Motherwell vs St Johnstone. Scottish Premiership.
Fir ParkAttendance4,412.
Motherwell 3
- C Slattery (39th minute)
- S Sprangler (40th minute own goal)
- T Sparrow (48th minute)
St Johnstone 2
- M Kirk (6th minute)
- E Watt (66th minute)
Motherwell 3-2 St Johnstone: Saints' Scottish Premiership survival hopes hit
Report as Motherwell beat St Johnstone 3-2; Makenzie Kirk opened the scoring, only for the hosts to reply via Callum Slattery and a Sven Sprangler own goal; Tom Sparrow struck for Motherwell before Elliot Watt netted for the visitors, who remain six points adrift of Ross County
Saturday 26 April 2025 20:52, UK
Motherwell scored two goals within a minute late in the first half to dent St Johnstone's dwindling survival hopes in a 3-2 win.
Saints took an early lead through Makenzie Kirk's eighth Premiership goal of the campaign.
However, a change of tactics from Michael Wimmer sparked a revival and helped secure a home victory that lifts Well up to seventh.
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Rock-bottom St Johnstone are six points adrift with only four games left to try and clamber their way into the play-off spot.
Josh McPake was handed his first league start of the season as Saints boss Simo Valakari stood by his vow to throw caution to the wind.
The bold move paid an instant dividend as the winger set up Kirk for a sixth-minute opener.
McPake took a lofted Graham Carey pass in stride to dart in from the left flank. Options awaited across goal but the clever cutback for Kirk's late arrival was best, with the former Hearts striker burying an emphatic first-time finish into the roof of the net.
Saints saw enough of the ball without threatening before Motherwell gradually got on top after switching to four at the back.
Callum Slattery had two cracks at goal without success, Andy Fisher doing well to divert one round the post, while Dan Casey fired a free header over from the corner.
Saints then conceded twice in quick succession from the 39th minute. From the left, Tony Watt picked out Slattery who nudged in front of Sven Sprangler to drill low beyond Fisher.
In a snapshot of their season, Saints failed to regain composure and another bustling Watt run opened them up again moments later.
His ball to the back post was met by Johnny Koutroumbis whose effort cannoned off the luckless Sprangler and over the line.
St Johnstone went close before the break through Carey's free-kick and a McPake header but could not get back on level terms
The home side then picked up the pace again after the interval and opened up a two-goal lead after 48 minutes.
Dominic Thompson overpowered Stephen Duke-McKenna as the Saints wing-back dwelt on the ball inside his own penalty box, and Tom Sparrow was able to steer home from seven yards from his team-mate's assist.
Valakari turned to substitutes Uche Ikpeazu and Elliot Watt in the 58th minute, and the latter was the surprise route back into the game.
Comeback striker Ikpeazu was denied in a close-range scramble by Ellery Balcombe, but Watt made it 3-2 in the 66th minute after gathering from McPake and finding the bottom corner with a fine strike from the edge of the area.
Motherwell boss Wimmer fumed at the amount of stoppage time but six minutes was not enough for the visitors.
What the managers said
Motherwell boss Michael Wimmer:
"I'm happy and proud that we won. It was a very tough and very tight game.
"I was satisfied with the last 25 minutes of the first half, then we started again very well for 3-1. But we have a lot more work and developing to do."
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari:
"We were in a difficult situation before the match and now we're in an even more difficult situation.
"We need some other results to go our way. But the key thing is still that we need to win our own matches.
"If we can't do that, it's goodbye. I would say that we need to win all four almost - and the next two are at home.
"There's no time to feel sorry for ourselves. The heads were not down after the game. The players were very upbeat. We don't have any other choice. The fight is still on.
"It's the story of our season. It's difficult to win when you concede three goals, especially in a short period like that. You can't have these five minutes that we have."
