WATT IS BACK IN THE OLD ROUTINE
Revitalised striker helps Steelmen sink Dundee
MOTHERWELL moved into fourth place in the Premiership table with a second successive victory, courtesy of an impressive piece of improvisation by the talismanic Tony Watt.
Even finishing the game with 10 men following a harsh straight red card for Jake Carroll 11 minutes from the end could not remove the smiles from their players and supporters’ faces at the final whistle.
Graham Alexander was thrilled by his side’s determination to hold on to their lead, although he sympathised with Carroll over his dismissal.
‘I thought at the time it was a yellow card at most,’ said the Motherwell manager. ‘When I watch the millions of slowed-down replays that will be shown I might change my mind but I thought it was a yellow and, if I’m wrong, then I’ll say so.’
The clean sheet was welcomed but Alexander confirmed that he has further strengthened his defence by completing the signing of Norwegian defender Sondre Solholm Johansen from Mjondalen during yesterday’s match.
‘We were working on it while the game was going on,’ he said. ‘I spoke to Sondre a while ago and it’s been a drawn-out process but we’re delighted to get him in.’
This was a win which looked unlikely for the opening third of this encounter. Dundee had forced the home side on to the back foot from the start and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute.
Paul McMullan’s chip from 20 yards arced over Liam Kelly but struck the underside of his crossbar and rebounded to safety.
A goal at that stage wouldn’t have flattered Dundee, who switched the play swiftly and purposefully while Motherwell were both ponderous and wasteful in possession.
There was a blow for James McPake’s men when playmaker Charlie Adam picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Paul McGowan less than half an hour into the contest and their grip on the play loosened after his departure.
Mark O’Hara’s slide-rule pass released Watt and the former Celtic and Scotland striker looked odds on to score but his attempted dink over the advancing Adam Legzdins lacked conviction and the danger was cleared.
However, Watt made a better connection minutes later. Carroll’s free-kick was superb and Watt’s back-header left Legzdins helpless.
It was his fourth goal of the campaign and his third in as many Premiership games. He looks revitalised, not only hanging on the shoulder of defenders but doing his share of pressing and tracking back.
Dundee squandered a similar opportunity in first-half stoppage time when Liam Fontaine rose highest but headed Jordan McGhee’s cross wide of the post.
The visitors should have restored parity in the 59th minute when Cammy Kerr fired over a cross from the right and Bevis Mugabi failed to jump, not realising McMullan was behind him. The midfielder stole in to meet the ball with his head but his effort landed on the wrong side of the far post.
Watt still posed a threat, though, and Legzdins had to be alert to sprint from his line and reach a through ball before the he could touch it behind him.
Dundee had grown back into the game, though, and their pressure merited an equaliser. Kelly, recalled to the Scotland squad by manager Steve Clarke last week, prevented one by parrying a McMullan drive from close range.
It had been a sporting contest but it was perhaps too quiet for referee Willie Collum’s liking as he hurriedly produced the red card from his pocket for Carroll in the 79th minute for what appeared to be a fair tackle on Max Anderson.
Dundee boss McPake — who said afterwards that he ‘didn’t know’ whether he would be signing Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths — claimed his players had their pockets picked.
‘I feel we should have won the game but gut feeling and coming away with nothing is a completely different thing,’ he said.
‘We created enough chances. We were very fluent, particularly in the first half and causing them all sorts of problems. We did say beforehand, after playing Motherwell a couple of weeks ago, that their biggest threat to us is set-plays — and that’s what it proved to be.
‘We’re really disappointed with the goal but I’m extremely proud of what the players gave out there.’