Tweed

BT Sport

I watched the whole game on Sunday and as impressive as Dundee United were in an attacking sense, they were totally hopeless at the back and only good goalkeeping stopped it being at least 4-4. Whereas we are becoming hard to break down but struggling to score. Intriguing game and I have a feeling it could end up 1-1.

Actually thought we handled the last 20 minutes a lot better yesterday, it wasn't until the last five we were really under the cosh. Though I would grant you part of the reason for that was our opponent were tepid. I thought we may have brought on Ainsworth to give us a runner to stretch them a bit more. We need to do better with our chances though, if we have a 2 goal lead a lot of the nervousness could go.

Hollis somehow seemed an awful lot more assured and confident today. He grabbed a few crosses and snuffed out a chance as well. Don't think St Mirren tested him enough for him to be a serious contender for man of the match though. Carswell, Lasley, Francis-Angol were our best three in my opinion and I'd just give it to Lasley today. Also thought Hammell had a super game considering he was on the wrong side.

Suppose he was worried about a bombscare, which would have been a good description of his first half performance!

We were competent (as in we made very few mistakes) and had a bit of cutting edge but not anything special. They had no cutting edge and made mistakes. Think shite is harsh but we weren't anything special and we were deserved winners.

Like driving at 90mph on a motorway, whether you agree with the rule or not, the minute you let a smoke bomb off you are inviting yourself to get into trouble. Thing that seemed strange was they seemed relaxed about the first couple but then seemed to get a bit more stroppy about it until they then kettled the far section in at the end of the game. Sure someone who was in that area will fill in the blanks later. On the game I thought we did all right defensively, thought it was a bit strange they focused all their attacking intentions down their right flank at Francis-Angol rather than Hammell was on his weaker side. Ridiculous bookings for Hutchinson for a perfect tackle and Goodwin for his hand being at the bottom of his arm and then the non-penalty. I'm sorry but if I can see from the back of the stand it is two yards outside the box there is no excuse for our supposed best referee not seeing it. Lennon said in his interview that he thought his team's heads went down from that point for a few minutes and I think he was right. We then scored after they failed to mark Sutton after some decent play. Thought our play when we had the ball was excellent at times today and the move with Anier and Vigurs was excellent and a couple of other high quality passages of play too. Think our positioning could still be better when we don't have the ball. Second half we had a couple of chances to seal it and our failure to do so left us hanging on for grim life in injury time. Bad enough wanting the Motherwell three points but I had as on a treble with Arsenal and Hibs so knew there was money resting on us hanging on. How to make three minutes felt like half an hour. Good win - three clean sheets already, it took us months and months to do that last season - Inverness in February I think!

He did stay until the bitter end, a 0-0 draw at Tannadice was his last game. I remember someone telling me they picked their seat at Tannadice so they could abuse him. Can't mind who it was though.

He was on the phone to everyone to shame Everton into making a big bid up front. Inspired.

If he's a Motherwell player, he'll no doubt choke.

Don't know if you heard Shiels, Craigan and Warnock talking before the match, but both Craigan and Warnock seemed to suggest it was normal that players who are in the 2nd half of their career and miss a bit of preseason take a few weeks to get up to speed. They both been in the game long enough I'll believe them, and very probably the fortnight he has without a game will be just what he needs. Also hopeful he has some envious glances to the Scotland games and it may give him a wee gee up.

Didn't realise how good Hollis's saves were when at the ground, but he certainly ensured we got the 3 points at the death. But our midfield engine was outstanding today. Lasley and Carswell were immense and definitely between those two but just went for Lasley.

