Saints came back from a goal behind to take all three points but the Perth men
had to thank a dreadful fumble by home keeper Mikko Kaven for their winner.
It was only Motherwell's second home defeat of the season but things looked to
be going their way when they opened the scoring after 27 minutes.
On loan star John Spencer curled in the corner kick for Owen Coyle to head
back across goal allowing Derek Adams to nod home his second goal of the season
from two yards.
The lead was short lived though and within four minutes Saints had drawn
level.
Paul Kane nodded the ball down for Patrick Connolly who found himself at a
tight angle but still managed to hammer the ball low and hard across the keeper
and into the far corner of the net.
The home side should have restored their lead after 52 minutes when John
McQuillan bundled into the back of Adams at the edge of the six-yard box.
The Saints full-back was booked for his protest but he need not have bothered
as Coyle stepped up to blast the penalty kick high over the crossbar.
Saints took heart from their escape and with 18 minutes left grabbed the
winner in unexpected fashion.
Gerry McMahon tried his luck from outside the box but it seemed to pose no
problem for the keeper until Kaven inexplicably fumbled the ball onto his own
goal-line and before he could recover Saints substitute Roddy Grant nipped in to
hammer the ball into the net for the eventual winner.
Motherwell, with a proud home record this season, rallied hard in the closing
minutes but apart from a shot from Simo Valakari which Alan Main dived to hold,
Motherwell never looked like recovering from their double disaster.
Teams:
Motherwell: Kaven, May (Nevin 63), McMillan,
McGowan (Michels 82), Brannan, Valakari, Coyle, Thomas, Doesburg,
Adams (McCulloch 63), Spencer.
Subs Not Used: Christie, Bannister.
Booked: Spencer, May, McMillan.
Goals: Adams 27.
St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Dasovic, Kernaghan, O'Neil, Kane,
McMahon, Connolly (McAnespie 87), Griffin, Dods,
Lowndes (Grant 56).
Subs Not Used: McCulloch, Robertson, Simao.
Booked: McQuillan, Lowndes, Griffin.
Goals: Connolly 31, Grant 72.
Att: 5,700
Ref: W Young (Clarkston).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook