Motherwell 2
Dundee Utd 0
League (SPL)

Match Report

Centre-half Partridge made his former club suffer after only four minutes when he rose unchallenged to head home a McBride free-kick from barely 6 yards out. This was the fourth goal United had conceded from set-pieces in the space of a week. The early set-back was then followed up on ten minutes with an enforced substitution, McCracken having to leave the field, clutching his arm after an awkward fall. His replacement was young Gary Kenneth, coming on to make his league debut.

Despite these early problems United almost drew level after 13 minutes, when first Marshall blocked a Scotland effort from point blank range and Grady’s follow-up header was cleared off the line by Corrigan. There followed half an hour of pretty uneventful football with ‘Well apparently happy to sit on their lead, and United failing to break them down – then on the verge of half time the game burst to life again. First Bullock had to block well from McDonald and Craigan shot wildly as ‘Well came close to extending the lead. Then Crawford sclaffed a good chance wide and Grady saw an effort loop over Marshall and rebound off the cross-bar as United sought to equalise.

United replaced Scotland with Samuel at half time, but within two minutes of the restart disaster struck and the game looked out of reach. In control of the ball some 40 yards from goal, Alan Archibald appeared simply to slip on the wet turf and Scott McDonald gratefully took possession to run unchallenged on goal, and he slotted home clinically as Bullock advanced. Partridge almost extended the lead further but a superb save from Bullock denied him. Robson should have brought United back into the game on 63 minutes when Crawford found him with time and space 6 yards out – but the winger was left head in hands as his shot failed even to find the target. Dodds replaced Grady but United’s best chance had gone and despite more than their fair share of possession the Tannadice men struggled to put the Motherwell rearguard under any sort of pressure.

The day got worse still for Arabs as news filtered through of Livingston’s win at Dens. The six point gap from one week ago has evaporated – along with any hope that an end of season relegation dog-fight might be avoided.