Motherwell scored three times in the second half to retain their Premiership status and condemn Rangers to another campaign in the Championship – but the game was spoiled by a nasty fight at the end, resulting in three red cards
5.11pm BST
Before I go … there have been three red cards at the end! Moshni, Erwin and Kerr have all been shown reds. Amazing scenes. Entirely unacceptable of course but, I guess, it shows how much they care. “I’m drained but so pleased for everyone at the club,” Baraclough says. “It’s been a tough, tough season for us.”
Anyway, Motherwell’s players are back on the pitch with their kids to celebrate. A slightly brighter note to end on.
5.06pm BST
The Motherwell players are expected to come out to celebrate the retention of their top flight status now things have calmed down, which is a good time for me to bid farewell. Congratulations to Ian Baraclough and his team, commiserations to Stuart McCall and Rangers. Thanks for reading. Bye!
5.04pm BST
Steven McManus, talking to BT, says: “Emotions were running high. It was important we tried to be professional, kept cool. We deserved it over the two legs.”
Stephen Pearson: “We’re disappointed with what happened at the end. I think Moshni has kicked and then punched Lee Erwin. I’m sure it will be picked up on TV and the right action will be taken.
5.02pm BST
There are police horses on the pitch to direct the Motherwell fans into their seats now. Just watching a replay of the incident again and it appears Erwin went to shake his hand, Moshni refused to and kicked and punched him instead. There was certainly blood coming from Erwin’s mouth. A disappointing end to it all.
4.57pm BST
Oh! Unfortunately, it has all kicked off at the end. Bilel Mohsni has just thrown a nasty punch at Erwin after the Motherwell player shoved him following an exchange of words. Mohsni is led down the tunnel by a Rangers official, while Erwin leaves the pitch apparently bloodied after taking a boot to the rear end and what looks to be a punch to the face. Now there’s a pitch invasion and a lot of Motherwell fans are off goading the Rangers support.
4.54pm BST
That’s the final act!
4.53pm BST
90 min + 2: Erwin zooms down the left, cuts in and is taken down by Wallace. Sutton steps up to take and calmly side foots it to Bell’s left after the keeper committed early to diving right.
4.51pm BST
90 min: There will be two minutes added on. And the home support are back to twisting and shouting.
4.51pm BST
89 min: Into the final minute. Murdoch has a long-range punt well saved by Bell.
4.46pm BST
85 min: Rangers have thrown in the towel now. Vuckic drives into the box and under pressure from Laing goes down too easily and the ball runs out of play for a goal-kick. There are 9,220 inside Fir Park – the highest attendance at the ground this season but far from sold out having restricted Rangers’ allocation.
4.44pm BST
83 min: Final change for the home side – Ramsden replaces the influential Johnson, who hobbles off clutching his lower back.
4.42pm BST
81 min: Foster booked for a frustrated kick at Johnson.
4.40pm BST
79 min: Good save by Bell to deny Sutton. Erwin drives forward and passes to Johnson who gives it back to the Motherwell striker. He works it to the substitute Sutton after his initial attempt is blocked and Bell saves his low strike.
4.38pm BST
77 min: Ainsworth is replaced by Sutton and when play restarts yet another long ball forward from Rangers is overhit and ends up going out for a corner.
4.36pm BST
76 min: The game has, as you would expect, lost its intensity now. Motherwell fans going for ‘let’s go fucking mental’ at the moment. Prefer Twist and Shout, personally.
4.34pm BST
73 min: Pearson, who had that hamstring injury before kick-off, is off to a standing ovation. Grant replaces him for the final celebratory minutes. Rangers fans are heading for the exit.
4.30pm BST
70 min: Rangers committed too many forward, allowing Johnson to race down the right flank under little pressure. He cuts in, sees Ainsworth free to his right. The winger steadies and finds the net via another Zaliukas deflection. Au revoir!
4.27pm BST
66 min: Erwin breaks but is denied advancing into a goalscoring position by Zaliukas. Then Rangers immediately go on the attack, where Vuckic shoots from 25 yards and Long saves.
4.25pm BST
64 min: Vuckic crosses from the right and Clarke is on hand for what should be a tap-in from six yards out but he fresh airs it. Sometimes it’s just not your day.
4.23pm BST
63 min: Rare second half chance from Rangers as McCulloch acrobatically sends a Vuckic corner over the bar.
4.21pm BST
60 min: McCulloch is taken down by Erwin. But Ainsworth’s free-kick is overhit and the crestfallen Bell collects.
