Well mount pressure on United

Derek Adams celebrates his opening goal

Dundee United 0-2 Motherwell

Dundee United's problems at the foot of the table continued as Motherwell put them to the sword at Tannadice.

Derek Adams did the damage with a first-half penalty before sealing the points with a fantastic late goal.

Dundee United should have opened the scoring after just six minutes when Craig Easton's pass found the run of Jim McIntyre, but the striker misread the bounce of the ball, allowing it to run wide.

The home side threatened again three minutes later when Derek McInnes fired a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Despite being under the cosh for much of the opening 20 minutes, Motherwell took the lead when Adams was felled by United keeper Tony Bullock and the striker stepped up to send Bullock the wrong way from the penalty spot.

United were stung by the goal and were unlucky not to capitalise when Gordon Marshall missed an Andy McLaren cross, only for Motherwell to scramble the ball clear.

Easton was then denied the equaliser shortly before half time with a well-directed header, which Adams cleared off the line.

United were handed an excellent opportunity to square the game when they were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time after David Partridge fouled McIntyre inside the area.

But McIntyre's spot kick was weak and easily saved by Marshall.

Motherwell almost snatched a second from a Steven Hammell corner after the break, Stephen Craigan rising above the defence to nod goalwards, but Bullock managed to scramble along his line and save.

At the other end, Marshall had to backtrack to palm Billy Dodds' deflected volley from 18 yards over the bar.

Owen Coyle should have equalised with 12 minutes left when he found himself all alone eight-yards out, but the veteran blasted the ball high over the crossbar.

Bullock produced a wonderful save with six minutes left to keep United in the game. Keith Lasley picked out David Clarkson, but the United goalkeeper managed to block his shot from point blank range.

The result was put beyond any doubt in the final minute when Bullock raced out to challenge Clarkson for the ball, lost it and watched in horror as it fell to Adams, who lobbed the ball over the head of Alan Archibald into the empty net.

Have your say: BBC Scotland Fans Forum

---

Dundee Utd: Bullock, Griffin, Innes, Archibald, Duff, Easton (Dodds 56), Kerr, McInnes, McLaren, Scotland (Coyle 64), McIntyre.

Subs Not Used: Gallacher, McCracken, Wilson.

Booked: McInnes, Innes.

Motherwell: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Partridge, Hammell, Lasley, Adams, Leitch, Pearson, Craig (Dair 29), Clarkson.

Subs Not Used: Corr, Quinn, Fagan, Wright.

Booked: Hammell, Adams.

Att: 6,194

Ref: H Dallas