Steelmen dig deep to stop Saints’ run
ST JOHNSTONE failed to equal a club record nine matches unbeaten as Motherwell ended a six-year wait to taste victory in Perth.
First-half strikes from Tom Aldred and Danny Johnson set the Fir Park side up for their first McDiarmid Park win since November 2012.
Having begun their unbeaten run with a Jason Kerr stoppage-time winner at Fir Park in October, Saints were fancied to move up from fifth in the Premiership, especially as Motherwell had lost their last three on the road.
But while Kerr again featured on the scoresheet, his late effort wasn’t enough to deny Motherwell a merited victory.
St Johnstone were stunned to find themselves trailing by two goals after just 17 minutes as a result of being found wanting defensively.
Given they had conceded only twice in their previous eight league matches, both to Hearts, Saints have acquired something of a reputation in recent months.
But anyone watching them for the first time this season would have been forgiven for questioning that statistic, such was the home side’s frailties in executing fairly basic defensive duties.
Tommy Wright, the St Johnstone manager, is entitled to expect better and was understandably irked that his side conceded the first goal after just 99 seconds.
The Motherwell forwards were allowed to drag defenders out of position as David Turnbull’s corner from the left came in and Aldred, at the back post, had time and space to prod the ball over the line.
There was a temptation to think that it was simply a flash-in-the-pan and that St Johnstone would respond quickly to the early setback.
But the Motherwell players had the bit between their teeth and rather than the home side looking likely to find a quick way back into the match, it was the visitors who posed more of a threat.
So much so that they increased their lead in the 17th minute, again largely because of slipshod defending.
Liam Grimshaw’s cross from the left was not dealt with and even when Turnbull miss-hit his attempt on goal, Johnson still had sufficient time to find the net with a left -foot shot from close range. Even when they were handed a way back into the match after 25 minutes, Saints were incapable of taking it. Charles Dunne clearly handled Matty Kennedy’s cross with David McMillan poised to pounce, leaving referee Alan Muir with a straightforward decision. But Kennedy’s penalty was stopped by Mark Gillespie when the keeper dived to his left to make a stunning save. Had Kennedy found the net, a goal then would very possibly have transformed the match in the Perth side’s favour. But that miss simply added to Motherwell’s growing sense of invincibility. And St Johnstone risked conceding a third goal four minutes later when Motherwell launched a fresh foray into the opposition’s half. Turnbull’s corner was met by Curtis Main and it took a desperate block by David Wotherspoon, almost on the goal-line, to keep the striker’s header out. But Aldred had to produce an equally impressive piece of defending in the 37th minute to deny Kerr from 35 yards as St Johnstone sought to haul themselves back into the match. Kennedy also asked questions of the Motherwell defence with a shot well saved by Gillespie approaching half-time. But Motherwell gave the impression that they could cope with most of what St Johnstone had to throw at them.
And when the home side did carve out a genuine chance they had a tendency to waste it, an example of that being when Kennedy set up McMillan in the 59th minute and the latter rushed his shot over the bar.
That said, Saints had enough possession to suggest they were capable of at least giving Motherwell a fright and they eventually did.
But it was a case of too little, too late when the home side struck in the 83rd minute but it did ensure an interesting closing period.
Substitute Blair Alston played a short corner to Kennedy whose cross from the left was headed past Gillespie by Kerr.
The goal led to something of a cavalry charge as St Johnstone strove to preserve their unbeaten run. And had the goal come ten minutes earlier it may have led to a different outcome, but the hosts could hardly complain.
Their failure to do the basics well ultimately cost them and had they been awarded a second penalty when substitute Danny Swanson went down under a challenge from Dunne late on, it would have been an injustice.
Motherwell’s victory means they have opened up a nine-point gap on bottom sides St Mirren and Dundee.