4.19pm BST
59 min: Clarke replaces Boyd for Rangers’ second change. Their inability to convert their early dominance into a goal has proven costly.
4.18pm BST
58 min: Back on the pitch, Rangers continue to send it long and each time it’s cleared up by Motherwell’s dominant defence.
4.17pm BST
57 min: Fir Park, with the exception of the 1,500 Rangers fans behind one goal, is currently bouncing to this. And it’s quite the sight.
4.15pm BST
55 min: Walsh is on for Ferguson but unless he can inspire three goals in the remaining 35 minutes, Rangers will be staying in the Scottish Championship next season.
4.13pm BST
52 min: Johnson dribbles past three Rangers defenders and shoots from 25 yards. It’s heavily deflected by Zaliukas and as the ball loops into the air, Bell gets his feet all mixed up and somehow punches it into his own net. Oh dear.
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4.11pm BST
50 min: McDonald goes into the book for a mist-timed tackle on Vuckic deep inside the Rangers half.
4.10pm BST
49 min: Lots of long balls! Foster collects a long punt from Hammell but is robbed by Johnson near the end-line only for the defender to recover and concede a corner which is cleared.
4.07pm BST
47 min: Foster leaves a pass to Bell short and Erwin is close to getting in and intercepting. A lucky escape.
4.05pm BST
46 min: McDonald and Pearson restart. And the sun is out!
3.51pm BST
Pay no notice to the possession wheel on the left of this screen – sometimes it refuses to work. Rangers actually had 64% of the ball in the opening period.
3.49pm BST
Low on quality but the hosts will be more than pleased in a half where they had the better chances but not too much of the ball.
3.48pm BST
45 min +2: Vuckic crosses from the left to Boyd, who heads wide.
3.47pm BST
44 min: Motherwell win another corner but it’s cleared as far as Lasley who hooks it back into Bell’s hands. Two minutes to be added on.
3.45pm BST
42 min: Rangers back on the attack. Boyd passes to Miller between the legs of Hammell but the former’s strike is deflected for a corner. Ferguson’s delivery is headed across his own goal by Lasley. Zaliukas is first to it but he cannot find the target and puts his head in his hands.
3.43pm BST
40 min: Now McCulloch, who spent six years at Motherwell, is booked for his part in a 50/50 with McDonald. Having viewed the replay, that looked harsh. When play restarts the ball falls to Johnson on the edge of the area, fed by McDonald, but he is unable to find the target with a low, left-footed curler.
3.40pm BST
38 min: Vuckic elegantly works his way into a shooting position but is taken down by McManus. It should be a free-kick – even if the contact was slight – but the Rangers player is instead booked for diving.
3.38pm BST
35 min: Motherwell enjoying their best spell now as the heavens open. Johnson sends in a free-kick from the left, McManus evades Zaliukas, but he cannot direct his header on target.
3.36pm BST
34 min: Oh dear, one Motherwell fan has made an absolute fool of himself here. The ball goes out for a throw-in, McCulloch comes over to collect it and the supporter swings a flag into the defender’s face as he picks the ball up.
3.35pm BST
33 min: Off the ball Zaliukas has appeared to elbow Pearson but the referee has not seen it. If he did, he would have been sent off.
3.33pm BST
32 min: Motherwell’s first chance! They break through Ainsworth on the right and he sends a low cross to McDonald but Foster is on hand to put it out for a corner.
3.33pm BST
31 min: No matter, Rangers continue to pick up the second ball and when it’s sent back into the box, via some non-descript scrappiness, McCulloch fouls McManus and Motherwell have a free out.
3.31pm BST
30 min: It is taken by Ferguson but is too deep.
3.31pm BST
29 min: Ferguson wins a throw-in near the corner flag off Law. Wallace throws long again but it’s half-cleared. Rangers’ Law steals the ball back on the right and wins a corner from Lasley.
3.29pm BST
27 min: It is indeed a better delivery – and lands near the penalty spot where Zaliukas is on hand to clear. But then, as the hosts recover possession, Murdoch is booked for a late challenge on Hammell on Motherwell’s left flank. He is booked for his troubles but the delivery from Ainsworth fails to threaten.
3.27pm BST
26 min: Motherwell do have a second corner. Irwin battles well down the right, has no chance of putting a cross in but smartly wins the corner off Wallace, who was marking him tightly. Let’s see if this delivery is improved …
3.26pm BST
25 min: Rangers have had little under 65% possession but have only registered two shots on target. Motherwell are yet to have an attempt – on or off target.
