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Brave 'Well go down at Ibrox
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Written by WTFC
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Sunday, 23 October 2005
 Despite putting up a very decent performance, Motherwell succumbed to yet another defeat at Ibrox. Goals in either half by Chris Burke and Peter Lovenkrands were enough to see off the plucky and brave Lanarkshire side.
�Well started the game having made two changes to the side that disposed of Livingston seven days earlier. Jim Paterson came in for the injured Phil O�Donnell whilst Martyn Corrigan replaced Brian McLean who was ineligible for the game. �Well have a terrible record at Ibrox in recent years and they got off to the worst possible start as after twenty-eight seconds, they were a goal behind. Dado Prso skint the returning Martyn Corrigan before whipping in a dangerous cross into the box. Young winger Chris Burke was on hand to slide the ball home from close range. Despite this early blow, the visitors did not roll over and die and could have equalized when Scott McDonald sent a testing strike that landed just the wrong side of the left hand upright. Both teams traded possession for most of the half with the home side coming close only for Shaun Fagan to clear of the line and Scott McDonald once again had an effort that was well blocked by Ronald Waterreus.
Into the second half and Motherwell continued to give as good as they were getting. Infact, the Steelmen could very well have been level shortly after the restart but only a despairing last ditch tackle on Clarkson from the Rangers defender prevented the young Scotland youth International scoring after a good ball from Scott McDonald. Well continued to have good position and the introduction of Marc Fitzpatrick seemed to add an extra dimension but somewhat against the run of play, it was Rangers who grabbed the second and killer goal. Dado Prso was again the creator and after dancing round the defence, he squared the ball to the Dane Peter Lovenkrands who had the simple task of tapping home from close range. �Well continued to push and Jim Hamilton was introduced at the expense of David Clarkson but there was to be no further additions to the scoreline as Rangers played out the rest of the game for the win.
�Well manager Terry Butcher told the press: �I didn�t fear the worst even through it was the worst possible start we could�ve had, but the players got on with it. It is the usual thing when we come here that we lose a goal in the first couple of minutes. Perhaps we should just start the game 1-0 down anyway.
�But I am very disappointed about the start; disappointment is the understatement of the year. After that I thought we did okay, we kept our shape well and created some good chances. Rangers made three really good chances today and scored from two of them, very disappointed about that.
�That is the best we have played here for some time, it�s still not good enough and we need to get better.�
Talk about the game on the WTFC Forums ---> Click Here
Full match report and statistics ---> Click Here
Match Pictures from Ibrox ---> Click Here
The League table after the weekends results ---> Click Here
Vote in the WTFC P.O.T.Y. Poll on the forums ---> Click Here |
| Last Updated (
Monday, 24 October 2005 ) |
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Written by WTFC
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Sunday, 23 October 2005
 Motherwell travel to Glasgow to take on Rangers at Ibrox hoping to reverse a terrible recent run in Govan, which has seen the Steelmen, lose fourteen from the last fifteen games. After last weeks win over basement boys Livingston, Terry Butcher and his players will go into the first game of their Old Firm double-header with some degree of confidence and will hope to heap yet further pressure on under-pressure former �Well gaffer Alex McLeish.
Motherwell are weakened with the news that on-loan Northern Irish Under 21 International Brian McLean will not be allowed to play under orders from his current employees Rangers. This will mean the probable return of �The Kaiser� Martyn Corrigan to the side. There will also be places in the squad for Jim Hamilton and Jim Paterson who have both shaken of recent knocks and are fit to play. Bad news for �Well is that captain Phil O�Donnell will miss the tie with a back spasm picked up at training on Friday. Phil will join Alan McCormack, Scott Leitch, Kevin McBride and Andy Smith on the touchline.
Rangers have a few injury worries of their own with the news that Argentinean striker Frederico Neito will miss the next six weeks of the campaign. English striker Francis Jeffers will join Neito on the sidelines with a knock as will Greek defender Kyrgiakos who is suspended for the tie. Scottish defender Alan Hutton will give manager McLeish a boost as he is being passed fit after a long injury lay-off.
Manager Terry Butcher told the official Motherwell site: "We have been on a good run and our last six games have been better than Rangers so we've done all right. We will go there full of confidence and try to enjoy it more than we have been doing. We have been hammered there. I don't know where they have lost that fear factor but if it was at Fir Park we would fancy our chances even more.
"I am not saying we don't fancy our chances now but our record at Ibrox has been pretty appalling It doesn't matter what time you go there, it is always hard but we have the confidence and the belief that we can get something if we have that little bit of luck. What happened last season is done and dusted and we are looking forward to this year.�
Match Build-Up on the WTFC Forums ---> Click Here
Forecast the weekends results in the WTFC Prediction League ---> Click Here |
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'Well win scrappy enounter
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Written by WTFC
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Sunday, 16 October 2005
 It wasn�t pretty, but a gutsy Motherwell performance was enough to see off relegation threatened Livingston at Fir Park. Despite the free flowing, goal-scoring start to the campaign, it took a twenty-first minute Richie Foran header to separate the sides in a very un-tidy game of football.
�Well lined up identical to the side that managed a two-each draw at Pittodrie a fortnight ago and it was the home side who should have taken the lead early on. A long ball over the top sent McDonald away. Holding off defender Pinxten, the Aussie striker done well to create himself the chance but his shot was deflected of the base of the post from a tight angle. However, it was only delaying the inevitable as the Steelmen took the lead shortly after. Good work by Kinniburgh seen the ball arrive at the feet of captain Phil O�Donnell out on the right. The veteran midfielder took one touch to control before whipping in an excellent cross for Foran to bullet home from five yards. �Well could and should have gone further ahead but a close range header by Foran and a poor finish by Clarkson after being sent through one-on-one with McKenzie meant the scores stayed at one nil at half-time.
The second half was controlled by the away side and a double substitution and slight tactical switch at half time seemed to breath new life into the SPL�s basement boys. Former �Well defender Greg Strong was the first to threaten for the Almondvale side, but his header was dealt with comfortably by Graham Smith. Graham Barratt also had a good chance but his effort fell wide of Smith�s goal. The Dossers response was a stinging effort from twenty-five yards from Brian Kerr, which needed the touch over from McKenzie. Substitute Jim Hamilton also seen a good effort sail wide after unleashing a drive from a David Clarkson back-heel. Livingston can count themselves slightly unlucky not to take a point and only the cross bar denied them an equaliser from a Tierney set-piece and Greg Strong should have brought the game level, but his header dropped inches wide of the post in the dying seconds.
�Well gaffer Terry Butcher told the official Motherwell site: �It was difficult as Livingston played really well, they change their system and created chances and probably deserved to take something from the game in the second half. Having said that we had chances to make it three nil before half time, we could�ve had the game over and done with.
�Getting that second goal was the key and we couldn�t get it and then we were hanging on, the players themselves are disappointed as they can play a lot better than that. It may seem to everyone else that they were content to hold on to 1-0 and get the three points but we couldn�t get the ball and when we did we couldn�t keep it.
�Full credit to Livingston who are fighting and scrapping for their manager but I would imagine he will be pleased with his players. But the difference is and we�ve said this to the players that we had a goal to protect and this gives you something to hold on to and we just about did.�
Talk about the game on the WTFC Forums ---> Click Here
All the match pictures from Fir Park ---> Click Here
Vote in the WTFC P.O.T.Y. Poll ---> Click Here
View the league table after the weekends SPL results ---> Click Here
Full match reports and statistics ---> Click Here |
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