Zimbabwean rising star Tawanda Maswanhise was on the scoresheet yesterday as his team Motherwell drew 1-1 with Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
Maswanhise’s goal proved crucial in earning a point for his side in a tightly contested match.
Fresh from the international break, the Steelmen made several changes to the side that lined up against Kilmarnock a fortnight ago.
Regan Charles-Cook made his first start since joining the club in the summer, with Stephen Welsh making his debut following his loan move from Celtic.
Johnny Koutroumbis returned to the starting 11 following his short spell on the sidelines.
Elijah Just made the bench following his international travels over the last two weeks, with Motherwell Academy Graduate Rocco McColm named on the bench for the first time.
In wet conditions, the first ten minutes was played with largely any clear-cut chances. The first half chance for the Steelmen arrived from a set piece, when Emmanuel Longelo delivered deep to the back post area for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, who headed back across goal, but nobody in claret and amber was there to convert.
The next chance arrived shortly after on nine minutes. Elliot Watt switched the play eloquently to Longelo, who worked the ball to Ibrahim Said, but the Nigerian fired high and wide.
Longelo was involved again after 15 minutes, winning the ball back on the edge of the Dundee penalty area.
Stamatelopoulos fizzed a pass across to Tawanda Maswanhise, but his effort travelled over the bar.
On 22 minutes, Koutroumbis found himself in behind the Dundee backline; he got to the byline and found Maswanhise, but his shot was blocked before it reached the target.
With Motherwell continuing to push for the opener, Longelo produced a wonderful bit of skill to beat his man in the wide area; he clipped the ball to Maswanhise whose header was caught by keeper Jon McCracken.
That was a warning sign. On 33 minutes, Maswanhise went one better. Picking up the ball 25 yards out, he drove into the box, beat his man and drilled into the net to open the scoring. 0-1.
Motherwell came close to a second eight minutes later. A lightning quick counter attack from Said earned Longelo a crack on the volley, but it was blocked.
Another chance came and went for Longelo in first-half stoppage time. A move that started from Motherwell’s own penalty box, the ball was worked through just about every player in the team, before Said found space in the heart of the pitch. Charles-Cook fed Longelo on the overlap, but the effort found the side netting only.
Looking to start the second-half in the same fashion, Motherwell took to the field with no changes to the lineup. But Dundee levelled the game on 48 minutes through Luke Graham, who finished past Ward to bring his side back into the game.
The setback didn’t derail Motherwell’s approach and on 52 minutes, Watt slid Said through and he got on the end of the ball, but Clark Robertson recovered to take the ball.
On 55 minutes, Dundee should have been ahead. Half-time substitute Cameron Congreve teed up Simon Murray, who only had to tap home from eight yards, but the striker dragged the effort wide to the surprise of everyone in the stadium.
Shortly after, Jens Berthel Askou made his first changes, introducing Stephen O’Donnell and Elijah Just to the action. Charles-Cook came off having emptied his tank, with Johnny Koutroumbis also taken off.
The changes seemed to have an instant impact; a ball up the line found Maswanhise who just about kept the ball in play. Stamatelopoulos couldn’t make a clean connection for what would have been a guaranteed goal, but instead the Aussie crashed into the post and required immediate attention on the pitch.
As a result, he had to be withdrawn with Esapa Osong introduced.
And it was the substitute who almost found the visitor’s second of the afternoon on 64 minutes. O’Donnell’s clever cross fell to the feet of Said; he squared to Osong but the striker couldn’t quite get the ball out from under his feet to get a clean strike on goal.
He tried to back-heel goalwards, but it was blocked before Lukas Fadinger saw his follow-up effort saved by the keeper.
Fadinger had another go on 69 minutes from distance, as the space opened up in front of the Austrian, he drove forward and struck from 30 yards, but McCraken was equal to the effort.
Maswanhise had a golden chance to net his second. Substitute Just turned his man and slipped the ball through to Maswanhise, he went through one-on-one with McCraken, but the keeper saved his finish.
Oscar Priestman and Kofi Balmer were brought on with just over ten minutes to play, in place of Ibrahim Said and Stephen Welsh.
With the game hanging in the balance, the match entered the final stages with both sides searching for the winner.
The pendulum swung in the Steelmen’s favour on 85 minutes, when Dhanda was sent off for a tackle on Fadinger however the away side couldn’t capitalise and left Dundee with a solitary point.
Motherwell Team: Ward, Koutroumbis (57′), Gordon, Welsh (80′), Longelo, Watt, Fadinger, Said (80′), Charles-Cook (57′), Stamatelopoulos (60′), Maswanhise.
Motherwell Subs: Oxborough, O’Donnell (57′), Balmer (80′), Priestman (80′), Halliday, Ross, Just (57′), McColm, Osong (60′).
Motherwell website