3.24pm BST
22 min: Miller cuts in after collecting possession on the left, he shimmies into space but cannot find the advancing Foster on his right. Goal-kick but the pressure continues to build.
3.22pm BST
21 min: Foster after a good spell of build-up play crosses from the right but Boyd is unable to get on the end of it.
3.20pm BST
19 min: Pearson has taken Wallace out of it in a 50/50 near halfway, planting his studs on the Rangers defender’s ankle. Free-kick is given but no card.
3.19pm BST
18 min: Miller is penalised for dragging Hammell’s shirt near the corner flag, much to the delight of the home support again. The visitors continuing to dominate possession though.
3.17pm BST
16 min: Each misplaced pass from Rangers is cheered loudly by the raucous Motherwell support. Foster, aiming to go long, has just hooked a ball out of play.
3.15pm BST
14 min: Lasley goes in late on Ferguson. Law swings the free-kick in from the left, Zaliukas connects. Long turns his effort over the bar for a corner. It’s taken by Ferguson, who sends it deep, where Laing is on hand to put it out for another corner. That one is headed wide by Boyd.
3.13pm BST
11 min: They do have a corner though! Law drives a cross in from the right and it comes off Zaliukas’s chest at point blank range. He’s winded. Johnson comes across to take the corner but it’s overhit by several yards and rolls out on the opposite side of the pitch.
3.12pm BST
10 min: Motherwell are deliberately sitting back here, letting Rangers have the ball. I don’t think they have managed more than four consecutive passes yet. Although Law almost manages that with a long ball forward towards Ainsworth by Zaliukas comes across to intercept.
3.10pm BST
8 min: Vuckic delivers a deep free-kick in. Long is out to claim but then hooks his kick-out into touch. Sloppy but it appears to be quite windy at Fir Park.
3.08pm BST
7 min: Another long ball forward by Rangers is mistimed by Laing, who heads it backwards. Boyd takes possession but mishits his own attempt and it flies wide. Should have done better.
3.08pm BST
5 min: Motherwell do not really need to force it too much and are sitting back quite a bit but they should not allow Rangers to build this much pressure. Wallace flings a long throw in, it’s flicked on by Ferguson. That causes havoc but no blue shirt is on hand to add the final touch and Hammell hooks clear three yards from his own goal.
3.04pm BST
3 min: This is a good start from Rangers. Ferguson fizzes in a cross from the left, Boyd rises at the back stick but his header is well saved by Long.
3.03pm BST
1 min: Laing fouls Boyd 30 yards from goal after 15 seconds but a convoluted routine ends with Lasley blocking a Boyd shot for a throw-in.
3.02pm BST
1 min: Here we go! Boyd and Miller get us underway, playing from right to left as we watch it.
2.59pm BST
Here come the teams.
2.51pm BST
McCall speaks! “We know we need to score a couple at least. We’ve got to be careful, it’s not all guns blazing at the beginning but we have goalscorers on the park. I believe we can win the game but if we can win it enough, we’ll see.”
2.40pm BST
Baraclough said Pearson will start! “Pleased we can name the same starting XI as the first leg,” he said. “We can’t sit back … they’ll throw everything at us. We have got to be ready for every eventuality.” He also said he expects an early onslaught from the visitors.
2.39pm BST
Stephen Pearson has been named in the Motherwell starting XI but has complained about his hamstring in the warm up and had gone down the tunnel for treatment. Gordon Strachan, speaking to BT, says he should not play because “his biggest asset is running”.
2.14pm BST
Motherwell: Long, Hammell, McManus, Ainsworth, Lasley, Law, Erwin, Johnson, Laing, Pearson, McDonald. Subs: Twardzik, Ramsden, Sutton, Kerr, Moore, Watt, Grant.
Rangers: Bell; Foster, McCulloch, Zaliukas, Wallace; Law, Vuckic, Murdoch, Ferguson; Boyd, Miller. Subs: Simonsen, Smith, Mohsni, Clark, Crawford, Shiels, Walsh.
2.00pm BST
And you thought football was finished for the season! Welcome to coverage of this afternoon’s Scottish Premiership play-off final second leg (bit of a mouthful, right?).
Motherwell lead 3-1 after Thursday’s first leg in Ibrox and it will take something special from Stuart McCall’s side to leave Fir Park with promotion in their grasp. They were outsmarted for much of that game and could not deal with the pace of Motherwell on the counterattack.
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