Well up to fourth as sad Saints stay in freefall
MOTHERWELL 2 Cornelius (18), Van Veen (56) ST JOHNSTONE 0
Motherwell moved ahead of Dundee United into fourth place in the Premiership table after a victory that was as comfortable as it was comprehensive.
If anything, the scoreline flattered their opponents, who are a pale shadow of the team that lifted both of the major domestic cups last season and who now find themselves stranded at the foot of the table.
Saints are in freefall after winning just once in their last 10 outings and even last season’s Hampden glory won’t save manager Callum Davidson unless he can turn the club around.
“It was hard-fought all the way through but the second goal came at a good time for us,” said Motherwell boss Graham Alexander.
“We managed the game in good fashion after that point. We didn’t give them the opportunity to get back into the game, which pleased me.
“St Johnstone are in a difficult moment but they are still a good team with a good manager.”
Alexander also praised goalscorer Dean Cornelius.
“He gives us all the things we want in midfield and he’s a good footballer,” he said.
“You saw that with his fantastic strike for the goal and he could have had another in the second half.
“It was his first start at home and it was a great way to mark it. He’s a Motherwell fan and I saw a video of him the other day in the stand as an eightyear-old wearing his kit – he loves the club.”
Not a great deal had happened until, from out of nowhere, the deadlock was broken with a goal of outstanding quality.
Cornelius, making only his second Premiership start, was in the right place at the right time when Jamie Mccart’s clearing header from Sean Goss’s cross fell to him 25 yards out.
He still had plenty to do but the 20-year-old displayed the composure of a veteran as he drilled a half-volley low behind Zander Clark and inside his right-hand post for his first senior goal.
Well’s Dutch striker Kevin van Veen then muscled his way into the visitors’ penalty area but his net-bound shot was deflected behind for a corner by Liam Gordon.
Saints tried to claw their way into the contest and left-winger Viv Solomon-otabor found right-winger Glenn Middleton with a cross to the far post in the 27th minute but the Rangers loanee blazed wildly over from 12 yards.
The home side came close to doubling their lead three minutes from the interval when Kaiyne Woolery released Tony Watt on the right and his driven cross struck the in-rushing Goss before trundling inches wide.
Saints, who looked short of confidence, were happy to head for the dressing room only one goal down. Unfortunately for them, that state of affairs didn’t last too long.
Motherwell continued to look the likelier side and they extended their advantage 10 minutes after the restart. Solholm Johansen’s hooked pass sent van Veen clear and he outmuscled Mccart before driving through Clark’s legs at the near post.
New signing Jacob Butterfield came on for James Brown as the Perth men attempted to salvage something from the game but it’s unlikely that even the most diehard of their dwindling band of travelling supporters expected that to happen.
They finally recorded an effort on target in the 71st minute but Liam Kelly was equal to it, turning over Callum Booth’s piledriver from Stevie May’s cutback.