Robinson’s men stumble to first win after making Life difficult
MOTHERWELL finally broke their league duck at Fir Park but their success had as much to do with their opponents and their lack of a cutting edge than it did with their own industry and application.
Indeed, the hosts made hard work of it. An early goal should have lifted some of the pressure from their shoulders and enabled them to express themselves but that was not the case.
Hamilton’s unexpected victory at Livingston means the Steelmen remain at the foot of the table but the relief from their players at the final whistle was palpable.
Manager Stephen Robinson, though, argued that the talk of a slump at the Lanarkshire club has been misplaced.
“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,” said the Irishman. “It’s the least possession we’ve had – 40 per cent. 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.”
Motherwell had not won a domestic match since March 4 but they were in a hurry to put that right yesterday, breaking the deadlock after just four minutes.
It is probably damning with faint praise to describe midfielder Allan Campbell as their best player this season, but that should not detract from his consistent effectiveness in the engine room. Indeed, he carried the ball so far himself for the opener he should also claim an assist. The Saints’ rearguard, who clearly had not studied footage of his late winner from distance for the Scotland Under-21 team in Lithuania last week, stood off him and the local hero drilled the ball low behind Elliot Parish from 20 yards.
There was, nonetheless, a tentativeness about the home side’s play and that lack of conviction almost cost them an
equaliser in the 20th minute. Scotland centre-back Declan Gallagher was woefully short with a pass-back for Trevor Carson, allowing Michael O’Halloran to steal in ahead of the advancing goalkeeper. Unfortunately for the visitors, his toe-poked shot from eight yards only rippled the side netting.
It had taken time for the Perth men to come out of the blocks but they grew into the game and Carson was at full stretch to claim a chipped shot from Liam Gordon after a Craig Conway free-kick had only been partially cleared.
Midfielder Mark O’Hara was then cautioned for a cynical foul on Conway as Saints stepped up their attempts to restore parity and Tony Watt also receive a yellow card for a lunge at David Wotherspoon.
Saints manager Callum Davidson withdrew his blunt strike force, replacing Callum Hendry and O’Halloran with Chris Kane and Stevie May but their arrival coincided with Motherwell’s best spell of the game. Even so, their best opportunities came from set-pieces, with Parish palming away one free-kick from Liam Polworth and Bevis Mugabe heading over from another.
“I want my strikers to get into the right areas and, as long as they’re getting there, I won’t criticise them because I know the goals will come,” Davidson said. “We’ve performed really well at times this season. We were just a bit off it today.”