Calderwood's new men make marks

Despite studiously denying any knowledge of the head butt, Jimmy Calderwood admitted he will be having a word to make sure Wright's enthusiasm is channelled in the appropriate direction from now on. "You can't go about like that in Scottish football," Calderwood said. "We will have a wee whisper in his ear. Whether he changes or not is up to him. It depends how big his bank balance is."

Despite such teething problems, Aberdeen fans had plenty of reason to revel in this result. It was only their second away win of 2008, and coming on the back of last week's home defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle, it was all the sweeter to put their first points on the board against the only non Old Firm club to finished above them last season.

Mulgrew's starring role was worth treasuring, especially after the Scotland Under-21 left back had been on the wrong end of a "rollicking" for a tame first half effort which went straight into the goalkeeper's arms. "He has got everything; it is up to Charlie," Calderwood said. "Left back is a problem position all over the world, and if you have got a left foot like he's got and the height then you've got a chance. But sometimes he is a wee bit too easy for his own good."

Jimmy Calderwood gets stick at times from certain Aberdeen supporters for operating a tactical tombola approach to management, and there might have been a few puzzled expressions when only six substitutes were named and Zander Diamond started at right back yesterday. To begin with, Calderwood had to cope without Jamie Smith, who had taken ill on the morning of the game, leaving him with only 17 fit players at the team hotel. He was soon forced into a reshuffle in any case, as Diamond hirpled off with a muscle strain which may keep him out of next week's meeting with Rangers.

With the teams cancelling each other out, those searching for other ways to entertain themselves early on seemed to include referee Steve Conroy, resplendent in what appeared to be an Aberdeen home strip. There was also brief consternation in the Motherwell ranks when Paul Quinn was forced to leave the field to remove a natty pair of white cycling shorts which he was wearing beneath his kit. And they say referees aren't worth the money these days.

One of two changes in the Motherwell line-up was the introduction of 19-year-old Jamie Murphy, and as it turned out, both of the home side's best first half chances would fall in his direction. On both occasions, however, first when he latched on to Marc Fitzpatrick's pass, then when he got on the end of Hammell's cross, he failed to get enough purchase on his attempted finish and Langfield saved easily.

No longer can a poor match in Lanarkshire be blamed on the Fir Park playing surface. An entirely new pitch has been laid since the debacle involving Gretna, but it was set pieces which finally saw Motherwell exert some pressure. Successive Hammell corners saw first Stephen Hughes direct a header a foot above Langfield's top corner, then Quinn - moving freely sans bicycle shorts - force a fine reaction save from close range.

Aberdeen's only real sight at goal up to this point had been a first-half Gary McDonald run and shot which was easily saved by Smith. But the longer the game went on the more chance they appeared to have of nicking something. Only five minutes remained when Mulgrew stepped up to curl in a free-kick which Graeme Smith might feel he should have kept out of his bottom left hand corner. In the next instant the player was back in his own six yard box, flying into a goal-saving tackle to deny Darren Smith.

Motherwell substitutions: D Smith for Murphy 58, O'Brien for Fitzpatrick 90. Not used: Nielsen, Malcolm, McGarry, Connelly, Wilson

Aberdeen substitutions: Duff for Diamond 20, Wright for Miller 69. Not used: Bossu, De Visscher, Maguire, S Smith. Booked: Foster 32, Kerr 71, Young 75, Wright 90

Referee: S Conroy Att: 5,872