[DavidMc]

Motherwell 1-0 Kilmarnock
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 9th February 08
Fir Park, Motherwell

David Clarkson headed in an injury-time winner for Motherwell to sink 10-man Kilmarnock at Fir Park.
The home side had squandered a host of chances before the striker bravely nodded home a cross from Simon Lappin.

Ross McCormack slammed a penalty wide on 22 minutes and Alan Combe made good saves to deny Steve McGarry and Steven Hammell as Motherwell pressed.

Killie defender David Lilley picked up his second booking on 70 minutes and the visitors could not hang on.

It was Motherwell's first game in 18 days and their first home league clash of 2008 after a spate of postponements.

And Mark McGhee's side looked rusty in front of goal, with McGarry shooting wide early on.

Kilmarnock's only good chance of the game came when Lilley's header drifted narrowly past the post from Paul Di Giacomo's corner.

The Killie man was then caught out by Clarkson's quick feet and conceded a penalty, which McCormack sent wide.

Well skipper Marc Fitzpatrick latched on to a pass from fellow midfielder Keith Lasley, but Danny Invincibile made a last-ditch tackle and the shot from 10 yards missed the target.

Motherwell continued to attack at pace after the break and McCormack was again inches away from the opener on 54 minutes.

Hammell raced up the left and played in a ball which McCormack intelligently left for Clarkson, who laid it back out to him on the left, only for the striker's diagonal shot to sneak wide of the far upright.

A better chance presented itself on 68 minutes when Hammell played a good ball across the box which landed at the feet of Lasley.

Instead of going for goal he played the ball back to McCormack and the Kilmarnock defenders threw themselves in the way to avert the danger.

Kilmarnock were reduced to 10 men when a Motherwell attack up the left was halted in its tracks by fouls seconds apart on Clarkson and McCormack by James Fowler and Lilley respectively.

Both visiting players were booked and Lilley, cautioned for conceding the earlier penalty, had to take an early bath.

Fitzpatrick bulleted a header past the post from Paul Quinn's cross and the points looked certain to be shared after Hammell's 89th-minute free-kick from 25 yards was clawed away by Alan Combe.

But Motherwell secured all three points two minutes into injury time when substitute Lappin crossed from the left and Clarkson headed home, with Combe a little slow to react.



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Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, McGarry (Darren Smith 87), Lasley (Lappin 82), Hughes, Fitzpatrick, McCormack (Jamie Murphy 87), Clarkson. Subs Not Used: Daniels, Brian McLean, Danny Murphy, Maguire.

Goal: Clarkson 90.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Lilley, Ford, Hay, Bryson (Morgan 87), Corrigan, Hamill, Invincibile, Wales (Locke 84), Di Giacomo (O'Leary 73). Subs Not Used: Harpur, Johnston, Fernandez, Gibson.

Sent Off: Lilley (72).

Booked: Lilley, Fowler.

Att: 6,618