Motherwell 0-1 Aberdeen

Aug 17 2008 Gordon Waddell At Fir Park

JIMMY CALDERWOOD has warned hothead Tommy Wright to cool off - or watch his bank account empty in fines. The big striker made his Dons debut in a gutsy win earned by Charlie Mulgrew's 25-yard free-kick four minutes from time.

But Wright was lucky not to see red after just failing to make contact with an attempted head butt on Well skipper Stephen Craigan - who did him a favour by backing away.

The combative ex-Darlington hitman also nailed Stevie Hammell with a late lunge in injury time to earn a booking.

It was the 32nd yellow of the 23-year-old's career and he has also stacked up four reds.

Wright even managed to pick up a booking in a Dons reserve game in midweek - for another late lunge - and Pittodrie gaffer Caldo now knows he'll have to keep a lid on his new boy.

He said: "Tommy's enthusiasm is something we'll need to have a word about. I certainly thought it was a silly tackle on Hammell.

"You can't go about like that in Scottish football. He was booked and rightly so.

"We'll have a wee whisper in his ear and whether he changes or not is up to him - it depends how big his bank balance is.

"I never saw whether there was contact with Craigan or not.

"Honestly I never saw it. I'm not pulling an Arsene Wenger on you - I'll need to look at the tape."

The incidents still couldn't take the gloss off a crucial victory for the Dons though. It's only their second three points away from Pittodrie in 2008 and Calderwood admitted: "It's a massive win.

"We lost 14 away games last season and it cost us dear but we came and scraped and scratched and dug out a result."

It didn't make it much of a spectacle though. Despite the Fir Park pitch finally being sorted there wasn't a lot of quality on show to do it justice.

Teenager Jamie Murphy had Well's only two efforts before the break but both times he failed to convert decent build-up work with his shots hit far too tamely.

Still, it was one more effort than Dons managed. Gary McDonald provided that brief shaft of light, doing what he was signed for and getting beyond the strikers to meet Mark Kerr's through ball.

Graeme Smith was more than a match for him, though, standing up well to parry the ball wide.

Hope sprung eternal that a good half-time bollocking would spark one or maybe even both of the sides into life.

And for five minutes at least it seemed Mark McGhee had been the more spleen-venting of the two bosses behind closed doors.

Twice Hammell supplied the ammo with corners from the left.

The first was flashed wide by Stephen Hughes, the second bulleted in by Paul Quinn only to be met by a hiccup-quick reaction stop by Langfield.

But those two apart, the delivery into the final third was a nightmare. Both teams have forwards who can do damage yet neither set got a sniff.

Calderwood finally shook things up in the 69th minute when he pitched Wright in and seconds later he could have had them ahead with Smith saving well from his downward header.

But the keeper will be questioning himself and his wall for the one that did slip past him.

Mulgrew's dead ball skills are well known and he struck the 25 yarder well enough but Smith still should have been there to stop it creeping in at his left-hand post.

Scotland Under-21 full back Mulgrew then underlined his worth at the other end as well two minutes later as he made a magnificent last-ditch tackle on Darren Smith just four yards from goal to preserve the points.

REF WATCH

STEVE CONROY was tidy enough for most of the game. Cards came out only when he had to but will be annoyed he and his assistants all missed Aberdeen substitute Tommy Wright's attempted headbutt on Stephen Craigan. Rating: 6/10

MOTHERWELL

Shots on 3

Shots off 2

Fouls 0

Offside 9

Corners 3

Bookings 0

ABERDEEN

Shots on 3

Shots off 1

Fouls 3

Offside 13

Corners 3

Bookings 4