Dundee 1
Motherwell 2
League (Premier League)

Match Report

In normal circumstances a goal of the quality scored by Steve Lovell in this match would be talked about for years, but this defeat was the kind of Dundee performance that needs to be forgotten quickly. Dundee failed to really compete at any stage before Lovell's super 78th minute strike and the visitors could well have been further in front than the two goal lead which they had coasted to with little resistance from the Dark Blues. It was hard to imagine that these were pretty much the same set of players who had turned in a heroic performance at Tannadice six days previously!

In Sancho's absence due to his late return from international duty, Barry Smith moved to the back line alongside Bobby Mann, but the Trinidad man has been in outstanding early season form and his presence was sorely missed. The captain's absence from the midfield was also a problem with Motherwell controlling that area of the park in the first half.

They took just seven minutes to carve out a golden opportunity, Clarkson twisted and turned in the box, and was felled by a mistimed Mann tackle.

It looked a stonewall penalty. and the 'Well hit- man picked himself up and sent Derek Soutar the wrong way from the spot, only send his effort well wide of the target.

Dundee's first real effort came just a minute or SO afterwards, a free kick was knocked short to Anderson, but his 25-yarder dipped just over the bar.

The visitors should have been ahead on 20 minutes as Corrigan curled in a great cross from the right, but Clarkson scalffed his effort from eight- yards just wide of the post.

The opener was only delayed though, and eight minutes later Clarkson played in McDonald and the Australian fired a fine 18- yard shot past Soutar.

Dundee were penned in for most of the remainder of the period and when they broke out to win a corner just a minute before the break, Fotheringham blasted a 25-yarder high into the Bob

Shankly Stand. Half time brought a change of personnel with Stephen McNally replacing Steve Robb and Barry Smith moving into midfield.

Indeed, the skipper had the first effort of the second half, firing a 20-yarder a shade too high.

In 57 minutes, Dundee should have been level. Lovell was working hard with little reward, but he turned on a ball and slid a great little pass to the unmarked John Sutton. He had time to steady before shooting, but was denied by a fine block from veteran Marshall in the Motherwell goal.

It was to be a costly miss, as just five minutes later, Dundee were two behind as McDonald struck again. He played a neat one-two on the edge of the box, giving him loads of space to slide home a cool left footed shot from 16 yards.

Jim Duffy threw on Jablonski for Brady with 73 minutes gone, but there appeared no prospect of the Dark Blues getting back into the match until Steve Lovell conjured up a moment of brilliance, lashing home an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box. That came with 12 minutes remaining and lifted both the team and the supporters.

For most of the remaining minutes, Dundee tried to batter an equaliser from this match and they came close when Marshall pulled off a fine stop from Jablonski's angled drive.

Having said that, they also got lucky a couple of times as the ball ricocheted around their own penalty area. Not that Dundee deserved a draw, having the required urgency for only 12 minutes of a match isn't nearly good enough.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme