League Cup finalists St Johnstone are back on the trophy trail after this
stirring victory at Fir Park.
Goals from Darren Dods and sub Miguel Simao in the space of nine minutes in
the second half took the Perth side into the Tennents Scottish Cup semi-finals.
Motherwell were forced to re-organise after just three minutes when defender
Michel Doesburg was injured.
Saints looked the more polished performers and outside of the Old Firm are
proving the team to beat.
Doesburg was stretchered off in some distress with the game in its infancy. He
fell awkwardly after an apparently harmless aerial tussle with Philip Scott.
Doesburg lay motionless on the ground and physio John Porteous quickly
motioned to the medics. The player was then gently lifted onto the stretcher and
carried to the dressing room.
Saints made a positive start and almost took the lead after 16 minutes after
Nathan Lowndes and Roddy Grant had linked up.
Grant thumped in a 12-yard shot, but 'keeper Andy Goram got down quickly at
the post to gather the ball safely. The former Scotland number one was pressed
into action 12 minutes later when he again thwarted Grant by parrying his
close-range effort.
Motherwell were struggling to find their rhythm but almost made the
breakthrough on the half hour. Ian Ross delivered a good cross from the left,
and Derek Adams made space in the box only to send his header into the crowd.
Motherwell fans reacted angrily after John Spencer was booked for a challenge
on John McQuillan, and a plastic bottle was thrown onto the pitch near the
Saints player.
The home side were inches away from taking the lead eight minutes from the
break, but Ross's shot finished on the roof of the net.
But it was Saints who looked the more dangerous when they broke forward, and
Grant was working like a Trojan.
He was again out of luck in the 52nd minute when he powered in a header only
for Shaun Teale to clear off the line.
Motherwell were being forced to back-pedal and had another scare three minutes
later when Dods headed narrowly past from Gary Bollan's corner.
Saints continued to keep up the pressure, and Alan Kernaghan picked out Scott
with a good cross, but his header was weak.
Motherwell were relying on breakaways, and Adams was wasteful in the 70th
minute lifting his close range shot into the crowd from Spencer's cross.
It proved to be a crucial miss with Saints taking the lead just a minute
later. Bollan's corners had been causing Motherwell problems, and this one was
no exception.
Dods, big and powerful, was left unmarked at the far post and nudged a header
beyond Goram. Sub Miguel Simao added a second with 10 minutes to go to put
Saints just 90 minutes from Hampden.
He reacted quicker than Goram when Grant's effort rebounded up in the air off
Shaun Teale and steered the ball into the net.
Motherwell lacked a cutting edge which makes yesterday's decision to off-load
striker Owen Coyle to Dunfermline all the more extraordinary.
Teams:
Motherwell: Goram, Doesburg (May 3), Teale, McGowan, Valakari,
Brannan, Spencer, McMillan, McCulloch, Adams, Ross (Nevin 65).
Subs Not Used: Craigen.
Booked: Spencer.
St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Dods, Kernaghan, Bollan, Griffin (O'Halloran 53), Kane, Dasovic, Scott,
Lowndes (Simao 45), Grant (McBride 85).
Booked: Bollan, Lowndes, Grant.
Goals: Dods 71, Simao 80.
Att: 7,660
Ref: M McCurry (Glasgow).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook