The manager’s reaction
An incident-packed match saw Well defender Stephen McManus open the scoring with a header after 47 minutes before striker Adam Rooney, making his Dons debut, levelled, also with a header. A combination of John Sutton and Zaine Francis-Angol then forced the ball over the line from a Henri Anier cross to put Well ahead again. However, the battling Pittodrie men got the point they deserved in the third minute of five added at the end of the game when skipper Russell Anderson bundled the ball in from close range.
Both managers had differing views on some of the key incidents, however both agreed that Aberdeen deserved something from the game.
Derek McInnes revealed that Ryan Jack had to go to hospital for an x-ray after he was stretchered off. The Manager said it was too early to know the full extent of the injury and weather he will miss the semi-final or not.
He said: “Ryan is back from the hospital, he has had an X-ray and he is in a lot of pain but we will need to see the outcome of that.
“Regardless of how long he is out, I thought it was a poor challenge.
“I know there is a touch on the ball from Hutchinson but for me, there is only someone going to get hurt in that challenge.
“It is reckless at the very least.
“In real time I did wince, I thought it was a straight red and having seen it again, I think you would lean towards a red more than a yellow.
“But all in all, it was a decent point and a decent game.
“We showed good determination to get something from the game. The players deserve huge credit for going the full way. I have said that before about them this season.
“We have had a lot of chances. We have hit the post, the side netting and Motherwell have made some good blocks. It would have been easy for the players to think it was not there day. Again though they have showed that determination to make sure we have come away with something. It was the very least of what we deserved.
“It was a good game. It was good to get the game on and get it played and I thought we put in a good performance. We always carried a threat.
“We maybe should have had the three points but then again we have given two goals away.”
Stuart McCall revealed defender Fraser Kerr, also taken off on a stretcher in the second-half after a challenge with Dons midfielder Barry Robson, had sustained ankle ligament injury.
When asked about the tackle on Ryan Jack, he replied: “I totally disagree about it being a red card.
“It was a robust tackle but Shaun 100 per cent wins the ball, there is no doubt. It is a yellow card in my eyes.
“Now, if he then goes in and collides with his ankle or knee, fair enough, but it is a collision and Ryan has landed awkwardly and hopefully he will not be out too long.”
The Fir Park boss admitted the visitors deserved the point to keep them ahead of the Steelmen in second-place by one point but was disappointed that Anderson’s goal was allowed to stand.
“It is a blatant hand ball,” he said.
“Aberdeen merited a point, no doubt about that. It is hard enough to take when it (equaliser) is in the 93rd/94th minute but when you see it again, Russell scored with his arm.
“It would have been nice if the referee had seen it but he didn’t and we paid the price for that.”
Confusion abounded about Motherwell’s second goal with both Sutton and Francis-Angol claiming it, the latter still confident after the game that he was the scorer.
He said: “I thought I hit it but we will see in the replay.
“I had a chat with John, he said he got the final touch, I thought I did so we didn’t get anywhere.”
“I had a chat with John, he said he got the final touch, I thought I did so we didn’t get anywhere.”
“I had a chat with John, he said he got the final touch, I thought I did so we didn’t get anywhere.”
