From the outset and throughout the majority of the game Aberdeen were in complete control. Hayes had an early drive at the Motherwell defence, running straight through the centre of two Well players of left and then firing the ball across goal. The Motherwell keeper got a hand to the ball but the deflection just wouldn't fall kindly to Flood who was ready to hammer home. The visitors were struggling to get out of their own half and Aberdeen secured possession once again through a slack Motherwell ball. Flood picked up and played wide to Hayes who went on a nother run and eventually crossed the ball into the box. The cross seemed to hang in the wind as the ball flew over everybodies heads and smacked the junction of the woodwork. A real scare for Motherwell. Stuart McCall's side had to win to finish second but they were not showing any intention of taking the game to the Dons.
Niall McGinn had a long range shot but it was comfortably saved by Nielson after it took a deflection, taking the sting out of the ball. The first have was rather devoid of chances as the visitors were making it extremely tough for Aberdeen to break them down, considering at some points they had 11 men behind the ball. The half ended goalless, but a draw was enough for Aberdeen Motherwell would have to change their second half approach.
That though did not happen and they continued to sit back and look to hit Aberdeen on the counter attack. An early first half free kick for the Dons looked to have broken the deadlock but Reynolds could only watch his header drift inches wide. The most clear chance of the game came to McGinn who was one on one with the Motherwell keeper after beating the offside trap. However the Northern Irishmnan delayed in taking the shot and allowed Hutchinson to get back and make an excellent sliding tackle to take the ball off McGinn's toes. He should have done much better.
The first of the contentious, well no they were blatant mistakes from the officials was flagging Pawlett to be offside when he went in one on one with the keeper and rounded him. Replays show that the Aberdeen winger was 3 or 4 yards onside and what makes it worse was the linesman was standing right beside it. How could he have got it wrong?? A shocking decision. The game was coming into the dying minutes now and the most horrific refereeing decision of the year was yet to come. A free kick was awarded mid way inside Motherwell's half yet Lasley somehow managed to take it just before the half way line. I do think there are four officials at the match who can make decisions, not one of them corrected the position of the free kick. Anyway the ball was lumped forward into the Aberdeen box and Langfield looked to come and take the ball in mid air. However he was upended (assaulted) by Sutton who barged him to the floor. Much to the disbelief of everyone in the ground the referee waved play on. Simply a stunning decision for all the wrong reasons this referee would be the talking point of the match. An opened goal beckoned the Motherwell players to tap home and they did securing victory, all three points and second place. Ludicrous. Cries of "cheat" to the referee rightfully sounded across Pittodrie as the full time whistle went.
FT: Aberdeen 0-1 Motherwell
Aberdeen
- 01 Langfield
- 29 Logan
- 11 Hayes
- 08 Flood
- 04 Anderson Booked
- 06 Reynolds
- 10 McGinn
- 22 Jack
- 09 Vernon
- 16 Pawlett
- 15 Robson
Substitutes
- 07 Zola
- 14 Smith
- 20 Weaver
- 24 McManus
- 28 Tate
- 35 Murray
- 36 Rose
Motherwell
- 01 Hollis
- 02 Reid
- 03 Hammell
- 14 Lasley
- 05 Hutchinson
- 06 McManus (McFadden - 76' )
- 25 Ainsworth (Anier - 18' )
- 11 Vigurs Booked (Leitch - 72' )
- 09 Sutton
- 20 Kerr
- 17 Francis-Angol
Substitutes
- 07 McFadden
- 12 Nielsen
- 19 Erwin
- 23 Murray
- 24 Anier
- 26 Leitch
- 34 Cadden
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