Hammell fails his audition as May strikes late winner
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STEVEN HAMMELL watched his Motherwell side throw away a last-gasp point that could have boosted his chances of taking over from Graham Alexander permanently, then admitted the job is the absolute last thing on his mind.
An own-goal had drawn the Steelmen level in stoppage time, only for sloppy defending in the aftermath of a St Johnstone corner to allow Stevie May to stab home a later winner.
Hammell said: “It’s the last thing on my mind just now, there’s just the overriding feeling of disappointment.
“We put everything into the preparation, we were confident we’d get a positive result. It’s never easy but to lose it the way we did was a hard one to take.”
A drab and attritional affair burst into life in stoppage time at Fir Park as St Johnstone poured cold water on a dramatic Motherwell equaliser.
The visitors made just one change from the opening-day defeat to Hibs, with Cammy MacPherson coming in for the suspended Murray Davidson, and it was he who fashioned the first real opening of the game, outmuscling Barry Maguire in midfield before seeing his shot blocked.
It was another mistake in midfield that let St Johnstone striker Theo Bair in on Liam Kelly’s goal with 25 minutes gone, but he could only strike weakly into the goalkeeper’s hands.
The big man made up for it though as he laid on the opener, chesting round the corner for an untracked Jamie Murphy who took a touch to steady himself before striking low into the far corner.
Motherwell had been toothless, and now the home crowd began to vent their frustration, Bevis Mugabi receiving a barrage after passing the ball straight out of play.
The game was called to a halt almost immediately after halftime when fans threw paper onto the pitch in a demonstration against what they viewed as heavy-handed policing.
A double change at the interval livened the hosts up when the game did get under way, with only a fantastic saving tackle from Alex Mitchell preventing sub Joe Efford from levelling.
Graham Carey went close to assist of the season at the other end with cheeky rabona before Motherwell contrived to blow a golden chance for the equaliser, Shields spooning over after a mix-up in the box.
The pressure was ramping up but Remi Matthews remained untested. It was only in tipping a Sean Goss volley around his post that the St Johnstone goalkeeper had to dirty his gloves, with Hammell’s side showing plenty of physique but precious little technique.
It was fitting, then, that their equaliser came in scrappy fashion in the first of six minutes of added time. A corner came off the shoulder of Carey, and a scrambling Matthews couldn’t make it across in time to stop it spinning over his own line.
A point rescued, then? Not quite. Some baffling defending after a set-piece allowed the ball to drop to Ryan McGowan in the box, who dinked an inviting delivery in towards May to prod the ball beyond Kelly and into the back of the net.