St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright felt his players’ desire was the crucial difference after they edged past Motherwell 2-1 to end a nine-game run without victory.
Saints slipped out of the Ladbrokes Premiership top six last weekend and failed to threaten Motherwell before the visitors took a 33rd-minute lead when Louis Moult headed home James McFadden’s corner.
But David Wotherspoon fired an excellent strike inside Connor Ripley’s near post 10 minutes later and Saints finished the game the better side before getting their rewards when Tam Scobbie headed home Simon Lappin’s last-minute free-kick.
The victory, their first since early December, pushed them back up to fifth place.
Wright said: “I’m pleased for the players and proud of them as well because at 1-0 there were a few jitters around the ground. I suppose with the levels of success we have had, that’s to be expected.
“But we showed character to get back in the game and keep going right to the end.
“It was never a pretty game, it was never going to be, and we came out the right side of it.
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“In the end we showed that wee bit more desire to go and win the game and that’s what got us over the line.”
Motherwell manager Mark McGhee felt there was some naivety at play as his side lost the late goal.
On-loan Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ripley tried to launch a counter-attack by throwing the ball out to Chris Cadden, but was too forceful and teenager Ben Hall fouled John Sutton from the resulting throw-in to set up the chance.
“It was our own making,” said McGhee. “Connor has got the ball in his hands and decides to throw it to get Cads away. To what end, I’m not sure. He makes a bad decision to throw it out.
“On saying that, Connor has been brilliant for us. He’s a fantastic goalie and he is going to go back a better goalie than he came here.
“But he has got to learn from something like that. There is 89 minutes on the clock, if he kicks the ball up the park maybe we get the winning goal.
“Then when the throw-in comes back in, there are some tired legs, young Ben gets the wrong side, sticks out a leg and gives away an unnecessary free-kick. We can’t afford to do that.
“In general it was fine. We played well enough, we played the conditions, it’s not a pitch you can play any football on. The commitment and attitude was good. If you don’t get a second goal you have got to be vigilant. We didn’t do well enough, we defended the free-kick too deep.”
Scobbie’s header was the sixth late goal Motherwell have shipped in 2016 and five of them have changed the result.
“When it goes as often as it has, we have to consider there is some way they are not thinking right,” McGhee said.
“I said a few things to them that I’m not going to repeat here because it’s personal, but it’s serious.
“Those last couple of minutes they have got to hear alarm bells ringing in their ears. There are certain things they cannot afford to do.
“It is a concern and we have to look at it, how we have lost the goals, see if there is a common thread and do as much as we can to stop it happening.”