MOTHERWELL made a winning return to action after their enforced absence due to the weather wrecking their pitch. The surface had been mended and Kilmarnock were broken by David Clarkson's injury-time winner. Prior to that, Ross McCormack missed a pen
alty and Kilmarnock's David Lilley was sent off. Motherwell had several chances but put one away and that's what mattered. Manager Mark McGhee was delighted with the win.
"I was determined that we keep doing what we know to be right and you hope you'll get the breakthrough. The pitch was difficult. Kilmarnock worked hard against us. We missed a penalty. But the most important thing today is that Dundee United drew, we won and we're one point behind them with three games in hand."
There was a charged atmosphere at Fir Park. The Motherwell supporters held an understandable appetite for action after a fortnight's suffering of football withdrawal symptoms. The Kilmarnock support was strong and extremely vocal (much louder than normal). After all, Kilmarnock really had something to play for, or rather, against – the threat of relegation. The partly re-laid surface was in a fit condition and the players were raring to go. The rare energy from the stands was reflected on the park.
Motherwell's Steven McGarry fired an early warning past Alan Combe's right-hand post and Lilley's glancing header, at the other end, fired up the visiting fans further, if that was possible. Paul di Giacomo struck a long-range effort over the Motherwell crossbar and then it all turned a bit mad when the hosts were given a penalty by the referee Mike McCurry.
Clarkson showed good movement in the Kilmarnock box to carve out the chance, but his next motion was to tumble to the turf as a result of the challenge by Lilley who did not take too kindly to Clarkson's fall. He remonstrated with the Motherwell striker, there was a suggestion of heads clashing and the upshot was a booking for Lilley. So it was left for McCormack to screw his spot-kick wide of the target. "I just hope Wigan were watching him and have decided not to bother," joked McGhee.
An excellent move from Motherwell shortly after the break almost gave them the lead. Steven Hammell enjoyed his long run down the left flank and his cross found Clarkson who, in turn, picked out McCormack and his low shot was not far away from making a breakthrough.
Kilmarnock's trouble was their lack of anything convincing in the final third. The sun continued to shine, bringing relief to a park that had taken such a pounding of rain recently. Then Kilmarnock went a man down. The hosts were attacking. In a desperate, defensive double-whammy, James Fowler brought down Clarkson and Lilley took out McCormack. Fowler's yellow card kept him on the pitch, but it was Lilley's second caution and the end of this match for him.
Sensing the advantage, Motherwell piled forward and Marc Fitzpatrick guided a header wide of the target. Hammell the produced a superb free-kick that a stretching Combe had to tip over.
But the Kilmarnock keeper was powerless against Motherwell's winner in injury time. Home substitute Simon Lappin sent in the cross and there was Clarkson with the header. Combe came close to making a save but it crossed the line inside his right-hand post. The Motherwell players ran to the Motherwell fans to celebrate. This was one blow from which Kilmarnock could not recover and it was the signal for the Ayrshire mob in the main stand to make for the exit.
Motherwell: Smith, Quinn, Hammell, Reynolds, Craigan, Hughes, Lasley, Fitzpatrick, McGarry, McCormack, Clarkson
Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Hay, Lilley, Ford, Wales, Invincibile, Di Giacomo, Hammill, Bryson, Corrigan
The full article contains 637 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
