Hard work doesn’t pay off for Buddies
MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
Ten- man Saints found a new way to lose in the SPFL Premiership – playing well, creating chances but still walking away empty handed.
Steven Thompson was controversially red-carded after 18 minutes but, to their credit, St Mirren stuck to the task and looked as though they could pull off a result.
However, former Saint John Sutton plunged the dagger with the only goal of the game after 72 minutes, a result that leaves St Mirren isolated at the foot of the table.
There were two changes to the Saints
starting 11, Lewis McLear making his top team debut in midfield for Thomas Reilly and fellow Under-20s Academy graduate Stevie Mallan winning a start at the expense of last week’s goalscorer Sean Kelly.
Early on, Keith Lasley unleashed a low drive at the edge of the box after Lionel Ainsworth worked his way down the left hand side but it flew harmlessly wide of target.
Moments later, Jason Naismith latched on to a long ball from Jeroen Tesselaar but the right back’s shot from a tight angle flew wide.
Well’s Mark O’Brien was spoken to by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Thompson.
Newbie McLear showed some nice touches as the 18 year-old tried to make inroads down the right flank.
There was a flashpoint after 18 minutes when Thompson was instantly red-carded for a bad foul on O’Brien inside the centre circle, the referee over instantly to the Saints striker to send him packing.
And, with the red card, St Mirren’s day got much harder with no recognised striker on the field to take on the mantle up front.
John McGinn gave Saints fans cause for optimism with an industrious display down the left hand side, the home team winning a corner and a chance to press the visiting defence, but Dan Twardzik, in the Motherwell goal, took the resultant cross from Mallan.
The onus fell on Kenny McLean to provide the cover up front for 10-man Saints but it was McLear who tried his luck first with a looping effort on a breakaway, the effort drifting well over target.
Jim Goodwin saw a good, low driven effort saved by Twardzik after Mallan’s corner on the right was glanced to him 14 yards out.
Naismith did brilliantly to get beyond Craig Reid down that right and force a corner but there was good work in the build- up too from McLean and McLear.
From Mallan’s corner, Marc McAusland prodded a deflected shot behind.
And, from the second corner, McAusland again got to it, this time with his head, but the effort was cleared off the line.
After 39 minutes, a Reid cross into the dangerzone fell kindly for Josh Law but Ridgers was well positioned to take the effort.
A frustrated Naismith was the first player to receive a yellow card for having too much to say to the referee’s assistant, before hate figure O’Brien entered the match official’s notebook for a foul on McLean.
Makeshift striker McLean thought he netted with a header two minutes after the break, connecting with Mallan’s corner kick on the right.
The shot cannoned off crossbar and bounced menacingly on the line but neither the referee or far side assistant deemed it had not crossed the line and play raged on.
McLean took a tumble in the box under a challenge from Stephen McManus but, despite the screams for a penalty from the home support, ref Muir saw nothing untoward.
Lee Erwin placed a lovely cross into the front of goal for Sutton to chase but, thankfully for the home support, the big Englishman failed to connect.
Dutchman Tesselaar had the ball in the back of the net after 68 minutes, picking up a delightful upfield pass from McGinn and lofting a shot over Twardzik but the farside flag was raised and it didn’t count.
Motherwell made it 1- 0 after 72 minutes when Sutton sent a shot spinning into the bottom left hand corner from Law’s cross on the right hand side.
Gregg Wylde replaced youngster McLear with 12 minutes remaining as Saints chased an equaliser, before Callum Ball beefed up the forward line, replacing McGinn.
St Mirren’s final change saw Osbourne make way for the introduction of Reilly.
Into time added on, Wylde played in Mallan for a shot at goal but the young midfielder’s right foot shot from 20 yards sailed into the evening sky.
At the death, Mallan won a free kick at the expense of Stuart Carswell.
Up stepped McLean but Twardzik held it, despite intense pressure from Wylde to knock home any rebound.