Supersub Kirk prays for new Fir Park hero
THE 27-year wait Motherwell fans have endured to see their side lift a third Scottish Cup has always been more tolerable for the breathtaking manner of their second triumph.
By common consent, the epic 4-3 extra-time triumph over Dundee United in 1991 wasn’t just a final. It was the final.
Accordingly for the man who settled the issue that remarkable day at Hampden, the intervening years have afforded him sole membership of a very private club: scorer of the winning goal in the greatest contest most of us have ever witnessed.
Tomorrow morning, Steve Kirk will don his suit and tie, head into the Centenary Suite at Fir Park, and tell an adoring audience how his life — and the history of the Lanarkshire club — changed forever that glorious May afternoon.
‘It was such a thriller,’ Kirk, now 55, told Sportsmail.
‘Cup finals are not always great games, so to get seven goals in one that was completely end-to-end set it apart. To have scored a winning goal in any final would have been incredible. But to do it in the one often referred to as the greatest final ever... that made it mean even more.’
Kirk had entered the field with the heat of the battle approaching melting point.
Selected ahead of him, Iain Ferguson had given the Steelmen a half-time lead before Dave Bowman equalised ten minutes after the restart.
Phil O’Donnell’s header restored Motherwell’s lead before Kirk made his entrance.
Within two minutes, his lay-off allowed Ian Angus to hammer home the third. United rallied in extraordinary circumstances, though, with John O’Neil reducing the deficit before Darren Jackson beat the stricken Ally Maxwell to a long ball to square the game in injury time.
Seeking to win a final at the sixth attempt, United had the wind in their sails. Destiny, however, appeared to favour their opponents.
When Davie Cooper spotted a corner in the fourth minute of extra-time, Kirk stationed himself at the far post.
‘I knew it would be a quality ball in the box that would put them under pressure,’ he recalled.
‘Chris McCart and Jim Griffin challenged Alan Main for the ball. I had to keep my eye on it and wait on it popping out. Luckily it fell right where I was and I managed to get it over the line.’
In that moment, Kirk joined the list of great super subs. The moniker itself never bothered him but a record of 74 goals in 289 appearances for the club suggest something of a disservice.
‘If that’s what people think, then so be it,’ he said. ‘You don’t play nearly 700 senior games if you are just a bit-part player. It goes with the territory.’
There was good reason to believe he might edge Ferguson out of Tommy McLean’s starting line-up that day. If you include a goal in the penalty shoot-out at Morton in the quarter final replay at Cappielow, Kirk scored in every round that year.
He could’ve been forgiven then, for feeling sore about his initial watching brief as sporting mayhem unfolded in front of his eyes.
‘You’re just thinking to yourself that you need to get on that park to make a difference,’ he insisted. ‘I knew I would get on and that I’d get at least half a chance.’
The drama and sub-plots went beyond the seven goals shared. The fact that Motherwell boss McLean was in direct opposition to elder brother Jim — and they had lost their father a week previously —
gave the game added poignancy. The sight of Fir Park keeper Maxwell playing on with two broken ribs and a lacerated stomach after clashing with John Clark gave the triumph an almost comic-book feel.
‘He summed up our spirit,’ recalled Kirk. ‘In those days, you either used a sub to go in goals or you soldiered on. I don’t think anybody realised how badly injured he was.’
Twenty seconds before referee David Syme blew the final whistle, Maxwell miraculously defied Maurice Malpas’s netbound volley to prevent the match being settled by penalties.
‘Looking back, it was destined to be our day,’ said Kirk. ‘I don’t think anyone was going to spoil it.
‘What we’d achieved in terms of winning the cup sunk in right away. But it wasn’t until the next day that we appreciated what it meant to the town of Motherwell and the surrounding areas like Newmains and Wishaw. When we went out on the open-top bus, the place was packed. You never forget those sights.’
Only once in the intervening years have the local authorities required to make such contingency plans. Finalists again in 2011, Celtic’s 3-0 win put paid to another grand parade, however. What prospect of some vengeance tomorrow?
‘They’ve got a chance,’ added Kirk. ‘Everyone does in finals. Celtic are a phenomenal team.
‘Motherwell will need to stop them playing but they have done the hard thing and got past the semi-final to have a chance.’
Given this is their third visit to Hampden this season, it seems unlikely Stephen Robinson’s men will be spooked. They have also held Brendan Rodgers’ men twice in the league this season. If they somehow prevail, Kirk can assure them of one thing: life will never be the same again.
‘Every time I’ve gone out in Motherwell since, I’ve never had to buy a drink,’ he laughed. ‘I’ve been in Florida and Portugal when people have come up to me and talked about it. It’s never changed. Sometimes you could do with a lower profile. But
it’s hard to hide.’