Motherwell powered into the third round of the Scottish Youth Cup with a deceptively comfortable 1-0 victory over Arbroath at Fir Park.
After seeing a truly astonishing amount of chances passed up, ‘Well finally took the lead in the second half as the dangerous Keiran McGachie leapt highest to nod home just before the hour.
In truth, the score-line could have been far more damaging for the visitors from Gayfield. A combination of last-ditch defending, wayward finishing and good goalkeeping ensuring a series of good chances didn’t find the net.
Lee Erwin and McGachie will both look back ruefully on efforts cleared off the line, in particular, while Herman Mboa Mekonga saw his effort in the second period smash against the bar.
Gordon Young’s Motherwell charges have been in fine form this season, sitting in 5th place in the Clydesdale Bank Under 19’s League, a mere six points behind league leaders Celtic. The home side’s mood going into this encounter was further lifted by a fine draw with Rangers last week.
Arbroath have endured a stop-start opening to their league campaign, playing just four times while some other clubs in the Scottish Football League Under 19’s Youth Division have played eight. That lack of competitive action has seen the Red Lichties slip to 6th from bottom of a 25-team league.
The top flight side illustrated their full-time credentials from the start of a one-sided encounter, with Zaine-Francis Angol winding up a drive from distance after two minutes which flashed wide of Jack Whitton’s goal.
Josh Watt’s deliveries were proving an early nuisance for the visitors, and after one corner skidded dangerously across the face of goal Watt almost provided a perfect assist for Keiran McGachie. The towering striker comfortably out-jumped his marker but nodded just wide.
A surging run from Keiran MacDonald almost produced the opener after a quarter of an hour. The 18-year old burst towards the edge of the penalty box and tried to feed the ball through to McGachie, and the subsequent interception almost saw the ball ricochet into the net – but it trickled wide.
The young Steelmen continued to push for a deserved opener as the half progressed. Erwin came close with an industrious run down the left-flank followed by a good low shot which clipped the post and went wide.
McGachie – a constantly dangerous figure at the head of the ‘Well side – followed that with his low shot from just inside the area, but once again the ball trundled past the wrong side of the post.
Josh Watt’s delivery was once again causing havoc with ten minutes to play before the break. His left-footed cross was perfect for Erwin, who found himself unmarked in the box, but the 17-year old’s header was superbly parried by Whitton.
Arbroath’s goal continued to lead a charmed life as half-time approached. Watt managed to get a toe on a teasing ball across the face of goal, but Craig Patterson managed to dramatically block the effort on the line – a piece of defending his former Motherwell cup-winning namesake would have been proud of.
Young Jack Whitton was turning in a fine display in the driving Lanarkshire rain, and the second half began with the keeper making two more good saves. Firstly he parried away a powerful McGachie drive, then he had to palm an Erwin shot away from goal second later.
Remarkably Arbroath cleared another goal-bound effort off the line on 54 minutes. Watt fired in a superb low cross and McGachie scrambled it towards the goal after a collision with the keeper – but this time Lee Gallacher was on hand to keep the game scoreless.
Former Tottenham Hotspur trainee Zaine Francis-Angol getting through a power of work down the left-flank, and it was his delivery which finally unlocked the visitors’ backline. The left-back’s booming cross deceived Whitton and McGachie out-jumped the diminutive keeper to head into the net.
Francis-Angol could have had a goal of his own as he continues to massively impress at this level. He played a slick one-two with Erwin and, from a tight angle, drilled in a decent low shot, but once again Whitton was on-hand to save.
The Arbroath keeper was proving himself as an excellent shot-stopper, and he managed to make an excellent save with his legs after Darren Brownlie’s effort from distance took a violent knick on the way.
The spirited young part-timers of Arbroath were sticking diligently to their defensive task despite falling behind, but they were utterly failing to test the Steelmen, who were enjoying exorbitant amounts of possession.
And Mboa Mekongo was the next to threaten for the home side. The midfielder athletically burst into the penalty area and smashed an effort towards goal, but – befitting Motherwell’s luck in front of goal – it crashed against the bar and bounced to safety.
Whitton was forced into action again with five minutes to play as Josh Watt lashed a powerful shot across the face of goal, but the young keeper was on hand again to fist the effort clear.
Motherwell, who could quite easily have been five-goals clear, ended the match in the same fashion in which it had been played: threatening Arbroath’s goal-mouth. Lee Erwin’s towering header had Whitton beaten, but it came back off the post.
Motherwell: Muir, Brownlie, Murray, Cummins, Francis-Angol, Hetherington, Mboa Mekonga, MacDonald (Leitch 88), Watt, Erwin, McGachie (Moore 73)
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Lynch, Ashgar, Green.