Motherwell’s winning blend keeps delivering
It’s amazing what a combination of talent, confidence and good old- fashioned brawn can do. If Motherwell really are as reckless as Rangers claim, it’s certainly effective.
But it’ s clear there’ s more, far more, to their game. Louis Moult wasn’t even called upon until the hour mark, long after his understudy, Craig Tanner, had fired Mother well into a fifth- minute lead.
Manager Stephen Robinson described the win, which takes Mother well to third, as “our best result of the season”. His side should have made the game safe by half-time and might have wrapped things up at the end when Moult, uncharacteristically, blasted high over the bar from a good position. But they certainly warded off any potential cup hangover to extend their winning sequence to four games, a run which includes Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi- final victory over Rangers as well as three clean sheets.
As for Dundee, their bluntness in front of goal threatens to cripple their season. Despite having one of the best goalkeepers in Scotland, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in the league so far this campaign.
It was feisty at times. Darren O’dea, the Dens Park skipper, didn’t see out the first half after receiving a head knock follow- ing a clash with Alex Fisher. Both benches were throwing accusations at one another, with Motherwell coach Keith Lasley spoken to by the refe - ree, Stephen Finnie.
The trouble for their opponents is that Mother well can also play a bit. Even more concerning, f or Dundee at least, is the realisation they continued where they left off on Sunday despite initially resting two star performers from that afternoon.
Moult, the two-goal hero against Rangers, and Chris Cadden were named on t he bench. No matter. Motherwell took just five minutes to edge ahead through Tanner, an unused substitute at Hamp- den. They might have gone further ahead before the midway point in the first half.
Scott Bain kept Dundee in the game with two fine saves from Fisher. The first he knew little about but the second, a dive towards the base of his righthand post to flick Fisher’s cross past, was superb. Bain, pictured, then bettered this stop in the second half when getting a hand to Gael Bigiri mana’s close-range shot as Mother well sought to kill Dundee off. The League Cup finalists were setting the pace. Dundee, slammed by their manager Neil Mccann for wasting numerous chance son Saturday against Par tick Thistle, seemed to have solved this problem by f ailing to create any this time around.
When they did, with Sofien Moussa invariably at the heart of the action, they were guilty of snatching at them.
Marcus Haber returned to first- team action for the first time since August. The equally tall Moussa, who might have been expected to give way for the striker, kept his place. Unpromisingly, as far as Dundee fans were concerned, both supposed target men wore gloves. Moussa’s were gone by the second half. These woollen mitts certainly hadn’t been providing him with much luck in front of goal.
The struggling Tunisian saw a header ruled out for a shove and then, just before half- time, shot straight at Trevor Carson after a thrilling run from rightback by Jesse Curran.
Dundee had earned seven wins in their last ten matches versus Mother well, with Ha bers co ring four times in his last three appear ances against the Steelmen. But Motherwell, with seven wins in their last nine, are the team of the moment, perhaps of the season. It’s not as if they have just hit a patch of purple form. They won eight of their first ten matches of the season in both the league and cup. Their League Cup final appearance is no fluke.
So it was little surprise to see them take the lead after Ryan Bowman flicked a long ball from Charles Dunne into the path of Tanner, who took a touch before shooting high past Bain. The keeper was in the right place to deny Fisher shortly afterwards and then stretched to tip as hot from the same player past the post.
Peter Hartley also headed over from a good po sition as Mother well sought to secure the second goal that would make life very difficult for the hosts. They couldn’t quite make the second breakthrough, even after Moult’ s arrival. Dundee realised they had nothing to lose by this point and were throwing men forward. But the ball just didn’t seem to fall for them.
Moussa made way for A- Jay Le itch-Smith, one of six substitutions made by the 65 th minute. But there was no way pasta packed, disciplined Mother well defence, where Cedric Kipre was superb.