It wasn’t to be the perfect start for Michael Wimmer’s Motherwell tenure, as Dundee United claimed all three points in a closely fought encounter at Tannadice on Saturday.
Sam Dalby’s first-half header separated a tense opening to the game, with United narrowly edging ahead at the break despite little of note between the sides. Motherwell resurged with a spirited and attacking second-half display, but couldn’t find the desired equaliser.
Wimmer made four changes to his first starting XI, with Johnny Koutroumbis handed his first Motherwell start alongside Ewan Wilson, Dan Casey and Tawanda Maswanhise, who returned to the team sheet.
The Steelmen’s high-intensity press was evident from the opening phase of play. The visitors denied United space and time on the ball, forcing turnovers in opportunistic areas of the pitch, but the clinical edge necessary to break the deadlock continued to evade Wimmer’s side.
Andy Halliday sent a hopeful shot curling well wide of the target from distance, as Luke Armstrong almost capitalised on Dan Casey’s inviting header across the face of goal but couldn’t find a clean connection on the ball.
Former Steelman Allan Campbell impressed in the middle of the park, as the hosts began to build and carve out opportunities on the Motherwell goal.
Their persistence was soon rewarded, as United claimed the opener shortly after the half-hour mark. Ryan Strain evaded the Motherwell backline before clipping a pinpoint delivery across the face of goal, and the Tannadice talisman, Sam Dalby, rose highest before netting a trademark header.
Wimmer’s side sought a quickfire reaction and almost found an instant response from the ever-present Tawanda Maswanhise, who expertly dropped his shoulder before cutting inside the pitch, but his long-range strike fell agonisingly wide of the United goal.
Ruari Paton almost doubled the lead moments later, but Balcombe was on hand to claim a comfortable save from the Dublin-born striker.
Motherwell chased the game as the second half resumed, with the visitors slightly the more dominant side, but in similar circumstances to their first-half display, Motherwell couldn’t capitalise on their pressure towards the United goal.
Chances from Callum Slattery and Maswanhise rattled through numerous Tangerine jerseys, with the Zimbabwean coming close with a curling right-footed effort, with Jack Walton scrambling in the United goal.
Ellery Balcombe was then called into action, who produced arguably his most impressive save in a Motherwell shirt, tremendously clawing Dalby’s header away from the top-right corner. The Brentford loanee then replicated his talents, pushing away a low strike to the goalkeeper’s bottom-left corner.
Motherwell’s attacking threat persisted, with Dan Casey’s curling right-footed strike cleared on the United goalline, as Motherwell inched closer to a deserved equaliser.
Moses Ebiye came agonisingly close moments later, narrowly failing to connect with second-half substitute Luke Plange’s floated delivery across the face of goal. Motherwell threw everything they had at the United backline but were forced to concede their first defeat to Dundee United this season in a closely fought afternoon in the City of Discovery.
Michael Wimmer’s side will swiftly return to action midweek when they face the other half of the city divide, taking on Tony Docherty’s Dundee at Fir Park.
Motherwell: Balcombe, Koutroumbis, O’Donnell, Gordon, Casey, Wilson, Miller, Halliday, Sparrow, Maswanhise, Armstrong.
Motherwell Bench: Ward, Balmer, Zdravkovski, Slattery, Paton, Ebiye, Andrews, Thompson, Plange.