Tough against ten

Last updated : 10 November 2009 By Firparkcorner
Red card
He's off!
The cheers raised by fans when one of the opposition is shown a red card are based largely on the expectation that a weakened foe should be easy meat. The reality, certainly as far as Motherwell is concerned, is otherwise.

A quick skim though the statistics for last season together with the games played this campaign shows that we recorded a win in only two of the seven clashes against ten men and in the two successes we were already ahead when the red card was flourished.

Why can't we make the advantage pay? Do we take the foot off the gas assuming that the opposition will crumble? Do our opponents gather strength from a feeling of injustice and redouble their workrate? Whatever the answer it looks like a weakness we have to target.




This season -

Draw v Hamilton, Beuzelin off after 30minutes (3-3);
Win V Hearts, Jonsson off after 71 minutes and Forbes scored in 55 minutes;
Draw v Rangers, Bougherra off after 85 minutes (0-0).

Last season -

Win v St Mirren, Miranda off after 71 minutes but we were already 2-1 up;
Draw v Aberdeen , Considine off after 70 minutes but the score was already 1-1;
Loss v Falkirk, Aafjes off after 69, we were 2-0 down then Clarkson converted the penalty, 2-1;
Loss v Hamilton in the CIS Cup, this finished 10v10 as Porter was dismissed after 45 minutes and Mensing left after 111 minutes (1-3 ).

We have consistent losing record when we are a man short. It happened four times last season and we lost every time -

Loss V Hamilton CIS Cup, see above;
Loss v Kilmarnock, Quinn off after 64 minutes, Bryson (89), 0-1;
Loss v Celtic Clarkson off after 58 minutes we were already 0-2 down;
Loss v Aberdeen, Quinn off after 65 minutes , we were already one down and then lost 0-2.