FUTURE IN OUR HANDS DECLARES MACLEAN

St Johnstone interim manager Steven MacLean stressed their fate was in their own hands after a home defeat by Motherwell left them in relegation danger.

Saints failed to test Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly during the 2-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park.

Results elsewhere mean they are only five point off the bottom of the Premiership and three ahead of 11thplaced Ross County, with Kilmarnock only two points behind.

Saints now face two away games at Rugby Park and in Dingwall before finishing their season at home to Livingston.

MacLean said: “We aren’t really interested in the other teams. It’s in our hands, we’d rather be in our position than the teams below us.

“We will go to Kilmarnock and be positive. The boys are disappointed but I will pick them up again.”

One major positive was Chris Kane’s comeback from a knee injury, which has been delayed by other minor fitness problems. The striker came on in the 84th minute for his first appearance since January last year.

● Kilmarnock boosted their survival hopes as they climbed out of the bottom two with a 2-0 victory over Livingston.

Kyle Vassell’s first league goal for the club and a Danny Armstrong penalty saw the Rugby Park side maintain their impressive home form as they bid to avoid the drop.

● Lawrence Shankland netted a stoppage-time penalty to earn 10-man Hearts a 2-2 draw away to St Mirren.

First-half goals from Joe Shaughnessy and Ryan Strain had Stephen Robinson’s men well in control at half-time.

Josh Ginnelly got one back for the visitors before Peter Haring was shown a straight red card.

Hearts, though, kept battling and Shankland rolled in a late spotkick to earn the visitors a point.