Motherwell ensured it didn’t turn into a performance of frustration as they battled for a 1-0 win over Dundee at Fir Park.
The Steelmen weren’t at their fluent best but still created a number of clear-cut openings; however, it took until the 82nd minute for the breakthrough when Callum Slattery headed home to the relief of the home crowd.
Motherwell extended their unbeaten run to ten games and also recorded their sixth consecutive clean sheet in the league.
Jens Berthel Askou made two alterations to his starting 11, one of which was enforced. Tawanda Maswanhise departed earlier in the week for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Zimbabwe, meaning Regan Charles-Cook earned a start. Emmanuel Longelo came back into the side, allowing Johnny Koutroumbis to start in his favoured right-back spot, with Stephen O’Donnell dropping to the bench.
Aaron Thomson was named on the bench for the first time, with the Motherwell Academy graduate impressing the manager this season.
It was Dundee who posed the early threat with a high press towards the home goal. And Elliot Watt’s wayward pass across his own box led to the visitor’s first corner.
After that the Dens Park side were content to form two banks of four players to protect their own area as the Steelmen probed for a gap. Callum Hendry’s quick change of feet found an opening before his low drive from 12 yards was blocked by Jon McCracken’s outstretched leg.
Two minutes later Calum Ward made his first save of the half when he fumbled Callum Jones’ speculative 30-yard drive round his post.
Yet another Callum, this time Well’s Slattery was next to get involved when he met Longelo’s firmly driven low cross only to side-foot the ball into the side netting.
Motherwell continued with the slow build-up, but the well-disciplined Dundee defence kept chances to a minimum.
Slattery’s drive from 30 yards moved in the air, with McCracken happy to beat it away beyond the incoming Charles-Cook.
The ‘Well winger almost provided the opening goal when his run and cross found Hendry and Luke Graham racing towards McCracken’s six-yard box, and the Dundee defender was fortunate that his wild swing at the ball didn’t connect, or it would have been destined for his own goal.
Three minutes from the break, Elijah Just’s twisting run carried him to the edge of the box before his left foot shot curled wide of McCracken’s left-hand post – as both keepers enjoyed a comfortable first half.
The Fir Park started the second half with a bit more urgency, and once again it was Slattery who looked to open the scoring with another drive from 30 yards which dipped over McCracken’s bar.
With 57 minutes played, Askou, in an attempt to increase the tempo, made his first change of the afternoon, bringing on Tom Sparrow and Ibrahim Said for Johnny Koutroumbis and Charles-Cook.
And it should have paid off five minutes later when Said slid the ball through to Hendry, who could only drag his shot across the keeper and his goal. Sais was again the provider minutes later as he dribbled along the byline before cutting the ball back to Lukas Fadinger, who scooped it over the bar from six yards.
With eight Well players camped in and around the Dundee box, Hendry’s firm header from 10 yards forced a reactionary block from McCracken.
However, Steven Pressley’s men were hanging in there, and in the 70th minute, it took a fine sliding block from Sparrow to prevent Tony Yogan’s drive from hitting the target.
Two minutes later, Well made the customary substitution, with Apostolos Stamatelopoulos changing places with Hendry.
Another shot from outside the box, this time from Just, was comfortably palmed down by the McCracken as Dundee continued to protect their ‘keeper.
With 12 minutes remaining and sensing that three points were still up for grabs, Pressley sent on Simon Murray.
The all-important goal, though, came at the other end as Motherwell’s patience and pressure finally paid off.
Measured possession around the visitor’s box presented Watt with the ball on the left of the box, and his cross into a packed box found Slattery, whose firm header directed the ball neatly inside the keeper’s right-hand post.
It might have been 2-0 moments later when a determined Just won the ball on the byline, and his ball zipped across the face of the goal with Stamatelopoulos sliding in and failing to get a touch.
With Dundee set to chase an equaliser, Askou freshened up the team with Oscar Priestman replacing the goal scorer and Stephen O’Donnell for Longelo.
There was still time for Ward to make a comfortable save from Cameron Congreve and keep a clean sheet for the sixth consecutive game.
Motherwell Team: Ward, Koutroumbis, McGinn, Welsh, Longelo, Watt, Slattery, Fadinger, Charles-Cook, Hendry, Just.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, O’Donnell, Sparrow, Thomson, Priestman, Said, Stamatelopoulos, Osong, Ross.
