The only way is up !

By Paul Marshall
November 2 2002

The only way is up for Terry Butcher's young Motherwell side now after taking up the SPL bottom spot. With us losing away to Partick Thistle and Dundee United snatching a win in the last minute against Jim Jefferies Kilmarnock, we now swap places with the Arabs.

Partridge was missed !

The season had promised so much after a great start crushing Kilmarnock 3 - 0 away and a very good performance to beat Celtic 2 - 1 in September, but now we are in freefall, since that excellent game we've failed to win an SPL match and have only been able to get one point in a home draw with Dundee.


This was Partick Thistle's first home win of the new season ( suprise suprise ).


Goals from Martin Hardie and ex Motherwell striker Alex Burns were enough to dump a poor Motherwell side and see John Lambie's men leapfrog 'Well in the league table and send us bottom.


Motherwell again showed their weakness at defending corners, a Burns corner picked out Hardie in the area and he nodded past a helpless Woods from six yards to clinch his first league goal of the season. We then found ourselves two goals behind after in the 52nd minute after McLean squared the ball to Burns on the 18-yard line and he bulleted Thistle's second goal and his second of the season past a motionless Woods.

The visiting players and fans dismal afternoon continued when Captain Scott Leitch was sent off for a second bookable offence. Top scorer James McFadden returned to the side was again booked for failing to keep his mouth shut, it looks like it might not be long before he's suspended again.




Motherwell Line-up Woods
Cowan
Hammell
Sengewald ( Sengewald )
Corrigan
Pearson
Leitch
Adams
Kinniburgh ( Lasley )
Kemas ( Ferguson )
McFadden