CROCK & ROLL FOR SKIPPER
Aldred lifts Well but injuries grow
Motherwell skipper Tom Aldred stunned his gaffer with a career-first double to snatch derby glory in front of a former Fir Park strike hero.
Ross McCormack, watching from the stands on a trip home from Down Under, couldn’t fail to be impressed by the big centre-back’s predatory instincts.
The captain led by example with goals either side of half-time after Dougie Imrie had fired Hamilton ahead.
Wel l fans’ dreams of a deal for McCormack when the transfer window opens this week look doomed with the Aston Villa ace, on loan at Central Coast Mariners, out of their price range.
But the Steelmen head into the new year on a high after Aldred’s double put clear distance between them and strugglers Dundee and St Mirren.
Accies though are bang in trouble just two points above second-bottom Buddies.
Well end the year with a valuable win after taking just four points out of the previous 21 but boss Stephen Robinson admitted Aldred’s classy finishes were a shock. Robinson was confined to the stands as he served the final game of his touchline ban and watched with a wince as his injury list got even longer.
He said: “Aldred’s finishes were very good – and very surprising! Listen, I’m delighted for him because he was excellent at both ends.
“Peter Hartley coming back in provided a calming influence and organisation for a young side but Tom will take all the glory. He’s been great for me since we brought him here and deserves all the credit today.
“I’m not allowed into the dressing-room so I don’t know what’s wrong with Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and I’m guessing Richard Tait has an ankle injury but we need this winter break because that’s 12 or 13 players we have out.
“We need to get everybody fit and fresh again as well as adding a couple of new faces up front.”
On an afternoon when the football was slow to catch fire the visiting fans (who outnumbered the home support) raised the temperature in the 10th minute by chanting the name of Phil O’Donnell who collapsed and died during a match against Dundee United 11 years ago to the day.
That seemed to inspire their stars and Andy Rose, in his swansong before returning to the MLS, headed narrowly over from an Elliott Frear corner. Accies then took the lead with their first real attack. Steven Boyd’s ball over the top picked out Imrie and the skipper ran on to place a shot behind the outstretched left hand of Mark Gillespie from 15 yards.
Hamilton tossed that lead away just four minutes later when they again failed to deal with an inswinging Frear corner. It was helped on at the near post by Peter Hartley and Aldred’s sweet half volley bulged the net.
Motherwell’s injury list could fill a wing at Wishaw General and it got bigger when Richard Tait was clattered by Lenny Sowah and David Turnbull took his place.
James Keatings thought he’d put the home side back in front five minutes from the break when his free-kick was deflected by Well’s defensive wall and wrong-footed Gillespie but the ball spun inches wide.
It was end-to-end stuff now and Gary Woods threw himself to his left to beat away a stinging drive from Frear.
Aaron McGowan was booked for bringing down dangerman Frear and he had to go off after he crocked himself while fouling the winger. Moments earlier Taylor-Sinclair looked to suffer a knock and made way for Adam Livingstone.
However, Motherwell were the better, hungrier side and finally got the goal their pressure deserved 13 minutes from time.
Woods should have dealt with Turnbull’s free-kick from the far touchline but he flapped at it and Aldred produced another superb finish to clip the ball home.