for fifty years with a thrilling extra-time victory
over Hearts at Easter Road tonight – a last gasp
winner from Marc Fitzpatrick deciding a cup-tie that
seemed all set for penalty kicks.
The Fir Park club will now face either Rangers or
Dundee United in the Hampden Final – ironically their
last appearance at the ultimate stage of this
competition was when tonight’s two clubs clashed in
the 1954-55 Final, the Edinburgh side emerging
triumphant 4-2.
However ‘Well will have to compete in that final
without the services of Steven Hammell, Stephen
Craigan and Richard Foran who all received yellow
cards tonight and consequently will be sitting in the
stand at Mount Florida due to their indiscipline.
Hearts have not won the League Cup since defeating
Kilmarnock 1-0 at Hampden in Season 1962-63 – and must
now wait yet longer, whilst Motherwell’s solitary
success in this competition was as far back as 1950-51
when Hibernian were overcome 3-0.
Both sides fielded one ex-Ranger, Steven Pressley for
Hearts and Gordon Marshall for Motherwell. Paul
Hartley, the subject of so much transfer speculation
during the January window, was in the Gorgie side’s
starting line-up.
The Tynecastle side were first to threaten, Dennis
Wyness testing Marshall with a shot that the
goalkeeper turned wide in eight minutes.
Three minutes later Hammell was first to receive a
yellow card when he was booked for a foul on Salius
Mikoliunas.
Motherwell took the lead on 18 minutes – Craigan
heading home a Hammell free-kick.
Hartley was twice denied on the half-hour – firstly
when he fired over after Dennis Wyness’ shot was
charged down, then immediately thereafter when
Marshall blocked his shot from a Jamie McAllister
pass.
It was end-to-end action as the interval approached –
firstly Hammell saw his 22-yard free-kick touched over
by Craig Gordon, then from the resultant Hammell
corner Scott McDonald’s volley flashed across the face
of goal, whilst at the other end a Wyness flick was
cleared off the line by Martyn Corrigan.
Hearts pressed furiously in search of an equaliser
upon resumption, a direct consequence of which was
three Motherwell yellow cards for Kevin McBride, Phil
O’Donnell and Craigan whose foul on Mikoliunas will
prove so costly.
Hartley was a constant threat to the Lanarkshire men –
his cross in 55 minutes being inches away from the
inrushing Lee Miller, then two minutes later his
25-yard free-kick was turned wide by Marshall.
Marshall again kept his side ahead with a one-handed
save from Joe Hamill’s twenty-yard left-foot drive in
72 minutes.
Four minutes later however Motherwell seemed to have
clinched their Hampden appearance when Foran netted
from the penalty spot after McAllister had fouled
McDonald.
The tie was far from over however – substitute Mark
Burchill reducing the deficit in 85 minutes when he
stabbed home a free-kick from fellow sub Stephen
Simmons,
Two minutes later David Clarkson should have clinched
victory for ‘Well when he scooped the ball over from a
McDonald cross – but he almost made amends in 89
minutes when his curling effort from the edge of the
box was inches wide.
Those misses proved crucial for in the dying seconds
another substitute Halmar Thorarinsson rifled home a
Hartley cutback to take the game into extra-time.
Motherwell’s indiscipline proved costly yet again in
extra-time when Foran’s yellow card for a foul on
Mikoliunas would suspend him for the final.
With penalties looming, ‘Well booked their place at
Hampden in 119 minutes when 18-year-old Marc
Fitzpatrick netted from a McDonald pass.
HEARTS Gordon; Neilson, McAllister; Pressley,
McFarlane (Simmons 59), Webster; Wyness (Burchill 59),
Mikoliunus, Miller, Hartley, Hamill (Thorarinsson 74)
UNUSED SUBS Berra, Moilanen
MOTHERWELL Marshall; Corrigan, Hammell; McBride
(Clarkson 74), Craigan, Partridge; McDonald, Leitch,
Foran (Quinn 112), O’Donnell, Paterson (Fitzpatrick
74)
UNUSED SUBS Fagan, Corr
REFEREE Dougie McDonald