Oh Dear again! Another bad game at Fir Park. Brannan injured and dressing room rumbles about bonus money did nothing to cheer the 'Well fans before the start of the second home game of the season. But things will improve - honest!
The poor start to the season continues. One point from a possible twelve is poor. As with last Saturday's game we had by far the majority of the play but failed take even one point from a Dunfermline team which defended in numbers and got the winning goal on the break.
The bad news started before the kick off with the news that Ged Brannan had pulled hamstring at training and is likely to be out for a couple of weeks. New signing Scott Leitch took his place in front of the back four (Hammell Strong Oueifa Corrigan) but failed to direct the play with the same authority as the missing Brannan.
We started brightly and looked confident. There was lots of pretty passing but no goal opportunities. The only real chance in the first half came from a corner in front of the South stand. Strong rose above the defence and crashed a header against the bar. The rebound fell to Harvey whose net bound shot was stopped on the line. Half time came as a relief to both sides and Billy made his first change. Off went Twaddle and on came Townsley.
We continued to have most of the ball but around ten minutes into the second half against the run of play we managed to lose the same goal that we lost on Saturday. Bizarre. A cross was floated to Goram's right hand post, he followed, and David Moss sent a looping header over the stranded goalie and it landed in the net. The similarity to Saturday's goal at Tannadice was uncanny.
For the next half hour Dunfermline played with eleven defenders. We missed the spark needed to break them down. Spencer raced on to a long ball from Goram and found himself in the box with just the goalie to beat. He fell - too easily in the ref's opinion - and was correctly booked.
Despite much huffing and puffing we never looked like equalising. Goodman and Adams replaced McCulloch and McMillan for the last half hour - to no effect.
The Dunfermline support celebrated their steal and the 'Well players trooped back to the dressing room. The fans left the ground wondering where, when and how we will get or first win of the season. Maybe it will be at Kilmarnock on Saturday ;-)
Team: Goram, Corrigan, Oueifo, Strong, Hammell, Twaddle (Townsley), Harvey, Leitch, McMillan (Adams), Spencer, McCulloch (Goodman)
Motherwell 0 Dunfermline 1
Attendance 5,257
16 August 2000