Scottish Premier League
Motherwell 2-0 St Mirren
Attendamce: 3,261
An early kick off due to live television coverage. This must be a "contractual obligation" match as even though it is 6th v 8th in the league table, both teams are struggling this season and it wasn't going to be a TV classic! In fact the Steelmen recently sacked manager Jim Gannon and replaced him with ex-Scotland boss Craig Brown until the end of the season. Well had only won 4 home games this season, whilst The Buddies have lost 8 of their 10 away games this season so it was a tough game to call. One thing for sure it wasn't going to be pretty!!
That is exactly how it proved to be. It was, quite frankly, dreadful. The playing surface didn't help matters and the pitch was cutting up quite badly. Motherwell were always in control of this game and St Mirren offered very little as an attacking force. The only highlight of the first half was Motherwell hitting the crossbar when John Sutton fired a volley in from 20 yards after 19 minutes. Their cause wasn't helped when (on loan from Everton) top scorer Lucas Jutkiewicz was stretchered off with a thigh injury that needed 12 stitches.
Motherwell scored two goals in the second half when Jutkiewicz's replacement Jamie Murphy fired home after 56 minutes, when Sutton headed down a free-kick into his path, and it was Sutton himself who wrapped up the points after 76 minutes with a neat turn and finish after a Keith Lasley pass. This allowed the majority of the 3,261 in attendance to breathe easy.
Fir Park is a mish-mash of stands, but an interesting ground to visit nontheless. If you look at the picture Main Stand you will notice that it does not run the length of the pitch but the framework does. According to Simon Inglis in his superb book "The Football Grounds Of Great Britain" this was because the club originally intended, in 1962, to build a full length stand but due to a dispute with an owner of a house in the corner of that ground, a dispute which the club lost, it was never completed as planned.
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| The Phil O'Donnell (Main) Stand |
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| The Wheatfield Stand |
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| The South Stand (away end) |
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| The Davie Cooper Stand |
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| The disputed corner!! |
After the "excitement" at Fir Park, it was then a quick dart up the Carlisle Road to.............
3pm Saturday 23rd January 2010
Scottish Football League Division One
Airdrie United 0-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Attendance: 839
This time last season there was a Division between these sides as Inverness were battling for survival in the SPL, whilst Airdrie were fighting for promotion from the 2nd Division. Both teams subsequently lost their respective battles, but due to the problems of Livingston, Airdrie were eventually promoted to Division 1, once they'd assembled a side for an assault on Division 2. This season has been a struggle and the Diamonds are rooted firmly to the foot of the table. Inverness were expected to be challenging for the title and an automatic return, but they too have struggled, but they still find themselves in the hunt for a play-off spot, however being 15 points behind Dundee (at start of play) the title may be beyond them.
This game is what the bookies would class as an "away banker" an that tag was justified as Inverness took control of the first half. The only shock of the was that it took Inverness so long to score, a penalty from Adam Rooney on 42m, after creating the best chances. The post played a blinder for Airdrie as it saved them on three occasions, denying Richie Foran and Danni sanchez twice. The only decent chance Airdrie had was a header in the box from Diarmuid O'Carroll, which he put over when unmarked.
The second half was more even affair and Airdrie did have their moments, but a lack of composure in the box saw chances for O'Carroll and Scott Gemmill (not the one who played for Everton and Forest) wasted. There was a bit of a "Ronny Rosenthal" moment for Rooney too when he rounded the 'keeper and tried to break the net and blast into the open goal, he did neither as the ball went into (empty) row Z, much to the amusement of the crowd.
The New Broomfield is a pretty bland characterless stadium with very little atmosphere, not helped today by the 839 crowd all in one stand. To end on a postive note though, today was another two grounds "ticked off" in my quest to complete the Scottish Leagues, happy day indeed!!
This time last season there was a Division between these sides as Inverness were battling for survival in the SPL, whilst Airdrie were fighting for promotion from the 2nd Division. Both teams subsequently lost their respective battles, but due to the problems of Livingston, Airdrie were eventually promoted to Division 1, once they'd assembled a side for an assault on Division 2. This season has been a struggle and the Diamonds are rooted firmly to the foot of the table. Inverness were expected to be challenging for the title and an automatic return, but they too have struggled, but they still find themselves in the hunt for a play-off spot, however being 15 points behind Dundee (at start of play) the title may be beyond them.
This game is what the bookies would class as an "away banker" an that tag was justified as Inverness took control of the first half. The only shock of the was that it took Inverness so long to score, a penalty from Adam Rooney on 42m, after creating the best chances. The post played a blinder for Airdrie as it saved them on three occasions, denying Richie Foran and Danni sanchez twice. The only decent chance Airdrie had was a header in the box from Diarmuid O'Carroll, which he put over when unmarked.
The second half was more even affair and Airdrie did have their moments, but a lack of composure in the box saw chances for O'Carroll and Scott Gemmill (not the one who played for Everton and Forest) wasted. There was a bit of a "Ronny Rosenthal" moment for Rooney too when he rounded the 'keeper and tried to break the net and blast into the open goal, he did neither as the ball went into (empty) row Z, much to the amusement of the crowd.
The New Broomfield is a pretty bland characterless stadium with very little atmosphere, not helped today by the 839 crowd all in one stand. To end on a postive note though, today was another two grounds "ticked off" in my quest to complete the Scottish Leagues, happy day indeed!!
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| 42 mins and a penalty to Inverness. Adam Rooney fires home what proved to be the winning goal. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airdrie_United_F.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clydebank_F.C.
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