Source: team_talk
Aberdeen v Motherwell reaction
Motherwell boss Stuart McCall refused to criticise his players after seeing them throw away a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw against Aberdeen.
The Steelmen had fought back from being a goal down after six minutes - when Gavin Rae headed the Dons in front - to be leading 3-1 at Pittodrie with less than 10 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Michael Higdon, Shaun Hutchinson and Nicky Law.
However, late strikes from Niall McGinn and Josh Magennis gave Aberdeen a draw and meant that Well had to settle for a one-point lead at the top of the Premier League instead of three.
Nonetheless, McCall refused to be too dispirited with his side, who remain unbeaten this season.
"There's no doom or gloom as we have come up to Pittodrie, scored three goals and drew against a strong Aberdeen side," he said.
"We know what we are aiming for this season and what we are after so we will move on, but we will take a lot of positives from the game.
"I'm really pleased with how we went about our business but I'm disappointed to lose the two late goals in the manner we did.
"We should have run the clock down better. Would we have taken the point before we came up? Possibly but we always come to win games.
"I will analyse the game and will look at what we should have done better defensively, but I was really encouraged with some of the stuff we played going forward."
Aberdeen's hero Magennis had played the majority of the match at right-back but was thrown forward in the closing stages as the Dons pressed for a point.
Dons boss Craig Brown was delighted to see the switch had the desired effect.
"Sometimes you make a lucky change. Magennis has attributes to play anywhere and I thought he was outstanding at right-back," Brown said.
To put him up front was the last throw of the dice and I won't say it was wise. It was lucky. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
"When a substitute scores you feel vindicated that you put him on and it's the same when you make a change and the guy goes up front and scores.
"It was just a bit of good fortune and I'm not trying to say I'm a tactical genius. Sometimes you just get a bit of luck."
However the Aberdeen manager was less than impressed with his side's defending.
"My big complaint today is we lost three goals from set-pieces. That is unforgivable and unacceptable," he added.
"The players in the dressing room know that. This is a team game, but when you have a marking responsibility at a free-kick or a corner and you don't fulfil it properly it is an individual fault.
"You'll never hear me naming names but they will know that certain individuals didn't mark properly and it cost us three goals.
"We hardly lost a goal last season from a set-piece and we hadn't lost a goal at home this season so to lose three was quite unacceptable."
