Motherwell ended their seven-game wait for a win with an encouraging display against St Mirren at Fir Park and a deserved 1-0 win.
Lukas Fadinger scored the only goal of the afternoon from the penalty spot, keeping his cool in the 82nd minute to ensure Motherwell picked up their first win in the league since September.
There was some positive team news for Motherwell, with club captain Paul McGinn returning for the first time since May, as he took his place on the bench. Oscar Priestman also returned to a squad for the first time since his injury in August, with Callum Hendry also making his first squad of the season.
Jardell Kanga and Lukas Fadinger were the two changes to Alfred Johansson’s starting 11, with Dylan Levitt and Jordan McGhee dropping to the bench in their place.
With Motherwell winless in seven, there was an air of tension in ML1 as the Steelmen looked to bounce back from the late disappointment on Perth.
The early stages were quiet, but it was Motherwell who looked more likely. The first chance arrived after ten minutes from a corner. The initial corner was dealt with by the St Mirren defence, but the ball landed on Emmanuel Longelo on the edge of the box, and the full-back nudged the bouncing ball back into the path of Tawanda Maswanhise, but the forward’s attempt went over the target.
Three minutes later, there was another chance for the Zimbabwean. An incredible move that started from the goalkeeper and involved a number of players ended up with Kanga setting Longelo up the left channel. He put another inviting cross into the penalty area where Maswanhise was sliding into. Although he got contact on the ball, it wasn’t enough for it to stay on target.
Longelo continued to cause Calvin Ramsay problems. His raw pace saw him get in behind the full-back again before putting another perfect cross across the goal. Some good defending prevented a chance initially, but the ball landed to Tom Sparrow on the edge of the box, and his driven strike was blocked for a corner.
But on 23 minutes, it really should have been 1-0 to the Steelmen. Ibrahim Said got his press perfect and nicked in to steal the ball and earned himself a 1v1 chance with the goalkeeper. The Nigerian drove towards the goal, but Jacob Chapman was able to stop well with his feet to keep the score level.
It was just after the half-hour mark that Alex Paulsen had to be called into action for the first time of the afternoon. A ball wasn’t dealt with by the Motherwell defence, and Eseosa Sule and Killian Phillips forced their way into possession, with the latter driving into the box and shooting from an angle, but Paulsen stopped well before the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
The second-half was underway and Motherwell continued to look threatening. The first chance of the second period arrived within two minutes. A free-kick delivery landed at the feet of defender Jake Girdwood-Reich, and the Aussie opted to shoot on the half-volley, but he couldn’t keep the strike down.
Nine minutes later, there was another huge opening for Motherwell. Tom Sparrow slipped a perfect pass through the lines for Jardell Kanga. He cut inside and laid the ball to Said, who jinked past a sliding defender and tried to find the far post, but fortunately for the visitors, his effort went wide.
The stadium began to get nervy as the clock ticked closer to 90 minutes. Oscar Priestman and Callum Hendry were both introduced following their injury spells, as Motherwell continued to push.
And then on the 82nd minute, Paulsen’s long ball had substitute Regan Charles-Cook chasing; he battled with Fieldson, and the defender nudged the ball away with his arm. The on-field decision was to continue, but eventually VAR ordered Don Robertson to go to the monitor for a look, and eventually he pointed to the spot.
Fadinger was coolness personified from the spot, slotting into the bottom corner with eight minutes to play.
The game really could have been wrapped up just minutes later when Said sent a cross into the path of Eythor Bjørgolfsson, who opted to try a diving header, but the striker’s face ended up grazing the turf, and he scooped the ball over the bar.
In the end, it didn’t matter, as St Mirren created very little in the closing stages and Motherwell secured the crucial win.
Motherwell Team: Paulsen, Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Said, Maswanhise, Palmer-Houlden, Kanga.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, Knight-Lebel, , McGinn, McGhee, Levitt, Priestman, Charles-Cook, Hendry, Bjørgolfsson.
