JUST when it looked like their anxious wait would continue, St Johnstone finally celebrated their first league win of the new campaign over 10-man Motherwell.
Tommy Wright’s side did it the hard way. At the fifth time of asking, though, striker Steven MacLean’s double ensured they got their season up and running courtesy of a spirited second-half comeback.
Motherwell, who’d taken the lead early on through Louis Moult, had their misery compounded late in the game when Jake Taylor was sent off for a second bookable offence, having been judged by referee Craig Thomson to have dived in an attempt to win a penalty, such was their desperation to get back into this encounter, which at one stage was well within their control.
For Saints, the main emotion was one of relief and their manager maintained he had every belief in his players pulling it off. “I did see it coming,” said Wright after the match. “We showed loads of character to come back the way we did. Although we maybe started a wee bit nervous, we were very much on the front foot for the second half.
“I’m still frustrated at losing another early goal but the difference today was that we got the win.”
Advertisement
Saints’ stuttering start to the season was reflected in their initial play, which saw them fall behind in 11 minutes.
Scott McDonald combined with Lionel Ainsworth and the ball fell nicely for Moult, who stabbed the ball home at the far post to give the Fir Park side the lead with his first goal since moving north of the border in the summer.
Then, a minute later, Moult had a chance to grab his second when Tam Scobbie, the St Johnstone defender, made a hash of trying to clear his lines, but the former Stoke City youth product hit his shot right at Alan Mannus, the home keeper.
Saints were struggling to find any fluency but did have a brief glimpse of goal on 29 minutes when skipper Dave Mackay’s deep cross picked out Graham Cummins at the far post, but his header didn’t seriously trouble Connor Ripley in the visitors’ goal.
Motherwell remained on top after the break as McDonald continued to cause havoc in the final third. But, on 63 minutes, Saints equalised through MacLean. Substitute David Wotherspoon began the move as he passed to Cummins who, in turn, beat Josh Law before sliding the ball to MacLean whose simple task was to prod it over the line from close range.
Advertisement
Wotherspoon’s introduction gave Saints the spark they’d been lacking and soon after he was at the heart of another positive move from the home side. His cross caused panic in the Motherwell defence but MacLean couldn’t get his head to it.
It was a different story on 79 minutes, though, as MacLean sealed victory with the decisive goal. Michael O’Halloran worked his magic by turning substitute Joe Chalmers inside out, and he went on to cross for MacLean who gratefully tapped home from just a few yards.
By this stage, Ian Baraclough’s visitors were despairing and that was shown in 86 minutes when Taylor walked, having already been on a yellow card for failing to retreat at a St Johnstone free kick just before the half-hour mark.
“I was aggrieved with the sending-off,” said Baraclough. “He may have made a noise but there was contact made so I’m obviously not best pleased. It’s frustrating when you consider how on top we were at one point.”
Star man: Steven MacLean (St Johnstone)
Advertisement
St Johnstone: Mannus 6, MacKay 6, Scobbie 5, Lappin 4 (Wotherspoon 58min, 7) Millar 6, Davidson 6, MacLean 8, Shaughnessy 6, Cummins 5 (Kane 73min, 5) Easton 6, O’Halloran 6 (Craig 86min, 5)
Motherwell: Ripley 6, Law 5, Hammell 6 (Chalmers 46min, 6) McManus 6, Laing 6, Lasley 6, Taylor 6, Ainsworth 7, Johnson 7, Moult 7, McDonald 7 (Thomas 78min, 4)