Dundee Utd 1-1 Motherwell

McDonald was on target for Motherwell at Tannadice

Dundee United and Motherwell shared the spoils in a dismal encounter at a frozen Tannadice.

Jim McIntyre, who hit the crossbar in the first-half, opened the scoring on 68 minutes - heading in a tantalising cross from David Fernandez.

However, Motherwell hit back just two minutes later when Scott McDonald was allowed to head in from close range.

Dundee United skipper Paul Ritchie was sent off in the final minutes after picking up a second yellow card.

The lacklustre performance will have done little to ease the pressure on United manager Gordon Chisholm.

But visiting boss Terry Butcher couldn't have seen much to please him either.

The boredom was lifted briefly on 17 minutes when Motherwell defender Brian McLean saw his header from a corner cleared off the goal-line by Barry Robson.

A full 15 minutes then passed without incident before McIntyre rose highest in the box to win Fernandez's clipped corner, but his header from 12 yards dropped on to the crossbar.

Five minutes before the interval Fernandez rolled a low cross right across the face of an unguarded net but there were no attackers on hand to knock the ball into the empty goal.

The second half was an improvement on the first 45 minutes but it took a while to warm up.

United finally put a passing move together and, when Lee Miller fed the ball to Fernandez, his delivery was headed into the net from six yards out by McIntyre.

Motherwell responded immediately and, when Brian Kerr touched a free-kick to Martyn Corrigan, he clipped an effort over Derek Stillie and struck the top of his right-hand post.

Barely a minute after striking the woodwork, the Steelmen grabbed an equaliser.

Kerr's deep free-kick was headed on by McLean and found its way to Richie Foran who was lurking on the by-line, just at the edge of the six yard box.

The midfielder lofted a ball right across the face of the United goal and McDonald headed the ball over the line from barely a yard out.

Ten minutes from time, Robson sent a curving effort from 25 yards narrowly over.

In the 89th minute, Ritchie, who had been booked for a first half challenge on Alan McCormack, received his marching orders after clashing with David Clarkson.

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Dundee Utd: Stillie, McCracken, Ritchie, Archibald, Wilson, Kerr, McIntyre, Robson, Samuel, Miller, Fernandez (Duff 90). Subs Not Used: Samson, McInnes, Kenneth, Robertson, Cameron, Goodwillie. Sent Off: Ritchie (90).

Booked: Ritchie, Robson. Goal: McIntyre 68.

Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Corrigan, McLean, Craigan, Paul Quinn, McCormack, Fagan, Kerr, Foran, Hamilton, Scott McDonald (Clarkson 84). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Steve McDonald, Fitzpatrick, Connolly, Coakley, Darren Lee Smith.

Booked: McCormack. Goal: Scott McDonald 71.

Att: 6,305

Ref: M McCurry