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Trivia
- Marc Rieper was signed from West Ham on 12/9/97 for £1.5million. He was given a 4 year contract to July 2001. This was his debut game.
- Craig Burley’s first Premier Division goals.
- Tosh McKinlay and Malky MacKay were dropped to make way for Stubbs and Rieper and O'Donnell dropped to the bench with the return of Wieghorst from international duty.
Review
Family Club Motherwell at their hacking best. Two goals from Burley and a cracking header from Simon Donnelly to seal all the points.
Teams
Motherwell (4-4-2): Woods; May, Martin, Denham, McMillan; Weir, Valakari (McCulloch, 45mins), Falconer, Ross (Shivute, 85); Coyne, Coyle.
Non Used Sub: Christie
Scorers: Coyne (3), Coyne (58)
Celtic (4-4-2): Gould; Boyd, Rieper, Stubbs, Mahe; Thom (McNamara, 74), Wieghorst, Burley, Blinker; Larsson, Donnelly.
Non Used Subs: Hannah, O'Donnell
Scorers: Burley (56) Burley (75) Donnelly (81)
Yellow cards: May, McMillan, Martin, Denham, Valakari (Motherwell); Wieghorst, Larsson, Burley (Celtic).
Red card: Denham (62, Motherwell).
Referee: M McCurry (Glasgow).
Attendance: 11,550.
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Motherwell | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 5 | 3 |
| Red Cards | 1 | 0 |
| Fouls | 22 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 10 |
| Corners | 1 | 8 |
| Offside | 7 | 6 |
Stubbs atones for his sins
Scotland on Sunday 14/09/1997
Motherwell 2 Celtic 3
IT'S a funny old business of sinning and redemption, this game of football. Almost as curious as that oddity, Alan Stubbs. Here the Englishman was able, with a single pass, to atone for a whole spectrum of aberrations.
This was least of the twists in a raw-nerved and controversial game which Celtic won at the death after so long threatening to beat themselves.
Stubbs' intervention was to lay on the ball with which Craig Burley advanced into the area and scored high past Stevie Woods with some style to level at 2-2. Earlier, the centre-back had sold a brace of goals to Tommy Coyne and had almost flogged off several others besides.
What followed, however, was a glorious climax for Celtic. Simon Donnelly arched his body back and somehow headed in a winner from a whippy Jackie McNamara cross. The young striker, too, had had plenty to make up for.
If Celtic – and particularly Stubbs – defend anything like they did yesterday against Liverpool on Tuesday, world class red shirts like Steve McManaman and Karlheinz Reidle will have a feast.
If Celtic finish anything like Donnelly and his cohorts did, they themselves against a less pliant side will suffer a famine. Really, those attackers-against-defenders games at the Celtic training ground must make some viewing.
Given the pride and resilience Alex McLeish has put back into Motherwell, the manager can probably feel a bit aggrieved, although Celtic were relentless and ultimately a bit too good. On field your sympathies lay with two players, Coyne, whose stealth and wit remain of shining quality despite old age, and Henrik Larsson, a quick and intelligent provider with no one to accept his gifts.
Maybe a thought also should have gone to Celtic's new signing Marc Rieper, who did reasonably well. His eyes popped at some of the tackles here. Not so much "welcome to hell" as welcome to 'Well.
Motherwell wore their new fluorescent lime away kit yesterday, and it looks exactly like Borussia Dortmund's. In these Bosman-dominated days, a new set of strips might well have been all the Fir Park men could have hoped to have received from the German's after they nipped and took out-of-contract Paul Lambert off their hands for free last year.
However, Motherwell were hardly called upon to play like the European champions in order to secure their early lead, the goal coming wrapped and with a gift tag from Stubbs.
Of all the challenges Rieper faces at Celtic, playing alongside Stubbs may well be the biggest. The oft-voiced theory that the Englishman would show his true worth as soon as he had a decent partner looked dubious. Stubbs still appears to be a riddle wrapped inside an enigma, boxed up in a donkey.
The centre-back tried to find Regi Blinker from a second-minute free kick with what should have been a straightforward pass but drove it over the Dutchman's head into the stand. Having apologised, he then sent a pass back towards Jonathan Gould without looking. It was short, Coyne snapped on to it and scored through the goalkeeper's legs.
Celtic need – how many times has this been said – a proper striker. Between them Larsson, Blinker, Donnelly and Andreas Thom fashioned some of the most alert and perceptive support play you will see on a Scottish field this season but they each missed opportunities to score. It's more complex than that. As well as the players who are there missing chances, Celtic continue to produce chances while missing someone there to take them.
Larsson, for instance, twice rolled close-range shots across Woods' body and past the far post. A natural goal-bagger, let's say Jorge Cadete for the sake of argument, would have been on hand to despatch them. At least Donnelly did get on the end of a Larrson through ball in the 35th minute but after a deft first touch, lobbed both Woods and the bar with his second.
Motherwell's plan by this point was two-fold. Look for a second with one of their impressive breakaways and look to hospitalise Larsson. Just before half-time, Stevie McMillan had a go at the latter, tackling the Swede with both feet, and the place erupted. Eight Celtic outfielders swarmed the referee and McMillan in a grand old rammy. Rieper looked on dazed and perhaps a little depressed.
Larsson hit the post and Donnelly fluffed in front of an open goal from the rebound before Celtic finally equalised. Inevitably, it involved Larsson -haring down the right to the corner flag and spinning in a cross. Burley went where no forward had gone before him -into poacher's territory – and knocked it in at the near post.
Motherwell came back with both spirit and wisdom, the wisdom being that they looked for their main weapon, Stubbs, on their next attack. Ian Ross flung a cross to the back post which the Englishman let drift. Coyne, the old fox, peeled off and nodded his side back ahead.
Then came a pointless sending off when Greig Denham received his second yellow card for a small bit of bickering with Larsson after the Swede had tumbled in the box. This turned the game for Celtic, along with Stubbs' absolving moment.
- Manager Interview
Wim Jansen, post match:
“That was very exciting even though we were behind twice we were creating numerous chances in front of goal.
“The players showd their character though and you could see their confidence when running for each other and they all gave 100 per cent.
“It was important for them to keep playing with quality ball circulating and we had to keep Motherwell running.
“So they never gave up and kept going right to the end which was very pleasing.
“And I was satisfied with Marc Rieper’s debut, especially as he went straight into the team with no training.”