Fickle Fortune refuses to smile on bold Motherwell

Aug 20 2008 by Chris Black, Wishaw Press

FOOTBALL is fickle and nobody knows that better at the moment than Motherwell fans.

This time last year ’Well were top-of-the-table after winning their first two games of a campaign which saw them finish third in the SPL.

But fast forward 12 months and the Steelmen are propping up the table after failing to take a single point from their opening two matches.

However, it isn’t time for the Fir Park faithful to reach for the panic button just yet because ’Well were unlucky to leave Tynecastle empty handed on the opening day after the 3-2 defeat to Hearts. And even the diehard Dons fans would agree their side were highly fortunate to steal all three points on Saturday.

Jimmy Calderwood’s side arrived at Fir Park on Saturday looking to make amends for the two defeats which they suffered here last season. But having only scraped one league win on their travels in 2008 the odds looked stacked against Aberdeen.

There was no place in ’Well’s starting 11 for new signing Jim O’Brien, who completed his permanent move from Celtic last week. Fellow new arrival, Icelandic goalkeeper Gunnart Neilsen, also found a berth on the bench as ’Well looked to kickstart the campaign.

’Well started brightest and the visitors’ midfield looked unable to cope with the energy of Marc Fitzpatrick and Keith Lasley.

After just eight minutes Fitzpatrick carved ’Well’s first chance of the game when his clever through ball released Jamie Murphy. But the 18-year-old failed to cause problems for Dons ’keeper Jamie Langfield with his tame angled shot.

The visitors, perhaps mindful of the comprehensive 3-0 defeat which they suffered at the hands of ’Well last season, had clearly travelled south intending to sit deep and defend.

Neither side looked likely to break the deadlock as the game descended into a turgid midfield war of attrition, although Aberdeen did manage to test Graeme Smith on the half-hour mark.

Dons new boy Mark Kerr displayed good vision to feed a deft ball through to Gary McDonald. The striker’s blistering shot could very well have been goalbound but Smith did well to block the effort.

Murphy got the chance to make amends for his earlier miss just before the interval when Stephen Hughes and Steven Hammell combined to good effect to set the youngster up.

Once again, however, his finishing wasn’t up to scratch and Langfield easily scooped up his close-range effort.

As they queued for their half-time pies and Bovril ’Well fans were perhaps wondering just how different the scoreline could have been if a certain Mr McCormack were still among the Steelmen’s ranks.

’Well came out with all guns blazing in the second half in the hunt for a goal and the three points to silence the critics who are most certainly gathering to describe the Fir Park club’s success last term as a one-off.

In 50 minutes Hammell’s corner was met by Hughes who could only watch as his header flew post the post. Hammell was the provider again five minutes later when his corner found the head of Paul Quinn.

The defender’s effort seemed destined to shatter the stalemate but a fingertip save from the diving Langfield denied the ex-captain his first goal of the season.

Aberdeen pitched English bad boy Tommy Wright into the battle with 20 minutes remaining and he almost opened his Dons’ account within seconds.

Scotland under-21 fullback Mulgrew whipped in a wicked freekick and Smith was forced into a good save from Wright’s downward header.

But the home side failed to heed the warning about the dangers of Mulgrew’s set pieces and the former Wolves man punished them with just four minutes remaining.

Lasley was judged to have tripped Kerr by referee Steve Conroy and Mulgrew stepped up to deliver the resulting freekick from 25 yards out.

A poorly positioned ’Well defensive wall offered little resistance to the defender’s sweetly struck left-foot shot which curled past the hapless Smith on its way into the net.

After the match ’Well manager Mark McGhee said: “If you fail to score when you dominate a match to the extent we did there is always a danger that the other side will grab a goal and catch you out.

“Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened today but I’m not despondent because we haven’t done too badly in the opening two games.”

Motherwell: Smith, Craigan, Reynolds, Quinn, Hammell, Clarkson, Lasley, Hughes, Fitzpatrick (O'Brien 90), Murphy (Smith, D 59), Porter. Subs not used: Neilsen, Wilson, Malcolm, Connolly, McGarry.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Considine, Diamond (Duff 21), Mulgrew, Foster, Young, McDonald, Severin, Kerr, Miller (Wright 69), Mackie. Subs not used: Bossu, Smith, S, de Visscher, Maguire.