Jim Gannon slams players after Peaso treble

Published on Monday 28 December 2009 09:42

MOTHERWELL manager Jim Gannon claims his players must take responsibility for getting out of their malaise after a 3-1 home defeat by St Johnstone stretched their losing run to four matches.

Well slipped to sixth in the SPL after Peter MacDonald's second-half hat-trick rendered Steve Jennings' first Motherwell goal meaningless.

Jennings headed home a Yassin Moutaouakil cross in the 39th minute after a short period of intense pressure during which the recalled Keith Lasley hit a post from close range.

But Well struggled from the opening seconds of the second half when Saints substitutes Liam Craig and Steven Milne combined to test John Ruddy.

Craig stopped Moutaouakil overlapping effectively and caused him problems down the left, crossing for Chris Millar to lay off for MacDonald to hit a 54th-minute equaliser.

MacDonald completed his hat-trick 16 minutes later with two more clinical finishes from Millar assists to give the visitors a convincing victory.

Former Stockport boss Gannon said: "I don't think any formation or any starting XI would make any difference," Gannon said.

"We can work hard in training but it's got to show on the pitch. The lads show a good attitude in training and try to apply things and, when you're on the stage, it's up to you to perform.

"I can only direct them and lead them so far and it's up to them to take responsibility on the pitch. That was poor."

MacDonald's forward play was all the more impressive given it was only his third SPL appearance of the season following recurring hamstring problems.

The striker had not scored since August 2008 and missed out on large parts of last season through injury.

But he did not doubt he would be able to make a successful comeback for Derek McInnes' side.

"I was never in doubt," the 29-year-old said. "You have got to have faith in your own ability.

"I'm more delighted with the three points because the first half was nowhere near good enough.

"We fell well below the standards we had set and the gaffer, in no uncertain terms, let us know.

"He said we were letting ourselves down and we were. In the second half, you could see the hunger in the boys to redeem ourselves."