what the managers said
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes felt his side were robbed of second place in the Scottish Premiership after Craig Reid’s controversial injury-time winner sealed the runners-up spot for Motherwell.
The Dons had not looked like conceding against a cagey Motherwell side, even after the visitors threw on James McFadden and pushed extra men forward with 14 minutes left.
But Reid scrambled home with seconds left of the minute’s added time after Keith Lasley’s free-kick from just inside his own half sparked chaos in the Dons box.
John Sutton barged Jamie Langfield with his arm as the Dons goalkeeper came out to catch it and the ball bounced off the bar before Reid followed up.
McInnes congratulated Motherwell but blamed referee Steven McLean for a defeat which was worth £240,000 in prize money and an extra two weeks’ break before Europa League duties begin.
The Dons boss said: “There were a couple of mistakes I feel from the officials that led to it. I think he was right to call the foul back, because he had tried to play on. I’ve no complaints about that.
“It may well seem a small thing, but in the context of what happened, it’s a big thing – there was a considerable distance from where the foul was committed and where it was taken.
“And then there is a foul on Jamie Langfield. I’ve seen it several times and Sutton barges into him and doesn’t get any connection on the ball and takes Jamie Langfield out, and they have scored on the back of it. It’s a decision we feel has cost us the game.
“But I need to say congratulations to Motherwell because over the course of the season they have done well. I don’t want to sound as if it’s sour grapes because I have to recognise the effort from them.”
Despite needing a win, Motherwell sat back for much of the game and needed two last-ditch tackles from Shaun Hutchinson on Niall McGinn to keep them in it.
McInnes said: “I thought we were the better team but while it’s still 0-0 they are hoping for a bit of quality to win the game or a mistake. The mistake hasn’t come from my players, and that’s why it’s harder to take.
“Maybe it wasn’t exciting enough. There was a lot built on this game and the game was just played out the exactly the way we expected it. We were very in control and wanted to make sure we got ourselves in front, which makes Motherwell chase it that wee bit earlier. But I never felt we were going to lose a goal. Maybe it wasn’t exciting enough for some.
“Mistakes happen and I was delighted to see who we had refereeing the game, but I feel he has got it badly wrong (on the goal).”
However, Motherwell boss Stuart McCall felt his team deserved their fortune.
Prior to the game, McCall had pointed out several injustices in games against Aberdeen this season, including a disallowed Sutton goal in a League Cup loss and Russell Anderson’s injury-time equaliser at Fir Park in January when he threw himself at Jack Leitch’s clearance on the line.
Speaking about the goal, he said: “I’ll be honest, I’ve only seen it once and not from a good angle, and it’s possibly a free-kick but whatever we’ve got today…
“Sutty’s goal a yard onside in the League Cup would have made a massive difference, the goal Russell Anderson scored in the last kick of the game at Fir Park, when he forearm-smashes it over and takes Leitchy out on the line.
“They say swings and roundabouts, and it evens itself out, and whatever we got here we more than merited it.”
McCall, whose side finished second last season too, added: “I think over the 38 games we have merited it because we have had some dark days this season if you look at the cups, and we have had some doings.
“We got beat 5-1 at Dundee United a couple of weeks ago and everyone wrote us off. We needed to win three games. The resilience and character of the players, and something we’ve not had much this season, a little bit of Lady Luck, has managed to get us over the line.”
“We got beat 5-1 at Dundee United a couple of weeks ago and everyone wrote us off. We needed to win three games. The resilience and character of the players, and something we’ve not had much this season, a little bit of Lady Luck, has managed to get us over the line.”
“We got beat 5-1 at Dundee United a couple of weeks ago and everyone wrote us off. We needed to win three games. The resilience and character of the players, and something we’ve not had much this season, a little bit of Lady Luck, has managed to get us over the line.”
