First Team
EVERY WORD | JACK WALTON LOOKS AHEAD TO IBROX TEST
21st November 2024
United exit the Premier Sports Cup.
Motherwell 2 (Robinson 45', Miller 90'+1 pen)
Dundee United 1 (Moult 83')
7.45pm Friday 20 September 2024
Fir Park
Premier Sports Cup Quarter Final
Team News
Jim Goodwin made one change as Ross Docherty was back in from the start in place of Kevin Holt.
A Dull Affair
An early effort from Kristijan Trapanovski looked the closest any side would come to breaking the deadlock. Finding space on the left, he let fly with a low effort to the near post which was comfortably dealt with by Aston Oxborough.
United slightly edged what was a lacklustre first half, but Zach Robinson fired the hosts in front on the stroke of half-time. Lennon Miller's drive could only be parried by Jack Walton before the Motherwell number 9 fired high into the net on the rebound.
Rolling the Dice
Pushing for the leveller, Ross Docherty fizzed an effort just wide of Oxborough's right-hand post before we made a double switch on the hour mark.
OFF: van der Sande and Trapanovski
ON: Moult and Dalby
One huge block on the line denied Miller from doubling the hosts' advantage following a penalty box stramash.
Mounting the Charge
Middleton replaced Babunski and was an immediate threat, driving to the byline before clipping a cross for Moult who could only head into the arms of Oxborough.
Dalby should have restored parity after latching onto a Moult pass and racing through on goal, only to be denied his first United goal by the legs of Oxborough.
The pressure eventually paid off as the former Motherwell man pulled a rabbit out of the hat to fire into the top corner following a neat-chested layoff from Dalby.
A Late Suckerpunch
The drama continued as Motherwell were awarded a penalty into stoppage time - Moses Ebiye being scythed down by Luca Stephenson. Miller stepped up and found the corner to end our hopes of progressing.
TEAMLINES
Motherwell
Starting XI: Oxborough, Casey, Gordon, McGinn, Wilson, Halliday, Zdravkovski, O’Donnell, Maswanhise, Robinson, Miller
Subs: Balmer, Ebiye, Hegyi, Kaleta, Seddon, Sparrow, Stamatelopoulos, Wells, Tavares
Dundee United
Starting XI: Walton, Graham, Trapanovski, Babunski, Ferry, Sibbald, Adegboyega, Stephenson, Van der Sande, Docherty (c), Gallagher
Subs: Richards, Holt, Ševelj, Moult, Odada, Middleton, Dalby, Thomson, Meshack
POST-MATCH THOUGHTS
NEXT UP
We travel to face Kilmarnock on league duty next weekend.
