Motherwell secured a 2-1 win over St Johnstone on Saturday afternoon, as the Steelmen moved joint fourth in table.
After taking a two goal lead through first-half goals from Tawanda Maswanhise and Tom Sparrow Nicky Clark’s penalty sparked St Johnstone into life for the second-half.
Stuart Kettlewell had urged his players to use last week’s disappointing semi-final defeat as a motivation going into this important league fixture.
The ‘Well boss made one change from the Hampden starting eleven, Tom Sparrow replacing the suspended Liam Gordon. That meant a reshuffle in the defence with Steve Seddon forming the back three alongside Kofi Balmer and Dan Casey.
It was 15 minutes before Maswanhise made the first of many mazy runes towards the Saint’s goal followed by Andy Halliday’s left foot curler, which forced the first save of the afternoon from Joshua Rae.
Motherwell eventually opened the scoring after 20 minutes.
Seddon’s lofted ball sent Marvin Kaleta down the right channel. The Wolves loanee switched the ball to his left foot before finding Maswanhise at the back of the six-yard box, who nodded the ball between the keeper and his right-hand post for his third goal in two league games.
After that though, the bulk of the play was towards the visitor’s goal.
Lennon Miller, still wearing the captain’s armband, was at the centre of most moves and his reverse pass sent Ewan Wilson haring down the left. His inviting cross was met by Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, but he could only watch his header palmed away by Rae.
Miller was instrumental in the next move and when the ball found its way to Tom Sparrow at the edge of the box, he arrowed a drive beyond the stretching keeper and inside his right-hand post.
At this point, Saints looked rattled and Maswanhise curled a shot just beyond the same post.
The Fir Park men carved out one more chance to extend their lead before the interval, when the impressive Sparrow fired the ball low across the six-yard box but it flew past the lunging Stamatelopoulos.
Sparrow would however double the Steelmen’s advantage. Maswanhise would nudge the ball to the Englishman, who blazed a driven effort towards goal, which Rae couldn’t keep out. 2-0.
And although Motherwell started the second-half chasing a third goal to kill off the Perth side, Saints were given a lifeline after 56 minutes.
Graham Carey’s shot at the edge of the box cannoned off Halliday’s outstretched arm and after VAR’s intervention, referee Ross Hardie pointed to the penalty spot.
Nicky Clark showed all his experience as he calmly sent Oxborough the wrong way, reducing the advantage.
That forced a double substitution after 67 minutes with Tony Watt and Davor Zdravkovski given the task of lifting the home side. Shortly after that Moses Ebiye replaced the understandably tiring legs of Maswanhise.
Ten minutes from time, Motherwell passed up a great chance to wrap up the points. Kaleta’s mazy run carried him to the byline, before rolling the ball back to Watt but he skied his shot over the bar and set up a nail biting finish.
And just as the four minutes additional time was announced, Saints seemed to have rescued a point when Jack Sanders bundled a corner into the net.
However, on this occasion VAR benefitted the Steelmen, as the goal was rightly ruled out for handball.
With the home side camped in their own half and the Well fans anxiously waiting for the final whistle, another chance for a third goal was passed up.
Harry Paton’s ball sent Miller through on goal and having enticed the keeper from his line his square ball should have been netted by Zdravkovski, who could only find the side netting with the goal begging.
