Motherwell 2
Ross County 0
League (Premiership)


Motherwell 

2 - 0

Ross County


League (Premiership)
Saturday, August 19th, 2017
Fir Park, Motherwell. Att. 3,911
3:00 PM Kick-off


Goalscorers
Richard Tait (53)
Louis Moult (pen 74)
None.

Team Managers
Stephen Robinson Jim McIntyre

Starting Eleven
Russell Griffiths
Richard Tait
Ben Heneghan
Charles Dunne
Cedric Kipre
Gael Bigirimana
Chris Cadden
Andy Rose
Craig Tanner
Louis Moult
Alex Fisher
Scott Fox .1
Jason Naismith .3
Kenny Van der Weg .28
Marcus Fraser .2
Andrew Davies .15
Tim Chow .8
Michael Gardyne .7
Jim O Brien .25
Jamie Lindsay .18
Alex Schalk .10
Craig Curran .11

Bench
Ryan Bowman
Ellis Plummer
Allan Campbell
George Newell
Jack McMillan
Ross MacLean
Peter Morrison
Aaron McCarey .31
Sean Kelly .6
Ross Draper .17
Christopher Routis .4
Ryan Dow .9
Thomas Mikkelsen .19
Billy Mckay .22

Substitutions
Ryan Bowman for Craig Tanner (45)
Allan Campbell for Alex Fisher (45)
Christopher Routis for Jim O Brien (15)
Billy Mckay for Alex Schalk (66)
Sean Kelly for Andrew Davies (67)

Cautions
Ben Heneghan (3)
Andy Rose (27)
Tim Chow (16)
Marcus Fraser (45)

Red Cards
None. Kenny Van der Weg (73)

Match Officials

Alan Muir (Referee)



Match Report


Source unknown.

Motherwell pounced on Ross County's second-half errors to register their first Premiership points of the season.

Richard Tait steered home after poor play from County captain Andrew Davies.

Motherwell's second came from the penalty spot as Louis Moult picked himself up to convert following Kenny van der Weg's foul, for which the Dutchman was sent off.

The Dingwall side will be frustrated as they dominated the first half without making their possession count.

Well boss Stephen Robinson's frustration at the three red cards his team received last weekend was well documented, and there were only three minutes on the clock here when stand-in captain Ben Heneghan was shown a yellow for taking out Craig Curran.

Andy Rose and County's Tim Chow would join him in referee Alan Muir's book later in a first half that the visitors edged in terms of possession and chances.

At times the Dingwall men's passing was crisp and clever, despite losing Jim O'Brien early to injury. His replacement - Chris Routis - tested Russell Griffiths with an overhead kick but the Motherwell goalkeeper was perfectly placed to catch it with ease.

Michael Gardyne had County's other best chance of the opening 45 minutes, the Dundonian running on to Jason Naismith's low cut-back from the right and sending a shot towards the corner of the home side's net. Yet again, though, former Everton youth goalkeeper Griffiths was well placed to push it round the post.

Ross County played three at the back, with deep-lying midfielder Jamie Lindsay - on loan from Celtic - looking competent when he had to drop back and help out his defenders.

Motherwell's creative players such as Chris Cadden and Craig Tanner were largely stifled in the first half. The exception was when Moult released Cadden down the right and his teasing cross was nearly headed in by Alex Fisher.

The same theme of County dominance seemed to be developing after the break until the visitors hit the self-destruct button.

Davies took a fresh air kick at a relatively routine low delivery from Cadden that then rolled into the path of Tait, who turned in his second goal of the season from 12 yards.

The Staggies went on to lose two defenders through injury and a red card. Davies limped off with what looked like a hamstring strain before Van der Weg's foul prevented Moult from latching on to a through ball.

Referee Muir flashed the red card at the Dutchman and Moult buried the penalty in the bottom right corner - his third of the campaign.



Squad Statistics (as at August 19th, 2017)


2017/18 All Time
Age
Scott Fox (GK)30 7 - 78 -
Jason Naismith23 8 - 24 -
Andrew Davies32 8 - 805
Marcus Fraser23 81952
Kenny Van der Weg26 4 - 42 -
Tim Chow23 7 - 392
Jamie Lindsay21 8181
Jim O Brien29 5 - 232
Michael Gardyne31 8132664
Alex Schalk25 827819
Craig Curran27 758524
Sean Kelly (sub)23 7 - 7 -
Christopher Routis (sub)27 81426
Billy Mckay (sub)28 1 - 1 -






League Table (as at August 19th, 2017)


No league table has been added for this season.