Robinson: I haven’t given up on keeping strike hero Moult
Well boss Steve Robinson revealed he hasn’t given up hope of persuading hitman Louis Moult to sign a new deal.
Second-half goals from Ryan Bowman and Moult, 25 – who notched his fifth of the season – fired Well to a third Premiership win on the spin for the first time since April 2016.
Gaffer Robinson believes it justifies their decision not to sell their prize asset in the summer transfer window.
He said: “Moult is a sniffer. He scores goals out of nothing and that is why you leave him on the park even when he is not having a good game because he can win games for you.
“His desire and passion to run into the corner at 2- 0 says everything about the team at the minute. It vindicates our decision not to let him go.
“Anybody who scores that amount of goals, we do not want them to leave the club.
“I haven’t given up hope of keeping Louis and we will continue speaking to him.
“We dominated the game and the subs made a great impact. Bowman was excellent. As well as his goal, his hold-up play was great. The fans have been patient with him and now he has added goals to his game.”
Robinson handed a debut to defender Peter Hartley while fellow new boy Liam Grimshaw started on the bench.
Killie boss Lee McCulloch opted for Lee Erwin and Eamonn Brophy in attack with Dom Thomas also in the starting line-up with hitman Kris Boyd out with a hamstring problem.
Motherwell started brighter and could have gone ahead on six minutes when Moult crossed for Bowman but his angled header fell well wide.
Killie should have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Thomas’s low cutback was caught sweetly by the side- foot of Brophy’s but somehow keeper Trevor Carson saved it.
Referee Bobby Madden then incensed
the home supporters when he booked Cedric Kipre for a foul on Greg Taylor in 24 minutes.
The Rugby Park men then rattled the frame of the Motherwell goal when Gordon Greer’s header from a Thomas corner crashed back off the bar on 36 minutes.
Bowman then teed up Moult in the box in 41 minutes but for once the lethal attacker’s aim was awry and he screwed a tame eight-yard effort past.
Chris Burke then floated over a teasing cross and Erwin rose to glance it past the post in 52 minutes.
Stephen O’Donnell was lucky to escape punishment when he fouled Bowman 20 yards from goal and Killie goalie Jamie MacDonald had to look lively to tip Moult’s free-kick over on 57 minutes.
Moments later Moult side- footed a volley inches past before being denied the opener again after a superb onehanded stop on the goal-line by MacDonald.
Wel l made the breakthrough in 65 minutes when substitute Gael Bigirimana played in Bowman who rif led high into the net. And the home side were awarded a spot-kick in 87 minutes when Bowman was hauled down in the box by Iain Wilson who was yellow carded. Moult rammed in the penalty to seal the win.
Kilmarnock remain winless and McCulloch admits the late penalty killed off any hopes his men had of salvaging anything from the contest.
He said: “I’d need to see the penalty again. At the time I asked the fourth official and he didn’t know, then he said it was for a bad tackle.
“I really would like to see it again but that killed the game. The second half wasn’t really good enough.” MOTHERWELL: Carson 6, Tait 6, Hartley 7, Cadden 6, McHugh 6, Moult 7, Bowman 7, Rose 5, Dunne 5, Kipre 6, Campbell 6. Subs: Grimshaw 3, Bigirimana 6, Hammell 6. KILMARNOCK: MacDonald 7, O’Donnell 6, Smith 6, Greer 5, Taylor, Thomas 7, Findlay 6, Wilson 6, Erwin 6, Brophy 5, Burke 5. Subs: Broadfoot 5, Frizzell 3, Jones, 4.