[tab:Match report]
Phil McGhee at Tannadice
Motherwell moved up three spaces in the league and moved to within three points of the top-six with a well-deserved 3-0 win over Dundee Utd.
The Steelmen took a first-half lead when Stephen McManus headed home on the stroke of half time.
A brace from former Aussie International Scott McDonald, his 10th and 11th of the campaign, secured the win, which moves the Fir Parkers 15 points clear of the Tanandice side in the bottom six.
Mark McGhee made five changes after defeat by Kilmarnock saw them slip into the bottom two having picked up just two points from a possible 18.
McFadden was handed his first start in almost a year while Louis Laing, Ben Hall, Keith Lasley and Louis Moult came into a new-look 3-4-1-2 formation.
United, who had Paul Dixon in for the absent Ryan Dow, lined up 4-1-3-2 and both sides cancelled each other out in an uneventful first half.
The hosts threatened when Guy Demel’s overhead kick deflected just wide and through Spittal’s shot, which forced Connor Ripley to push wide.
Motherwell had plenty of attacking options, with Marvin Johnson and Chris Cadden looking to get forward from wide areas, but their bold formation did not translate into chances until the final seconds of the half.
McDonald invited a foul in a dangerous area, getting his body in between Sean Dillon and the ball. McFadden curled in the free kick and McManus got the slightest of touches to guide it into the far corner.
United should have levelled 10 minutes into the second half but Billy McKay inadvertently blocked John Rankin’s header in the goalmouth after Spittal had set him up six yards out.
McKay was immediately hauled off for Edward Ofere, who was quickly denied by Moult’s block, and Ripley then saved from Simon Murray.
The Motherwell goalkeeper had a huge let-off when he failed to deal with Rankin’s cross. After the ensuing scramble, the ball broke kindly for Spittal but he headed off the top of the bar with the goal gaping.
McDonald punished the hosts moments later. Substitute Josh Law’s corner glanced off a United head and the Australian chested the ball down at the far post before flicking it into the roof of the net.
Eiji Kawashima made excellent stops from McDonald and Johnson but he could not prevent McDonald’s 25-yard strike bouncing into the corner of his net to secure the victory, ensuring the few hundred ‘Well fans heading back down the road did so happy at Motherwell’s biggest win at Tannadice for seven years, when coincidentally Mark McGhee was in the visitor’s dugout.
[tab:As it happened]
Ally Reilly at Tannadice
Superb second half performance after a solid first 45. Excellent three points for the Claret and Amber men!!
FT’ | 0-3
FULL TIME!! Dundee Utd 0 – 3 Motherwell!!
90′ | 0-3
Three minutes added on.
88′ | 0-3
Motherwell subs, Johnson off for Hammell and McDonald off for Fletcher
80′ | 0-3
It’s that man McDonald again, with a powerful low shot from 25 yards past Kawashima. 3-0 to The Steelmen!
GGGGOOOOOAAALLL!!!!
78′ | 0-2
And from that corner, Kawashima is again called into action, palming Johnson’s powerful shot over the bar.
77′ | 0-2
Great low save from Kawashima to put McDonald’s low shot around the post for a corner!
72′ | 0-2
Law’s corner finds McDonald unmarked at the back post and he does the rest from 5 yards!!
71′ | 0-2
Johnson works his way into the box and wins a corner….GGGOOOOAAALLLL!!!!
66′ | 0-1
Ball floated into the ‘Well box which finally falls to Spittal who heads off the bar!!
65′ | 0-1
Motherwell sub, McFadden makes way for Law.
64′ | 0-1
McDonald to take the free-kick, about 30 yards out. Shoots, but it’s well over the bar.
63′ | 0-1
McFadden wriggles away from two and is eventually hauled down by Demel who is booked.
61′ | 0-1
Decent chance for Murray as he gets some space on the right but he fires straight into Ripley’s arms.
57′ | 0-1
Utd with a lot of pressure but again and again there is a Motherwell man there to make the block.
56′ | 0-1
Double Utd change, Ofere and Fraser on for McKay and Dixon
54′ | 0-1
Spittal gets in behind and finds Rankin at the back post but ‘Well recover and clear the danger.
McKay and Murray get the ball rollling for the second half.
Both sides huffed and puffed but it’s Motherwell with the half-time lead thanks to McManus’ header!
HT: Dundee Utd 0 – 1 Motherwell #DUFCvMFC
McFadden whips in a great ball which is nodded on by McManus into the net!! 1-0 to The Steelmen!!
GGGGOOOAALLLL!!!!
45′ | 0-0
Late chance for ‘Well as McDonald wins a free-kick wide on the right….
25′ | 0-0
Johnson dragged to the ground about 35 yards out, on the right….McFadden’s delivery is headed clear by Dixon.
22′ | 0-0
Spittal gets into the box and produces a fine low diving save from Ripley. Utd corner is then cleared for a throw-in.
15′ | 0-0
And it’s another Utd corner, this time it is dealt with and ‘Well counter……but Moult is offside from McFadden’s pass.
14′ | 0-0
Spittal whips in Utd’s first corner of the game which is only half cleared by Ripley and it goes out for another corner.
7′ | 0-0
Johnson drifts to the right hand side, cuts in on his left foot and shoots wide of the post from 25 yards.
6′ | 0-0
…fired in low by McDonald and swept clear by Utd.
6′ | 0-0
McFadden and Moult combine down the left and win a corner….
2′ | 0-0
Murray with the first chance of the game but lashes well wide of the post with other options.
Lasley and McDonald get the game underway. COYW!!
[tab:Reaction]
Motherwell manager Mark McGhee:
“I sent my assistant, Steve Robinson, a text at four in the morning saying 3-4-1-2 and we started discussing it and, by the time we got to work, we knew what we wanted.
“I don’t know any team that I’ve managed that have played like that before, but that’s the way we had to be.
“We have over-played at times. We knew how they would play, the pressure they would put us under in terms of returning the ball and we decided to match it.
“We set out to do a job and I thought we did it very, very well.”
Dundee Utd manager Mixu Paatelainen:
“I am disappointed to have lost that game because I never anticipated that.
“I thought we had plenty to worry them, but today we were very flat and that performance was not acceptable.
“We just concentrate on Saturday’s match and doing our best, but it is a really long road.”
[tab:Man-of-the-match]
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