The goalkeeping warm-up started an hour before kick off in atrocious conditions. Smith and crew were accompanied by the manager as they tried to make sense of the fierce swirling wind. To add to their misery the rain lashed them and the whole squad retired to the dressing room before kick off soaked to the skin.
We lined up as last week with four strikers. Malcolm was at centre back with captain Lasley at right back. Despite a fairly even opening ten minutes the home side soon saw the advantage of the wind at their backs and our defence was the busier. Malcolm produced a few good blocks and Smith had difficulty reaching the half way line with his goal kicks.
Within two minutes of the restart we lost a goal to Rooney. The big striker had only to slot the ball beyond Smith when Lasley then Reynolds failed to cut out the ball in midfield.
We responded with Hammell free kick over the top and a couple of corners before McGhee rang the changes. Clarkson and Murphy made way for Darren Smith and O'Brien.
The back four take station
Five minutes later saw us level. A one-two at the right angle of the eighteen yard box between Porter and Sutton allowed the number nine to score in front of the small band of Motherwell fans (Fifty of them deserve a mention for keeping up a constant barrage of sound throughout. Unbelievably the local constabulary choose to remove one of them in the first half.)
We looked the more likely team now and sealed the victory when Malcolm pinged an unstoppable 25 yard free kick into the top left corner. He was buried under celebrating team-mates and the Well choir was given renewed voice.
We probably deserved the win on the back of the second half showing.