The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast

In the soap opera world of football, a cup quarter-final replay is relished as a fixture sure to generate drama and provide an enthralling spectacle. But in Scotland, poor football and economic problems have resulted in falling attendances, which in turn has created apathy towards the country’s premier cup competition. Would a tasty midweek clash between Motherwell and Dundee United buck the trend? Craig Fowler was at Fir Park to find out…

When the more moderately supported teams come to visit Fir Park, Motherwell only open the top of the two-tier South Stand. With just over five minutes left before kick-off, it appeared this lower section would remain bare once again. After the pulse and thunder of the first match, there was a lot of intrigue as to whether the replay would match that level of entertainment. It would therefore be a shame for such an occasion to be scarred with a vast area of emptiness. Then the invasion started.

For short period stewards held back the fans, presumably looking for a confirmation that they were allowed to enter the previously bare section. Once the stewards moved, the tangerine coloured crowd swarmed in, engulfing the previously empty seats of the lower tier. People continued to flow through the doors and kept coming until four-fifths of the tier was occupied. A few that had their view obstructed walked down a few rows to confirm that the entire away stand was indeed almost full.

It was an impressive sight and perhaps a little intimidating to the home support. Nobody really expected that many United followers to turn up, but here they were, and in good voice. Motherwell have not been in good form of late and few would have forgiven the fans for fearing the worst; their opponents would surely be geared up by such a vocal following. But they would not back down.

The home contingent roared back at the intruders, with the club’s most vocal following (over in the far corner of the East Stand) leading the charge. That section soon unfurled their own rally cry in the form of 11 posters, each with the shirt number and name of the eleven players that won Motherwell the Scottish Cup in 1991 – it was Dundee United they defeated in that final. In front of these shirts read a white banner: “Time For New Heroes.”

In five minutes, the player’s entrance went from probable respectful applause to a thunderous support. United’s end were the most audible prior to the kick-off, which was to be expected; these fans made the journey not out of the comfortable repetition of seeing a home match, but a burning desire to follow their side through a victorious march into the semi-final. The Scottish Cup was their trophy and they were hell-bent on holding onto it. Not to mention the alcohol that quashed their inhibitions and fuelled their vocal chords.

To shut them up, the Motherwell fans would need some assistance from their heroes on the pitch. Six minutes in, that’s exactly what they got. A long ball forward bounced up kindly for John Sutton to flick-on. It had seemed so innocuous, but immediately everyone saw the danger; Dundee United right-back Keith Watson must have become intoxicated by the surroundings as he inexplicably disappeared from his right back position. Taking advantage was Jamie Murphy, running in-behind and onto Sutton’s header before drilling a low shot past Pernis and into the far corner.

The home support rejoiced in their early lead. Not least those in the corner of the East Stand who became one large, bouncing, jubilant mass that spilled down the stairs and over the rows in front of them.

Credit goes to the United fans who remained loyal and patient for as long as their side’s hope of advancing would allow them to do so. As the half wore on, they defied the scoreline and continued to sing and encourage their players. But the players weren’t responding. Motherwell had dominated proceedings with composed, slick passing play intertwined with constant movement from the attackers. The home side were not only capable of winning this game; they had the desire to do so as well. United had not started and that didn’t look like changing anytime soon. Their play was flat and directionless and they were being outfought in every aspect of play. On 35 minutes, a tough task became near impossible.

Steven Hammell sent in a cross from the left that looked to have curled away from John Sutton. Showing the fight and desire his opponents lacked, the striker twisted his body backwards and managed to get his head to the ball, sending it into the air. Once again, the stadium held its collective breath. Sutton’s contact had taken the pace out of the ball, but it was slowly spinning in the direction of the onrushing Chris Humphrey. It seemed like an age before it met the foot of Humphrey as everyone hoped, dreaded and prayed for their desired outcome. For his supporters, Humphrey would not disappoint. The winger lashed the ball past Pernis and into the roof of the net as Fir Park exploded with noise around him.

Less than twenty minutes into the second half, Motherwell completed their voyage into the semi-finals. Francis Jeffers turned away from his marker and fired the ball into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area. The roar was one of triumph this time. Even the most hardened sceptic would have admitted that, with the way the sides had been playing, there was no way back for Dundee United.

Mournfully, the United fans agreed, but there would be no mass exodus from the stadium. Some gave up and left as soon as the third goal went in but the majority stayed; silently praying for a miracle to get them back in the match and remain in the cup.

Slowly, those fans gave up on blind hope and left, leaving the Motherwell fans to proclaim victory by belting out their array of songs. “Motherwell, Motherwell, Moth-er-well…” reverberated around the stands. The away end had turned into a sparse collection of bodies dotted about different areas. United had come and invaded Fir Park, but the home team had conquered.

Craig Fowler is a freelance journalist and co-presenter on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast. You can also follow him on Twitter @craigfowler86 for some top quality nonsense/football patter. Follow The Terrace on Twitter @terracepodcast or join the FaceBook group to also have your say.