Watt a winner as gritty Steelmen leave Ross reeling
An outstanding goal from Tony Watt 10 minutes from the end saw Motherwell move two points above Hibs and into third place. Graham Alexander’s side have now taken 13 points from their last five league games.
The Steelmen weren’t at their best but they pulled this one out of the fire through sheer grit, determination and, ultimately, no little skill. But this one could have gone either way.
“I thought we started brilliantly and scored a great goal,” said Alexander. “But Ross County deservedly got an equaliser after coming into the game.
“We had to grind it out in the second half and I don’t think it was a Champagne performance from us. The players have shown a real winning mentality, though, and long may that continue.
“I knew this would be our toughest fixture of the season because of all the factors around it and it proved to be that way, but I’m delighted to keep this run going.”
The Staggies boasted (if that’s the word) the most porous defence in the Premiership prior to the kickoff and wasted no time in making it worse still.
They had several opportunities to clear their lines after a Stephen O’donnell throw-in but failed to take them, allowing Kaiyne Woolery to toe-poke the ball to Callum Slattery.
The midfielder left Ashley Maynard-brewer with no chance, rifling a right-foot drive into the postage-stamp corner from 18 yards for his first senior goal.
Motherwell and their supporters were in confident mood, and minutes later Watt was just inches too high with an angled drive from similar distance.
The pressure was relentless and County couldn’t hold the ball for long enough to give their back line a breather.
They briefly roused themselves midway through the first half and Liam Kelly saved three times in as many minutes from Blair Spittal and that period of slackness displeased manager Alexander and probably contributed to his latest booking for dissent shortly after.
Centre-back Juhani Ojala had a chance to double Well’s lead seven minutes from the interval but there was no pace in Mark O’hara’s freekick and the Finn didn’t generate any with his header, leaving Maynard-brewer an easy save.
Just 60 seconds later and the visitors were level. Regan CharlesCook curled a cross through home rearguard, Jordan White dummied it, everyone else missed the ball and it nestled in the netting at Kelly’s left-hand post.
The hosts started the second half as impressively as they had the first and came close twice in 30 seconds.
Watt’s through-ball left Woolery one-on-one with the keeper, who saved his shot with his outstretched leg.
Stephen O’donnell latched on to the loose ball and his cross was headed against the crossbar by Watt.
It was then County’s turn to strike the woodwork, when Ross Callachan’s cut-back found substitute Joseph Hungbo, whose rising shot clipped the top of the bar.
The winger wasn’t far away with an effort from the corner of the 18-yard box as it increasingly looked like the next goal would be the winner.
So it proved – but at least it came from a moment of magic.
Ricki Lamie was the man who set it up with an inch-perfect 40-yard diagonal pass for Watt.
The former Celtic and Scotland striker took it in his stride and advanced with menace before lashing the ball low across Maynard-brewer and into the far corner of the net from 15 yards.