Frustrated McIntyre counts the cost of McEveley’s red card as Motherwell steal a share of the spoils
JAY McEVELEY saw red as Ross County were held to their first home draw in the Premiership for two-and-ahalf years.
It’s a measure of Jim McIntyre’s attacking philosophy that Aberdeen were the last team to share the points at the Global Energy Stadium in March 2014.
But while the Staggies’ boss was reasonably satisfied at the outcome, given that his side had to see out the last 20 minutes with 10 men, he was less well disposed towards Liverpool-born McEveley.
The former Scotland player was booked in the first half for a cynical challenge on Craig Clay.
McEveley appeared to take retribution for Motherwell captain Keith Lasley’s crunching tackle on Alex Schalk moments before and, when he lunged at Scott McDonald in the 70th minute, referee Alan Muir gave him his marching orders.
‘Unfortunately we made a poor decision and lost a man and that made it an uphill task for us,’ said McIntyre. ‘I thought we were the team who looked like going on to win the match but the sending off was the pivotal moment.
‘But we still kept at it and the players deserve great credit for that because it’s not easy with 10 men when you’ve been working so hard trying to be the dominant force.
‘We had a couple of brilliant opportunities with (Liam) Boyce’s headers, a goal disallowed and one off the bar from Michael Gardyne, so we got back to the team I know we are after huffing and puffing in our last game when we never created much against Hamilton.’
County took the lead after 61 minutes when Boyce claimed his sixth goal of the season, producing a cool finish from around eight yards out after McEveley and Gardyne had combined on the right side to create the opening. But Motherwell
hit back six minutes later when substitute Louis Moult scored from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Scott Fox was deemed to have brought down McDonald as the striker attempted to go around him.
Fox had no complaints with the referee’s judgment but McIntyre preferred to reserve his until he had watched a rerun of the incident, although he did concede: ‘It looked like there might have been contact.’
McEveley’s dismissal added to the drama. But the contrast between the first and second half could hardly have been more pronounced.
Thank goodness for Gardyne. Otherwise the first 45 minutes would have been noted for competitive spirit and little else, such was the lack of skill, flair and imagination.
The winger can often frustrate, but on this occasion he endeavoured to offer the spectators some respite from the predictable patterns of play.
Gardyne threatened to light up the occasion in the 38th minute when he took it upon himself to skilfully bring the ball under control before curling a delightfully executed shot towards the top-right corner of the goal that clipped the top of the crossbar. Mercifully, the second half was a much more acceptable spectacle and both teams had sufficient goal-scoring opportunities for either to have claimed a victory, albeit the hosts had the lion’s share of them.
Mark McGhee, the Motherwell manager, reflected: ‘I don’t think we did enough to claim we should have won the game.
‘I said beforehand that if we were going to win we would do it by getting the ball down and playing more football than them but, in the end, it was a fairly even game.’