Kev spot on to take Steelmen’s Europa dream to final game
MOTHERWELL 1 Van Veen (68)
Graham Alexander hailed his heroic sick-list for keeping Motherwell’s European aspirations in rude health with victory in Dingwall.
The Fir Park boss had five players who could have stayed tucked up in bed after illness spread through the ranks during the week.
Kevin van Veen led the way by journeying to Dingwall while still partially under the weather before springing from the bench to sink the crucial penalty kick.
Alexander said: “It has been a tough week.
“Callum Slattery, Kevin van Veen, Bevis Mugabi, Sean Goss and Liam Kelly have all been ill this week.
“Callum and Kevin made it. With a big game, we knew we would need that at some point and we were glad they put themselves forward for the team.
“They wanted to be here with the boys to help us get the result.
“We knew we would be down in numbers but as long as we had enough quality to take this club forward we knew we would be OK. Right at the end, you could see the challenges flying in with some of the boys dead on their feet.
“They were throwing themselves in front of shots and Kelly had made some brilliant saves for us.”
County disputed the 68th-minute penalty award after Alex Iacovitti was adjudged to have taken down the Dutchman as he spun to shoot in the penalty area.
Alexander was convinced the referee got it right.
He said: “We have just looked at it and it is a clear penalty.
“Kev had just come on a few minutes before but if it is one man you want to take a penalty then it is Kev. He is as cool as you like, has great technique and lives for those moments.”
There is still work for his side to do to achieve Europa Conference League qualification and Alexander added: “It is going to go to the last game.”
County opened with pace and purpose, dominating the opening 10 minutes. Jake Vokins saw a powerful attempt held by keeper Kelly during that spell, while unmarked Austrian midfielder David Cancola sent a dipping 25-yard shot narrowly over.
Mark O’hara then dragged a low, left-footed attempt wide of the target from the edge of the area approaching the half-hour mark.
Spittal did his best after a spell of neat home possession, cutting the ball back for Regan Charles-cook just inside the Motherwell penalty area a minute later.
The Premiership top scorer was high and wild.
Twelve minutes before the break, Motherwell produced their first serious threat.
Ricky Lamie’s through pass from deep sent Joe Efford tearing through on the left and his strike had to be pushed for a corner by the outcoming Laidlaw.
Kelly pulled off a marvellous one-handed reflex save after Watson’s low ball from the right was lashed under the crossbar by Spittal.
It was a fantastic stop just after Alexander blooded van Veen and Callum Slattery from the bench.
The Dutchman wasn’t long in making an impact.
A diagonal ball played in low from the right saw van Veen attempt to spin around Iacovitti who was adjudged to have caught him on the turn.
Referee David Munro, ignoring home protests, pointed to the spot and former Northampton Town forward van Veen sent Laidlaw the wrong way after 68 minutes.
The travelling support launched into an energetic chant of “We’re all going on a European trip”, after van Veen’s 11th goal since his summer move from Scunthorpe.