Motherwell 3
Dundee 0
League (Premier League)

Match Report

Jim Duffy had called for consistency from his squad ahead of the visit to Fir Park but his cries fell on deaf ears as his defence, which had been the only praiseworthy part of the team in the previous weeks. derby win, let him down here.

Three times a high ball launched to the far post caught out the light and dark blues and three times failure to concentrate cost us dearly.

The first of these goals came right on half time and meant that Dundee went in behind after having slightly the better of the first forty-five minutes.

The opening half hour was flat although there were odd half chances for both teams, but the final fifteen minutes of the first period saw Dundee play much better and they caused the home side a lot of problems.

They came close with a burst into the box and shot from Lovell, and then McNally sent Sutton away down the left, the striker went past the defence and angled in a drive which Marshall could only parry across the face of his goal, Lovell was rushing in to get the final touch and he was just inches away from making contact as Quinn hooked the ball off the line and away to safety.

That was as close as Dundee came during that period of pressure and on the half time break they fell behind in a manner that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Steve Hammell curled in a great corner, which was scrambled away from the immediate danger area only for Paterson to nod back across goal for Clarkson to net with a neat header.

Eight minutes after the break they were two behind and this time there was more than a hint of controversy about the goal. A free kick to the back post saw the impressive Ritchie Foran unmarked, but he made a mess of his header that beat Soutar, sending it wide. Barry Smith didn't know that and half cleared the ball, but only as far as Jim Paterson who was lurking with intent ten yards out and he fired in a shot that Smith again cleared off the line, but the far side assistant indicated that the ball had crossed the line and referee Charlie Richmond accepted his advice, indicating a goal as he raced to the centre-circle.

A furious Barry Smith was in close pursuit, but his protestations that the it wasn't a goal fell on deaf ears, though it did earn him a yellow card!

Motherwell began to dominate as Dundee's heads went down and eleven minutes later a harmless looking cross from Quinn inexplicably found Paterson completely unmarked and he had the simple task in heading home past an exposed Soutar.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme