BEN RAMAGE
St Mirren hauled themselves out of the relegation spots after carving out a superb win over the Steelmen.
The rejuvenated Buddies travelled to Lanarkshire looking to make it nine games unbeaten after a remarkable turn of form since their Covid-19 issues finally abated.
Midfielder Jamie McGrath’s early volley, his third strike in three matches, gave the Fir Park visitors a deserved lead that in truth they never looked like giving up.
The Saints should have doubled their lead in the opening 45 minutes, which could have cost them dearly as Motherwell fought hard for an equaliser in a more evenly fought second half.
In the end, it was a well-earned victory for St Mirren, who picked up their fourth win in five matches heading into a massive League Cup quarter final clash with Rangers on Wednesday night.
They can head into that crunch tie with renewed confidence having leapfrogged Hamilton and Ross County in the Premiership table, as well as having beaten much-fancied Aberdeen in the previous round of the competition.
The Saints made no changes to their starting XI from their draw with the Dons in the league the previous weekend, with Jim Goodwin keeping faith with the same side that dominated heavily again but couldn’t quite find a telling blow.
The Buddies went into the clash unbeaten in eight, while Motherwell had lost their last three on home soil in all competitions.
Richard Tait returned to face his old club for the first time since moving to Paisley in the summer, with the two teams’ first meeting postponed in October due to a Covid- 19 outbreak at St Mirren.
Motherwell had two Scotland internationals in their back line in Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell, while Chris Long led a three-man attack up front.
Ilkay Durmus provided an early chance for the visitors when his pinpoint cutback found Obika in the six-yard box. He flashed a shot narrowly wide of the left post.
Motherwell edged a cagey first ten minutes,