Super sub Kevin puts Staggies in a spot of bother
AS MOTHERWELL BID FOR THAT EURO SLOT
KEVIN VAN VEEN rose from his sick bed to fire Motherwell to within 180 minutes of the Europa Conference League.
County’s own dream of hosting European football for the first time ever at the Global Energy Stadium isn’t dead and buried.
But their bid is on life support for the time being after one of the most remarkable comebacks in Premiership history.
Having transformed a 10-match winless run at the start of the season into a top-six spot, it’s a measure of just how far Malky Mackay’s side have come that there was an air of bitter disappointment among the home players.
They were also privately seething at referee David Munro’s decision to award Motherwell a contentious second-half penalty kick.
The official’s controversial award when he pointed to the spot in the 67th minute sealed County’s fate.
Alex Iacovitti was adamant that he had challenged for the ball when it broke to Van Veen but the Dutchman made the most of it before then stepping up to the mark to fire the matchwinner past Ross Laidlaw.
Even more galling for the home side was the fact that Van Veen very nearly didn’t play after being struck down by a sickness bug that swept through Fir Park earlier in the week.
With doubts surrounding his fitness, manager Graeme Alexander named Van Veen as one of his substitutes and took the added precaution of keeping him in reserve until the 63rd minute when he replaced Joe Efford.
Incredibly, this was only Motherwell’s second league win of the year and also only their second in 16 matches.
But it gives them a two-point cushion over their rivals in fifth spot and a huge psychological advantage.
Each team has two matches remaining — County away to Rangers and at home to Dundee United, while Motherwell entertain Hearts before travelling to Celtic Park — but this may well turn out to be the defining moment.
The County players appeared relaxed and in a carefree mood, initially at least on the evidence of their slick movement and crisp passing that had their opponents very much on the back foot.
Regan Charles-Cook, Jake Vokins and David Concola took it in turn to pose early threats as the Staggies attempted to assert their early authority by adding a goal to their enterprising play.
But Motherwell gradually upped their game, at the same time conjuring up a couple of decent chances.
Laidlaw was called on to make a save from Efford after 33 minutes before Connor Shields headed just over after Ricki Lamie had steered Mark O’Hara’s corner-kick into the striker’s path.
But, given the carrot of European football being dangled in front of both teams, there was a surprising lack of urgency about the general play.
After such an encouraging start County had lost their way to an extent and escaped punishment only because of Motherwell’s lack of a cutting edge.
Sensing a need to sharpen up his team’s attacking play, Mackay replaced Jordan Tillson with Joseph Hungbo at the start of the second half in the hope of finding a goal.
Something was desperately needed to remove the growing lethargy and Cancola did his best in the 51st minute to provide a spark with a middle-range effort that flashed past Liam Kelly’s left-hand post. Ross Callachan and substitute Keith Watson also combined to create a promising move on the hour mark when they opened up the defence with a neat one-two move, only for the former’s shot to be deflected away from goal.
Still, it proved to be the catalyst for a sudden rise in the general standard of play as the tempo increased as both teams rediscovered a sense of urgency. Watson, whose entry into the proceedings after 55 minutes, in place of Connor Randall, had helped open up the play, was again prominent when he set up a chance for Blair Spittal, who was thwarted by Kelly.
Spittal then turned provider for Jordan White, whose volley missed the target before Motherwell ventured upfield to benefit from a stroke of good fortune in the shape of their spot-kick, which Van Veen converted.
On an afternoon when fate conspired against the Highlanders, County were denied a stoppagetime equaliser that would have been sufficient for their European prospects to remain firmly in their own hands.
Hungbo’s cross-cum-shot had the home supporters rising to their feet ready to celebrate a goal until the impressive Kelly threw himself across goal to turn the ball round the post.
ROSS COUNTY (4-2-3-1): Laidlaw; Randall (Watson 55), Baldwin, Iacovitti, Vokins (Wright 85); Cancola (Samuel 76), Tillson (Hungbo 46); Spittal, Callachan, Charles-Cook; White. Subs not used: Munro, Sims, Burroughs, Drysdale, Paton. Booked: Iacovitti, Tillson. MOTHERWELL (3-4-3): Kelly; O’Donnell, Ojala (Slattery 63), Lamie; O’Hara, Donnelly, Goss, Carroll; Efford (Van Veen 63), Tierney (Shaw 72), Shields (Cornelius 84). Subs not used: Connelly, Campbell, Mahon.
Booked: Ojala, Van Veen, Goss.
Referee: David Munro. Attendance: 3,067.