Motherwell 0
Dundee Utd 2
League (SPL)

Match Report

United’s last game of the season was a visit to Fir Park to face Motherwell who had beaten Peter Houston’s side to third place in the league and subsequently a Champions League qualifier with second placed Rangers banned from Europe having entered administration earlier in the year. Houston made four changes to his starting line-up from the impressive 1-0 win over Celtic at Tannadice the previous week. Gavin Gunning and Robbie Nielson dropped out altogether with injuries whilst Willo Flood and Gary Mackay-Steven were demoted to the bench. In came Keith Watson, Stuart Armstrong, Danny Swanson and Johnny Russell. It was a day of emotion at Fir Park with players on both sides playing their last matches for their respective clubs. Motherwell skipper Stephen Craigan received a tremendous reception as he led the home side out for the last time after making 367 appearances for the club over the course of two spells at Fir Park. For United it was farewell to three heroes who had lifted the Scottish Cup in 2010 with Dusan Pernis, Scott Robertson and Danny Swanson all moving onto pastures new.

Despite the carnival atmosphere amongst the home fans at Fir Park it was United who started off on the front foot and in the 8th minute they took the lead. Sean Dillon dispossessed Michael Higdon on the half way line and a clever passing move involving Robertson, Rankin and Russell saw the ball played through to young midfielder Stuart Armstrong whose powerful left-footed drive from a tight angle was parried by Randolph at his near post but the ball broke out to Armstrong who crossed into the box for Johnny Russell to bundle the ball home from close range. United continued to look threatening and went close to scoring a second when Johnny Russell’s pace on the right was enough to get him in behind the Motherwell defence and his ball across the face of goal was slightly over-hit and John Rankin could only hit the outside of the near post from a very tight angle. It wasn’t all one way traffic though, with Motherwell midfielder Nicky Law testing Pernis with an awkward bouncing shot from outside the box which the United goalkeeper managed to tip wide of his left-hand post. The home side very almost equalised when Chris Humphrey whipped in a brilliant low cross into the six-yard box with Michael Higdon lurking dangerously at the back post but the ball struck Keith Watson and luckily for United went over the bar. Paul Dixon came within inches of putting United two ahead with a superbly hit free-kick from around 25 yards out which clipped the crossbar on its way over. Higdon was proving a handful for the United defence and came close to bringing the home side level when he met Tom Hateley’s superb ball into the box with a header which looped just wide of the target. Another free-kick in a dangerous position again almost provided a second goal for United: Richie Ryan on this occasion firing inches over the crossbar.

Motherwell came out at the start of the second half looking to get back into the game quickly and showed their intent when Tom Hateley flashed a free-kick effort just past Dusan Pernis’ right-hand post. However the home defence were finding it increasingly difficult to contain United’s free-flowing attacking play with substitute Ryan Dow twice going close to extending United’s lead. Randolph was forced into making a terrific reaction save from a close-range Jon Daly header but United’s top goal-scorer really should have given the Motherwell goal keeper no chance at all. John Rankin was next to threaten Randolph’s goal with a low driven left-footed effort from 25 years which bounced just wide of the post. United however were not to be denied a deserved second goal with who else but Jon Daly firing past Randolph high into the roof of the net after reacting quickest to a shot which had looped up in the air off a Motherwell defender in front of goal. It was almost 3-0 when a Gary Mackay-Steven effort took a massive deflection on its way through to goal and looped just over the bar. In the 87th minute Johnny Russell was substituted with highly rated 16 year old attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld coming on to make his first team debut. Motherwell were presented with a good chance to score a consolation in the dying seconds with Hutchinson getting on the end of a good delivery to the back post but the English defender could only turn the ball wide of the target and the match finished 2-0 to United. A season that had started slowly had finished on a high note with United comfortably finishing fourth in the league and qualifying for European football for the third season in a row: something which had not been achieved since the glory days of the 1980s.