St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson could not understand the penalty award that helped Motherwell secure a 3-3 Clydesdale Bank Premier League draw in Paisley.

Ross Forbes netted Motherwell's first goal from the spot in the 49th minute after Hugh Murray was adjudged to have fouled Jim O'Brien.

An explanation from referee Stevie O'Reilly failed to make things clearer for MacPherson as the St Mirren contingent insisted Murray had played the ball.

"I still don't understand it but we have got to accept it," MacPherson said. "It's in the box but it's not a foul. The referee has given a penalty for the challenge. It wasn't handball, it hit Lee Mair in the face."

MacPherson's biggest disappointment though was the loss of a two-goal lead in the final 16 minutes as Lukas Jutkiewicz struck a well-taken double.

Andy Dorman had restored St Mirren's lead and Hugh Murray netted his second goal in the 72nd minute but Well hit back immediately.

"Without a shadow of a doubt it's two points dropped," MacPherson said. "The first half we have played really, really well. We worked extremely hard to put pressure on Motherwell as high up the park as we could. We should have been more ahead.

"I'm not going to say the penalty changed the game but it gave Motherwell hope.

"But we got ourselves into a winning position and that's the disappointment. We have not defended as well as we had done recently.

"The first one was just a simple ball into the box and we let it take a couple of bounces. That just gave Motherwell hope they could get something, which they did."

Motherwell manager Jim Gannon spent close to an hour in the changing room with his players discussing how they can improve for their Co-operative Insurance Cup quarter-final rematch on Tuesday night.

"I'm disappointed with myself and the way the team approached the game," Gannon said. "Before I look at the players I look at whether there are lessons to be learned.

"It wasn't an inquest, it's just that this is a game probably more than any other game we have got a lot to learn from.

"It was fortunate that we got the second goal when we did but the game was far from over at that point and it instilled a bit of life in our players. I think the substitutes gave us a little bit extra."

Gannon added: "Both sets of fans will be going away thinking 'what a game' with loads of emotions, and it's all set up nicely for Tuesday night."

The Motherwell boss revealed Steven Saunders had quickly recovered from the head knock that forced him off but Saints fear bad news on Tom Brighton, who was carried off on his first SPL start since August 2008.

MacPherson said: "He has twisted his knee in the turf which is never too good to see. I'd say it will be Monday or Tuesday before we know."