Charlie's the darling Don

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Aug 17, 2008 | by MARKWALKER

MOTHERWELL 1

Mulgrew 86

ABERDEEN 0

CHARLIE MULGREW netted a late free-kick to win the match for the Dons after Well dominated.

The former Wolves fullback curled a peach of a setpiece to help his new side to all three points - something they never managed last season against Motherwell.

But Well should have won and will be cursing keeper Jamie Langfield who made a super save from a Paul Quinn header.

Matchwinner Mulgrew said: "The pressure was on me to hit the target as I hit a poor effort in the first half so I was happy it went in.

"I turned away after I hit it and when I turned around it was in.

I am delighted with the points."

His effort was hailed by Dons gaffer Jimmy Calderwood. He said: "Charlie has got that quality. I gave him a rollicking for his first- half freekick which was poor. He's got a wonderful left foot and it's all there for him if he wants it.

"It was a battling display from us and it had to be because Motherwell are a good team. We lost 14 away games last season and it cost us so it was vital to come here and get the win."

Aberdeen suffered a prematch blow when Jamie Smith took ill before the game and missed out.

New pounds 75,000 signing Tommy Wright could only make the bench, while there were few shocks in the home line-up.

Well started brightly and Jamie Murphy should have done better than tamely shoot straight at Jamie Langfield when Marc Fitzpatrick threaded a decent ball through to him.

Don Darren Mackie had a half chance when the ball broke to him at the edge of the box but he took too long to get his shot away and his effort was blocked by Stephen Craigan.

The Pittodrie side suffered another blow in the 21st minute when Zander Diamond limped off and was replaced by Stuart Duff. Yet the visitors almost took the lead when Mark Kerr picked out Gary McDonald with a super pass and the ex-Oldham and Kilmarnock midfielder saw his shot touched around the post by Graeme Smith.

Jamie Murphy might feel he should have given Motherwell the lead five minutes before the interval when Stephen Hughes' cross from the left landed at his feet but he couldn't get enough power to test Langfield.

A poor Mulgrew free-kick from 25 yards was easy meat for Smith and just about summed up a dreadful first half.

Aberdeen had Langfield to thank at the start of the second half when he made a brilliant reaction save from Quinn.

But the Dons were coming more into the match as the game progressed and Darren Mackie was only thwarted by a tackle from Mark Fitzpatrick.

And the visitors snatched it with five minutes to go when Mulgrew curled a superb 30- yard free-kick into the left hand corner of Graeme Smith's net. Mulgrew then produced a heroic tackle at the death to stop Well sub Darren Smith from equalising.

Mothwerwell manager Mark McGhee said: "When you don't score in a game like that where you are so dominant there is always a danger something like that can happen.

"When they got the free-kick I thought, 'Here we go'." And McGhee, whose side lost 3-2 at Hearts in their opening game, added: "We are disappointed, of course, but not despondent.

"There were things that weren't quite good enough, there are things we can improve on that will make a difference.

And that will come.

"We defended better today but, in their box, around the edge of their box, we didn't look like we would score."

"But these are things we can work on during the week. We did most things right today but sometimes that isn't enough."

But he insisted: "However, we will improve."

STORY OF THE GAME

M'WELL ABERDEEN

55% POSSESSION 45%

3 SHOTS ON TARGET 3

2 SHOTS OFF TARGET 1

3 CORNERS 3

9 FOULS CONCEDED 13

0 OFFSIDES 3

0 YELLOW CARDS 4

0 RED CARDS 0

HOW THEY RATED

MOTHERWELL

G Smith 6, Quinn 7, Craigan 6, Reynolds 6, Hammell 7, Fitzpatrick 5, Hughes 5, Lasley 6, Murphy 6 (Darren Smith, 5), Porter 6, Clarkson 7.

MANAGER McGhee 5

ABERDEEN

Langfield 8, Diamond 5 (Duff 5), Considine 8, SEVERIN 8, Mulgrew 7, Young 5, McDonald 6, Kerr 7, Foster 5, Miller 6 (Wright 5), Mackie 6.

MANAGER Calderwood 7

REFEREE S Conroy 7

MAN OF THE MATCH

SCOTT SEVERIN

His reading of the game was excellent and he was a rock in defence.