Well v Saints
Steelmen’s mettle grinds out narrow win
Allan Campbell ultimately made the difference on an afternoon in North Lanarkshire where the temperature was not the only thing that plummeted.
Motherwell picked up their first domestic win for over six months but remain in 12th position.
They deserve credit for their doggedness but they won no points for style here,
For their part, Saints dominated possession and had twice as many attempts at goal as their rivals but they’ve now gone four games without scoring and, on this evidence, it was easy to see why.
Home manager Stephen Robinson was delighted by his team’s perseverance and insisted there was never a sense of doom and gloom at the club.
“We let St Johnstone have the ball in areas where they wouldn’t hurt us and told the defenders to defend for their lives when they had to,” he said.
“It’s the least possession we’ve had – 40%. We even had more at Celtic Park.
“But the game plan was to hit on the break.
“Being critical, our passing could have been better but determination and will to win combined with good football... they showed that in abundance. I’m really pleased for the players.
“Winning eases pressure but there was a real belief that we’re a good side. Sometimes a bit of luck goes against you and that’s happened to us.
“Everyone suffers from that at some stage and we certainly hadn’t enjoyed the rub of the green, but this time we showed a different side.
“We’re three points off fifth and I never thought there was a crisis.
“When we went one up our back five were very good. They defended very well. Our midfield didn’t have as much influence but I don’t think Trevor Carson had a save to make, if I remember rightly.”
Campbell was a national hero in midweek with a last-gasp winner from 18 yards for Scotland’s Under-21 team in Lithuania and he was on the mark from similar distance to give the Steelmen the lead after only four minutes.
The midfield dynamo collected the ball in the centre of the pitch and surged forward until he reached the edge of Saints’ penalty area, at which point he drove the ball low behind Elliot Parish and inside the keeper’s right-hand post.
It should have been enough to settle the home side’s nerves but it was their only shot at goal during a scrappy opening 45 minutes.
Even a goal to the good, there was an edginess to their play, and they almost gifted Saints an equaliser in the 20th minute.
Declan Gallagher was also on international duty last week but he didn’t display the form that won him two full caps when he sold Carson short with a pass-back.
Former Rangers winger Michael O’halloran seized on the loose ball and should have levelled the scores instead of poking his shot into the side netting from eight yards.
Mark O’hara was cautioned for a professional foul on Craig Conway as Saints surged forward in a bid to get back on level terms.
Saints passed up another chance to equalise just after the break when Conway’s corner found Jason Kerr with time and space to pick his spot but he snatched at the header and sent the ball over the bar from six yards.
Scott Tanser was inches too high with a dipping 18-yarder, but the goal simply wouldn’t come for the Perth outfit, even when Callum Hendry and O’halloran were replaced by Chris Kane and Stevie May.
In the end, Motherwell hung on comfortably enough to take all three points.