St Mirren 1-2 Motherwell: Steelmen march on with fifth win on the bounce

Motherwell moved within four points of the top six with a fifth successive Premiership win, which constitutes their best sequence since April, 2016.
Jake Hastie celebrates after bagging the opener at the Simple Digital Arena. Picture: SNS GroupJake Hastie celebrates after bagging the opener at the Simple Digital Arena. Picture: SNS Group
Jake Hastie celebrates after bagging the opener at the Simple Digital Arena. Picture: SNS Group

With some more composed finishing they could have made life easier for themselves and there could have been few complaints from the home side, who have taken just four points from a possible 36 at home since their opening-day win over Dundee.

Saints already look doomed and, with Dundee drawing and Hamilton prevailing against St Johnstone, they are beginning to look increasingly isolated at the foot of the table.

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Motherwell named the same starting XI for the fourth successive game and, unsurprisingly, the visitors were in possession of a fluency the home side – who have used 39 different players thus far this season - lacked.

Consequently, they were on the front foot from the start. Curtis Main, released by David Turnbull, saw an angled drive beaten away by Vaclav Hladky after his defence had stopped, waiting for an offside flag which never came.

Four minutes later, Motherwell moved in front. Turnbull supplied Jake Hastie on the right flank and the teenager cut inside, evaded two challenges and his venomous drive from 25 yards clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net.

Home manager Oran Kearney replaced Jack Baird with Kyle McAllister after only 22 minutes in an attempt to shake up his side. Baird refused to shake the Irishman’s hand as he left the field but the change provided a short-term fillip; Anders Dreyer forced a fine save from Mark Gillespie and McAllister blazed over from Dreyer’s cutback.

The eccentric Gboly Ariyibi, a winger who has cult hero written all over him, can bamboozle opponents and team-mates in equal measure but Paul McGinn was cautioned for a cynical foul on the Englishman as he burst past him immediately after the restart.

Main received the same sanction for fouling Mihai Popescu from behind but the target man also had a mishit shot from Hastie’s driven cross cleared off the line by McAllister, who thereby atoned for giving the ball away in the first place. Main made better contact with a shot from the far corner of the penalty area but it flashed past the far post with Hladky beaten.

It really wasn’t the former Middlesbrough forward’s evening; after some deft footwork to create space for himself, his goalbound effort was deflected inches over by Popescu.

Motherwell were to pay for their profligacy when Saints drew level. Mark Gillespie’s punched clearance was floated back in by Dreyer and Paul McGinn’s looping header drifted over the ‘keeper and under his bar. It was the first time in 415 minutes Gillespie had been beaten in the league.

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However, that parity proved to be short-lived as, just four minutes later, Elliott Frear’s cross was met by midfielder Allan Campbell, whose downward header gave Hladky no chance.

St Mirren must now pick themselves up for a home tie against Dundee United in the William Hill Scottish Cup on Saturday.

St Mirren (3-4-1-2): Hladky; Baird (McAllister 22), Ferdinand, Muzek; P. McGinn, S. McGinn (Tansey 60), Lyons, Popescu; Dreyer ; Nazon (Mullen 69), Jackson. Subs: Holmes, Flynn, Corbu, Erhahon.

Motherwell (3-1-4-2): Gillespie; Aldred, Dunne, Tait; Gorrin (McHugh 62); Grimshaw, Campbell, Turnbull, Ariyibi; Main, Hastie. Subs: Ferguson, Scott, Frear, Johnson, McCormack, Hartley.

Referee: N. Walsh.