal Craigan pressure, saw a free kick awarded 25 yards out. Making an incredible recovery, Arteta curled the ball over the wall and although Marshall got both hands to the ball he couldn’t stop it going in.
Half Time Rangers 1 Motherwell 0
Hutton failed to start the second half for the home side, Ross replacing him. Unfortunately for Motherwell, the entire defence also failed to start the second half and conceded goals at a shocking rate. Burke found Ross and his cross was only partially cleared by Corrigan right to Ross who netted. Arteta was then allowed freedom to run and find Burke but this time the ball was cleared. Motherwell did have an opportunity to hit back when Namouchi brought down Adams but his quickly taken free kick was held by Klos. Dair then found Clarkson but his knock down for Craig was hooked away by Khizanishvilli. Not learning from the recent goal, Motherwell gifted a third away. De Boer slipped the ball through for Namouchi who had time and space to slot away. Then, moments after Burke had a run and shot go over, a fourth was duly presented to the home side. Vanoli crossed for Thompson who, unguarded, had the easiest of tasks to head in. It was an extremely bad spell for Motherwell, and saw them virtually gift the points to their hosts. The home fans again bayed for blood when Craig caught Areta but they had to be content with a free kick which Adams headed clear of the defence. A tussle involving Craig and Arteta looked to have been fairly won by the Motherwell man but Referee Dougall decided to give the home side a free kick. De Boer, however, saw his effort saved. Paul Quinn became the first booking for Motherwell though this one has to go down to having been influenced by the crowd. A quite innocuous trip on Ricksen, who should not have been on the park by now, saw a yellow card brandished after howls of complaint from the sparse home crowd. A home change had McCormack replacing Arteta, before another saw MacKenzie on for Namouchi. Motherwell began to come a bit more into things after this with Stevie Craig forcing a corner off Ricksen. Partially cleared by Thompson the ball was headed by Craigan off MacKenzie for another corner. Craig this time headed in but Klos saved. Stevie Craig saw yellow when he was booked following Khizanishvilli’s spectacular fall out wide. A turn and shot from Thompson then saw the ball drift wide of the goal. Gordon Marshall was alert to a header from Hughes as he connected with a cross from Burke. Breaking forward was Alex Burns and finding Clarkson the youngster drove a shot past. Motherwell claimed a penalty when Vanoli quite clearly handled a ball from Dair, but none was given. Ricksen went into attack and collecting a ball from Burke knocked it over from just 6 yards out. Hassling constantly was Clarkson and he almost forced a mistake from MacKenzie who just managed to clear. Motherwell then made a double change, Craig and Dair off for Wright and McDonald respectively. A run and shot from Burke was expertly dealt with by Marshall soon after. Good play from Kenny Wright saw him wriggle into the box but the low cross was gathered by Klos just ahead of McDonald. The home response was a 25-yarder from Ricksen easily saved. Motherwell should have pulled one back when McDonald set up Clarkson but with only Klos in front of him the first time effort was palmed away. Burke broke away though he curled wide from 18 yards. Wright responded with a 25 yard shot over the bar.
Full Time Rangers 4 Motherwell 0
Match Report by Ricky Mullen