- Scottish Premier League
- 28 April 2012, 3:00pm
- Fir Park
- Attendance: 4,743
Motherwell | v | St Johnstone |
5
| 1
|
live commentary
Match ends, Motherwell 5, St Johnstone 1.
90+2 mins:Second Half ends, Motherwell 5, St Johnstone 1.
87 mins:Goal! Motherwell 5, St Johnstone 1. Henrik Ojamaa (Motherwell) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner.
86 mins:Substitution, Motherwell. Ross Forbes replaces Keith Lasley.
86 mins:Attempt missed. Derek Riordan (St Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
86 mins:Foul by Tim Clancy (Motherwell).
86 mins:Marcus Haber (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
85 mins:Attempt missed. Michael Higdon (Motherwell) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
85 mins:Alan Maybury (St Johnstone) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
84 mins:Foul by Alan Maybury (St Johnstone).
84 mins:