Butcher relishes second helping

Motherwell 4 - Dundee United 2 Marshall Corrigan Kinniburgh Craigan Hammell McBride Leitch O'Donnell Foran McDonald Clarkson Bullock Wilson McCracken Innes Archibald Kerr McInnes Brebner Robson Grady McIntyre Subs: Fagan for Leitch 49, Paterson for Foran 88, Burns for McDonald 83.

Not used: Corr, Partridge, Quinn, Wright.

Bookings: Grady 17, Kerr 27, Innes 72.

Referee: I Brines.

Subs: Hirschfeld for Bullock 62, Scotland for Grady 71.

Not used: Duff, Dodds, Bell, Kenneth.

Bookings: Grady 17, Kerr 27, Innes 72.

Attendance: 5,091.

MOTHERWELL will be some team when they learn to play in the first 45 minutes. For the third SPL match in a row, the Lanarkshire side conjured a storming second-half performance against one of last season's fellow top-six sides, the four goals spawned on this occasion permitting them to overwhelm a hapless Dundee United side and scale the dizzy heights of third in the SPL table. In the log- jam of teams currently splitting the Old Firm, they are this week's Kilmarnock.

If his side's sudden flush of success was enough to have Terry Butcher joking about taking early retirement, it will be all the more galling for his opposite number, Ian McCall, that his tormentor-in- chief was 21-year-old Australian striker Scott McDonald, who had a spell on trial at Dundee United at the beginning of last season.

Having gone into the break a goal down due to James Grady's opener on half-time, and subsequently been pegged back by a Jim McIntyre volley, David Clarkson and second-half substitute Alex Burns also got on the scoresheet in a riotous second half, but it was McDonald's double strike that really undid United.

"I was only at United for about five or six days," said McDonald afterwards. "The club went on a pre-season tour to Austria and they wanted me to come back after that. But I couldn't afford to sit around for a week so I went down south and signed for Wimbledon. You never know what would have happened there but the way things are going at the moment I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Both teams went into the game on the back of four-game undefeated runs, but it says something for the poverty of much of the first half yesterday that McIntyre replacing his shorts after just seven minutes of the game was an undoubted highlight.

With both sides as bad as each other, and with the Fir Park pitch as immaculately manicured as one of the greens at Oakland Hills, the only mitigation available was the gathering wind. The closest we had come to a goal was when McDonald blazed over from the edge of the box, and an opening when David Clarkson curled wide with McDonald in space out to the right.

Derek McInnes had returned to captain the United line-up - after resolving a dispute over performance bonuses - in place of Billy Dodds in a more regular 4-4-2 shape, but United were so punchless it must have been a blessed relief to be gifted a goal by their hosts moments before first-half injury time ran out.

A routine long pass eluded Stephen Craigan, and although Steven Hammell was next in line to clear, his studs got caught in the turf. Grady, lurking typically on his shoulder making a nuisance of himself, retrieved the ball first to steer it beyond Gordon Marshall.

The rain came down as the second half began and the floodgates opened.

First McIntyre could have provided the visitors with a cushion. Grady burrowed towards the bye-line and scooped over a cross, which presented McIntyre with a free header, only for his deliberate effort to fly a foot above Marshall's top right corner.

United's punishment for their profligacy was both swift and severe. Within five minutes it would be them who were a goal down.

First Hammell fed the superb Phil O'Donnell, and he picked out McDonald, who had found enough glorious isolation near the penalty spot to direct his header back past Bullock.

The wind and momentum were both with Motherwell now, and more neat passing patiently teed up on-loan Celtic midfielder Kevin McBride. The youngster's shot zipped off the turf and forced Bullock to parry, only for Clarkson to mop up the rebound.

Alas, it was all too much for Bullock, who broke his collar bone in going down to the original shot, an injury exacerbated by an earlier collision with Clarkson, and was promptly replaced by debutant Canadian international Lars Hirschfeld. For the record, Scott Leitch was also on the injured list post-match, after pulling a muscle in his back.

United brought on Andy McLaren for McInnes, and almost immediately they were level. Barry Robson's free-kick and Innes's far-post knock down fell perfectly for McIntyre, who swivelled expertly to despatch a crisp volley.

Equality lasted for less than 60 seconds. McDonald took possession on the halfway line and outstripped Innes before clipping a sweet right-foot finish beyond Hirschfeld.

With the hosts rampant, Clarkson and McBride both came close to adding a fourth before late substitute Burns finally got it. Clarkson's clever cross was perfect, and Burns dived to direct his header into Hirschfeld's top corner.

"We do good second halves here," Butcher said afterwards. Unfortunately, his next chance does not arrive for the best part of the month, when Rangers - with or without Alex McLeish - come to Lanarkshire.

Fast Football Fair result? Motherwell fully deserve the points for a vibrant second-half display, and could even argue that the margin of victory did not do their performance justice.

Entertainment value: It is doubtful whether a more desperate first 45 minutes has been spotted in the SPL this season, which makes it all the more remarkable that nobody walked out of Fir Park yesterday feeling short-changed. Five goals in an all-action second half represented a distinctly satisfying return.

Talking point: Motherwell joined the queue of teams ahead of Rangers in the SPL table with an inspired four-goal second half performance which pushed them up to third in the table.

Man of the match: Scott McDonald. The livewire Australian striker was being pushed all the way by Phil O'Donnell, but his lively display punished Ian McCall's decision not to offer him a contract after a trial period at Tannadice last season. His two goals yesterday - one a classic poacher's header, then a fine run and finish - took the club's top scorer's season tally to five.

Terry Butcher: "Going in at half time 1-0 down we felt that was an injustice. We came back last week against Dunfermline and now we are third in the league. I think I will retire now."

Ian McCall: "It was just poor defending. I don't want to single out any of my players."

Copyright 2004 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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