1958-01-11: Motherwell 1-3 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19571958 | 1957-58 Pictures

Trivia

  • Donnelly was back fit and came in at right back with Fallon moving across to his accustomed left side with Jim Kennedy missing out; Bobby Collins returned from his aankle injury at outside right with Vince Ryan moving in one and John Colrain missing out.
  • During the previous week John Colrain had been called in feront of the SFA beaks for being sent off in a reserve game. He received a 'censuring' from the Referee Committee and probably lost his place in this game given the line taken by Bob Kelly on Celtic players not only appearing to be but being gentlemen on and off the pitch.
  • Willie Fernie and Billy McPhail were both on the way to recovery from knee ligament strains they suffered in the Partick Thistle game of 21st December.
  • The game kicked off at 2:30 pm to finish in the light. Motherwell's ground had suffered damage in the gales that had hit Scotland that week (and caused 5 ships to run aground in the Clyde) and the floodlights were affected as well as large sections of the stand roof.

Review

Motherwell started in high spirits ansd Celtic had to withstand early pressure. Collins back in the team made a difference to the play and Mochan too iopened up and scored the first goal with a cutback from Byrne. Motherwell equalised from a penalty when a Kerr cross was handled by Fallon and Quinn put the spot kick away with Bobby Evans going in the book for dissent following. Celtic came out for the second half determined on settling the issue. Howebver it took a further twenty minutes to go ahead from a classic Ryan long throw headed on by Wilson and Collins getting on the end to head home. Ten minutes from the end Holton deflected a Byrne cross into his own net.
A fast and end-to-end match saw both Collins and Mochan back to their best.

Bobby Evans' booking for dissent did not quite end their. The Celtic programmes writers took the referee and the linesmen to task in the Aberdeen game programme saying "….in the opinion of most people, the three officials in this game put up a really dreadful performance marked by lack of control and apparent ignorance of the offside rule. The players are to be complimented on concentrating on playing the game in view of the very many puzzling decisions of this referee." Copies of the programme were given to the SFA Referees Committee

Teams

Motherwell:
H Weir; McSeveney, Holton; Aitken, Martins, McCann; Kerr, Quinn, Gardiner, McPhee, A Weir.
Scorers: Quinn (pen, 40)

Celtic:
Beattie; Donnelly, Fallon; Smith, Evans, Peacock; Collins, Ryan, Byrne, Wilson, Mochan.
Scorers: Mochan (25), Collins (65), Holton (og 80)

Referee: A McClintock (Bishopbriggs)
Attendance: 16,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

Motherwell v Celtic, Evening Times Jan 1958