Having just watched the first half back after taping it, Ramsden was a lucky lucky boy after his tackle in the 5th minute. At least a yellow if not a straight red and the referee, who was totally inept throughout., failed to even give Killie a foul. First fifteen minutes were reasonably equal and then we exchanged goals. Poor all round from us for the goal. At the time I was blaming Hutch but now I blame both centre halves and the goalie. The two centre halves got in each other's road meaning Barr was unmarked, it then deflected off one of them and Hollis had half come for it and if he had just stayed on the line he could potentially have clawed it away (additionally it was never a foul!). Our goal came from a lovely ball from Lasley, who was outstanding today. For ten minutes after we equalised I thought Kilmarnock had more of the game and Nicholson showed the class player he was pulling all the strings but as we neared half time we upped it and the pace and intensity of our play got more and more and we just about deserved our half time lead. Second half thought we did all right and Samson's save was excellent from Sutton. Ramsden should have had a penalty for the push on him and that should undoubtedly have been punished by a red card for the Kilmarnock defender. We didn't quite have the sustained squeaky bum time we had last week until Ramsden's second yellow which seemed like a gross injustice at the time but having now seen the first tackle that went unpunished we cannot complain much. Shame we'll miss him at Paisley as he was excellent today.

Likewise Motherwell! Can see this going any which way but I think it will be tight.

Team could have a very different dynamic if we start Ainsworth though I'm not convinced it will be Francis-Angol dropping out. I could easily see it being one of the front two, probably Anier, and move McFadden up a bit and have Angol and Ainsworth supporting him whilst we on the ball and playing a 4-4-1-1 when we don't. Interesting dilemma for us. Kilmarnock have their dangers, of that there is no doubt and we haven't beaten them at home for a while so we should no there is no guarantee of anything and to be honest they are going to click at some point but our defence should be good enough to ensure we don't concede that many and no matter how good the top two are they need supply and if that aint coming one of them won't drop back because he is a big lazy article. Think if the new boy injects the pace we'll have too much for them and will win 3-1. If he is useless, doesn't play and we play the same eleven as last week we'll be tighter and it could be another 1-0 scrape home. But certainly confident we'll win.

Liverpool v Man United in England being case in point. One of the big boys going out early.

We should win every one of these but each of them are fraught with danger.

Seeded Teams Celtic Motherwell St Johnstone Inverness Dundee Utd (if they beat Dumbarton) Hibernian Aberdeen Hearts Unseeded Teams Dundee Partick Th Falkirk Hamilton Accies Morton QoS Stranraer Livingston

Hearts now a seeded team in the next round if they get through. Should they fail St Mirren get the last seeded place and also another place could open up should Aberdeen blow it. Could end up that there is no top flight team available for us.

So Ross County lost so that brings Kilmarnock who came 9th into the seeding but they are losing too. That would bring in Hearts to the seeded group if it stays the same.

I have no problem at all with Thistle playing on, in fact I think it should be encouraged to leave these decisions to the referee. However, players won't because referees are to inconsistent in deciding when to stop the game. That wasn't a head knock so he was entitled to play on, however in my opinion if a player is down in the penalty box or just outside it the referee should stop the game as it does not take much of a situation for the ball to ricochet to where the stricken player is. Was disappointing Higginbotham reacted though I imagine he was keen to put on a show yesterday as he probably felt he didn't get a fair crack of the whip at Motherwell, something I entirely agree with although when we signed him there was no prospect of us getting McFadden.

100% agree with this assessment, whilst accepting the argument that the game had started to turn before he went off his ability to be the engine would have made it easier to see it out. Definitely the best in claret and amber for me today.

The good - 1) 2nd half of the 1st half we played with a bit of swagger and were beginning to look like we were going to purr. 2) Created some good chances 2nd half. 3) McFadden until the final shot is beginning to look like the player we know he can be, though his finishing could certainly be better. The bad - 1) The finishing was poor. Sutton, Lasley and McFadden should all have sealed the deal with us. 2) Far too deep after Carswell went off. The ugly - The rubbish spouted by Mitch above. McFadden's best game for ages and suddenly he is a past it Brian McClair. Motherwell fans never fail to astound me!

The wee prick who gave us a penalty against Celtic last time we had him?

To be fair the draw in DIngwall was turgid shite, a bit like Easter Road. St Johnstone we were awful against until they idiotically lost a man when 1-0 and a man up and we somehow managed to nick a draw having no energy and then we beat Kilmarnock who were really toiling. Don't think there has been much difference in performances to be honest.