Long treble steers Steelmen through
MOTHERWELL are once more savouring the prospect of another cup run as they sent out a timely reminder with this clinical dismantling of Dundee.
There will be tougher tests along the way for Stephen Robinson’s side, whose impressive exploits in recent seasons have earned the Steelmen a cup specialists tag, but here they gave enough which proved more than adequate to see off Championship hosts Dundee at Dens Park.
Striker Christopher Long did the proverbial damage with a hat-trick for the Premiership’s third-top side to safely secure their place in today’s Scottish Cup fifth-round draw.
The 24-year-old, a product of the Everton academy, effectively extinguished any hopes their Championship opponents may have harboured of causing an upset in front of the with two first-half goals, albeit his first arose after a deceiving deflection from a free-kick before adding a second just after the halfhour mark prior to his clinching goal 15 minutes from the end.
Robinson was quick to pile the praise on his hat-trick hero.
‘Chris Long can go to any level he wants to,’ said the Motherwell boss. ‘He’s got a lot of ability, a lot of pace. Tonight, he looked like he really believed in himself. He’s a great finisher and a great asset we have, and I’m very keen to keep him.
‘This is a difficult place to come. I think ourselves and Hibs had the hardest ties in the round.
‘I thought it was a professional performance and we’re through to the next round.’
It really was something of a stroll for Motherwell, who reached the final of this competition in May 2018 before losing 2-0 to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic at Hampden, having also gone down to the Parkhead club in the League Cup final by the same scoreline in November 2017.
Now few teams, if any, will surely relish going head-to-head with Robinson’s side in the next round as their professional execution of this potentially tricky tie in the face of lower-league opposition aptly demonstrated.
James McPake’s Dundee, for their part, offered little resistance. The Tayside club were supposedly aiming to reach their first final in 17 years, having faced Rangers in the 2003 final which they lost 1-0.
But, if truth be told, the Dark Blues barely turned up and were left still searching for their first win of 2020.
Dundee did start with a degree of intent to take the game to their top-flight opponents.
Peter Hartley’s short pass-back almost let Kane Hemmings in as early as the ninth minute but Mark Gillespie, the visiting keeper, was quick off his line to clear the danger.
A few minutes later, a flowing move allowed full-back Cammy Kerr to surge into the box before his final cross let him down by sailing harmlessly behind the goal.
James Scott, the Motherwell youngster, was next to try his luck from distance and his swerving shot flashed wide of Jack Hamilton’s far post.
But after holding their own to begin with, the home team contrived to conceded the all-important opening goal from which they rarely looked like recovering from.
Shaun Byrne was adjudged to have brought down Liam Polworth. The hosts quickly feared the worst. Long hit a 22-yard free-kick which deflected off the wall and skidded past stranded Hamilton to nestle in the corner of the net.
Dundee, though, tried to level matters. Hemmings showed admirable bravery to get above Gillespie and nod the ball towards goal, only for Richard Tait to scurry back and sweep off the line.
However, normal service was resumed soon after. It was simple in construction, with Polworth slipping a weighted pass to eliminate the Dundee defence and Long needed no invitation to sweep a typically astute finish outwith the reach of Hamilton.
From then on, it became something of a procession. Jamie Ness summed up the host’s first-half performance just five minutes before the interval when he completely swiped fresh air as the ball sat up rather nicely for him some 25 yards from goal.
Ness was replaced at the break by Ross Callachan. Dundee did briefly threaten to make amends within minutes of the restart when Hemmings’ glancing header from Graham Dorrans’ free-kick came crashing back off the bar.
Another substitute, Danny Johnson, enlivened the home team on his arrival midway through the second half, which immediately led to him firing a low shot just inches past Gillespie’s near post.
Motherwell weren’t finished and were helped further along the way by Dundee keeper Hamilton, who let Long’s 75th-minute effort from distance squirm through his fingers to round off a thoroughly miserable evening for the hosts, but one of total satisfaction for their visitors.
Dundee boss McPake admitted: ‘It’s easy to come out in the second half and have a go when you are 2-0 down. We didn’t start the game well enough and they are a really good side, who punished us.’