By Paul Marshall
August 9 2003

Motherwell start off the new season where they finished last year - bottom !!! Visitors Dundee continued the good form they showed at the end of last season with a good 3 - 0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park. Motherwell could still have been playing just now and would still have failed to hit the back of the net, even when awarded a soft penalty Toastie Burns blasted it wide.


Gordon Marshall had reclaimed the number 1 jersey from Barry John Corr and McDonald took suspended Derek Adams position in the midfield but the youngster looked out of his depth.


Dundee opened the scoring after 22 minutes when Gordon Marshall spilled a shot at the edge of the box, the Motherwell defence were caught sleeping thinking Marshall had it when Gavin Rae pounced to open the scoring.


Marshall will feel he could also have done more to prevent Dundee's second of the afternoon. A Dundee corner just minutes from half time was headed on by Lee Mair and Wilkie stretched out a leg to divert the ball past Marshall.


Motherwell were then awarded a penalty four minutes after the restart, Jonny Hernandez brought down James McFadden only for Alex Burns to blast wide.





Gaps started to appear in the Motherwell defence with The Steelmen chasing the match and a Dundee counter attack killed the match, Barry Smith rounded off a wonderful display from Dundee by chipping the ball past the advancing Marshall after 84 minutes.




FANS VIEW Chris Bayne

At the back we should be playing young William Kinniburgh rather than Partridge everytime he gets the ball its a punt up the park to no-one. Toastie didn't look interested if he was playing for partick thistle today and they got a penalty he would have scored it no doubt about that.



Motherwell: Marshall, Corrigan, Partridge, Craigan, Hammell, Leitch, McDonald, Pearson, Burns, Craig (McFadden 41), Clarkson.



Dundee: Speroni, Mair, Wilkie, Mackay, Smith, Nemsadze (Carranza 72), Rae (Jablonski 88), Hernandez Santos, Lovell (Caballero 88), Brady, Novo.



Attendance 6,812



Around the country

Rangers got off to a great campaign beating Kilmarnock who had ex Motherwell goalie Francios Dubourdeau on the bench 4 - 0, Dunfermline held Celtic to a 0 - 0 draw, Hibs keep up their great record at Tannadice winning 2 - 1, Hearts beat Steve Paterson's Aberdeen 2 - 0 and Livi and Thistle share the points in a 1 - 1 draw at Almondvale.