Motherwell 3 - 2 St Johnstone: Henrik Ojamaa’s double clinches ‘Well win

By MARTIN HANNAN
Published on Saturday 28 January 2012 18:09

FOR some weeks now there has been a buzz around Fir Park about a young Estonian who needed two trials before manager Stuart McCall signed him until the end of the season.

McCall had blooded the youngster into the first XI gradually, giving him appearances as substitute which indicated that here was a potential star player. Yesterday, with Michael Higdon suspended for his rude gesture, Henrik Ojamaa got his chance to show what he could do for 90 minutes – boy, did he take it and then some.

Ojamaa’s brilliant all-round performance marked by two special goals put Motherwell on the way to victory against a doughty St Johnstone. The visitors fought all the way and were “mightily unlucky,” according to manager Steve Lomas, who revealed that he had “one or two” possible incomers – no names, no pack drill – in the remaining days of the transfer window.

McCall confirmed after the match that he had already spoken to Ojamaa’s agent about a longer-term deal.

“The only thing that was missing when he was here on trial was goals,” said McCall. “Now he has hit a purple patch and you can’t say he can’t finish now. He’s going to get all the plaudits, and rightly so.”

A little vignette in the second half demonstrated Ojamaa’s footballing intelligence. Motherwell broke forward and the ball went through to Omar Daley, but the Estonian had taken up a supporting position wider on the left, ready to pounce if the ball broke loose. Nothing came of it, but the signs are there that this lad knows his football onions.

He wants to hang around: “I am very happy here and it would be great to get stability by staying here at Motherwell, to settle down and make progress. I’ve only been here two minutes so it’s a bit early to talk about my long term ambitions.”

Motherwell started brightly and went on to have much the better of an entertaining first half. Jamie Murphy let fly as early as the 68th second of the match, and his shot was only just wide of Peter Enckelman’s right post. The home side were pressing forward though not looking all that dangerous, with St Johnstone content to hit on the break. Their first attempt after ten minutes was by captain Jody Morris, but it went well wide – he would improve his accuracy later.

Marcus Haber’s 13th-minute header over the bar was just about his sole contribution to the match, and he was later the first to be substituted. Darren Randolph also made his save from a Francisco Sandaza free kick look easier than it was.

Motherwell were still in charge, though, and it was surely only a matter of time before they found a way through a stuffy St Johnstone defence.

It was Nicky Law who picked the lock after 22 minutes, sending Ojamaa through to the edge of the penalty area from where the 20-year-old coolly dispatched the ball low past Enckelman.

Manager Lomas changed the St Johnstone tactics visibly towards the end of the first half, and was rewarded with attacking play. Liam Craig hit the bar with a stunning free kick before Saints gained a sumptuous equaliser when Morris struck a thumping volley from 20 yards past Randolph.

“You catch them well sometimes and they end up going in,” said Morris modestly.

The second half was a mirror image of the first with St Johnstone doing most of the pressing and Motherwell tending to hit on the break. Randolph denied Craig, Murray Davidson and Sandaza in succession before Ojamaa put Motherwell ahead again.

Tom Hateley’s pass picked him out on the right and the striker cut inside on to his left and smacked the ball low across goal into the far corner.

It was a cracking goal, one that a certain other Henrik who used to ply his trade in Scotland would have been proud of.

Keith Lasley looked to have wrapped up the points with a shot that deflected off Morris and looped over Enckelman. Yet St Johnstone kept fighting and when Murray Davidson was down in the six yard box, Sandaza blasted home the penalty.

It was too late, however, and for now Motherwell are secure in third spot and surely must secure Ojamaa for longer if they want to stay there.

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