SCENES AT THE END MUST NOT SOUR OUR SWEET VICTORY, SAYS BARACLOUGH
SAYS IAN BARACLOUGH
A lot of people had written us off and saw Motherwell as just a formality
IT IS destined to be remembered as the day the battle f or a place i n the Scottish Premiership descended into an n astonishing on-field brawl. As far as Ian Baraclough is concerned, however, the final whistle dust-up between Bilel Mohsni and Lee Erwin should not be e allowed to overshadow the fighting g qualities his entire team showed over two o legs in crushing a Rangers team fancied by y many to swat them aside with ease.
Deep down, the Fir Park manager woree the look of a man who knew fine well he e will not get his wish, as the inquest begins s into the Motherwell maelstrom that ended d with red cards for Erwin, Mohsni andd substitute Fraser Kerr.
On a day when mounted police were utilised to stop home fans goading the visiting Ibrox hordes at full time, the Motherwell boss did, however, admit that the live televised spectacle of Erwin being l eft bloodied by Mohsni had blackened the proud name of the Scottish game.
‘I don’t want what happened at t he end t o overshadow our victory,’ i nsisted Baraclough, forlornly after a 3-0 win at Fir Park sealed a 6-1 triumph over two legs.
‘It was a pulsating game to watch for any neutral and if the back pages are full of two or three people brawling, then that’s the wrong message to send out for Scottish football.
‘It was 10 seconds of madness that has no place in this sport whatsoever.
‘ I didn’t actually see it happening. I was shaking hands with the Rangers staff when people started running ov e r. But I understand there have been a few red cards.
‘The game doesn’t need that, Scottish f ootball doesn’t need that. I thought the two games were played in a decent spirit in relation to what was at stake and to have that at the end has no place in the game.
‘Will I be appealing the red cards? I’m not going to comment on that at all. We’ve just beaten Rangers to make sure we are in the top division!
‘I just felt we were driven on by the fact a lot of people had written us off. That the Hibs-Rangers semi-final Play- Off matches were treated as being like the Final itself — that Motherwell were a formality.
‘There is no better way to silence people than how we did over the two legs. ‘ For everyone connected with this club, these were the biggest two games of our l i ves. We worked so hard to put a game plan in place and we exe
cuted our plan to perfection. The two teams went at it hammer and tongs, there were chances in both ends in both games. We took our chances and made sure we are staying in the top division.
‘So I’d like to concentrate on that, rather than the melee at the end,’ he added.
Baraclough will now move forward with his plans for the new season after this handsome win, secured with goals from Marvin Johnson, Lionel Ainsworth and a late John Sutton penalty.
The Englishman was the picture of contentment as he strolled into t he Fi r Park media r oom afterwards, but immediately gave a graphic description of the stress he has been under.
‘Hopefully my bowels will start working again properly f rom tomorrow,’ he smiled.
‘I hope that doesn’t put people off their breakfast. But it wasn’t just a nerve wracking afternoon out there. It was a real tough 10 days leading up to two massive games for this football club.
‘Everyone has worked immensely hard to make sure we got over the line to stay in this division and our performance merited the 6- 1 scoreline over the two legs. Now I will be holding some important meetings over the coming days and invariably players will be moving on. I’d also like to bring some new players in.
‘There needs to be a freshening up. Although I’m delighted we’re still in the top division we have to make sure that this does not happen again. We want to be fighting at the right end of the table.
‘The owner, Les Hutchinson, has been fantastic for me. He’s been very supportive. This is a community club and he wants to hand it over to the fans when they are ready.
‘We’ve got plans to go forward and that’s best done from the top division. Now we can build from the top flight rather than have to fight back from the Championship.’
Motherwell defender Stephen McManus, meanwhile, admitted the prospect of staff at Fir Park losing their jobs was the hardest part of the relegation struggle.
‘It weighed heavily on the mind,’ he said. ‘How would you feel going out every week to play f or someone else’s job? But that’s ultimately what it comes down to. Those are the fine l i nes of a relegation battle.
‘It’s not nice playing for your own future but at least that is within your own control. But when it’s the livelihoods of other people that are at stake, it’s horrible.
‘At a smaller club, it’s the people who have been here for 15 to 20 years who make the club what it is.
‘They’re the ones who have been through the good times and the bad times and unfortunately they’re the first ones to go when relegation happens. So it was nice to complete the job.’
At full time, once calm had been restored, Motherwell’s players embarked upon a lap of honour. It drew some criticism on social media, given they had narrowly avoided going down, but McManus defended his side’s right to let off steam at t he e nd of t wo high-pressure matches.
‘It was relief more than anything,’ said the centre-half. ‘Emotions were running high in both camps and among both sets of fans. There was a lot at stake. It was all about playing the game, not the occasion and I felt we did that over the two legs.
‘But I can assure you, being involved in a relegation battle for the best part of a season has been an unpleasant experience. It’s something I have not experienced before and I don’t want to experience it again.’