Motherwell 1
Dundee Utd 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

We got back on the rails following Saturday's set back against Motherwell, who have shown greatly improved form since the turn of the year. In the first half particularly, we made most of the running on a heavy Fir Park surface.

After a series of raids which failed to make inroads to Maxwell, Harry Curran played the ball through to Jimmy McInally, but the Motherwell 'keeper dived to block Jimmy's shot. Motherwell's first scoring chance came after 31 minutes when Arnott headed a corner narrowly past. Five minutes later we took the lead when Kevin Gallacher's pace took him clear of the 'Well defence and though Maxwell blocked his first effort, the ball broke back to Kevin who slid the ball into the vacant net.

We were unlucky not to go two up three minutes after the interval when a shot from Mixu Paatelainen was blocked on the line by Paterson and our appeals for hand-ball were rejected. A minute later Kevin Gallacher shot past. Motherwell began to look dangerous and in the 62nd minute got back on level terms when Dave Bowman was ruled to have brought down McBride in the box and Colin O'Neill did the needful from the penalty spot. Maxwell did well to save a free-kick from Billy McKinlay and Billy Thomson did likewise from Mair four minutes later. Ten minutes from the end Billy McKinlay found Miodrag Krivokapic on the left and the Yugoslav cut in and his left foot shot went under the diving Maxwell and went in at the far post. Four minutes later only McCart's late intervention prevented Mixu Paatelainen from reaching Kevin Gallacher's cross to the far post.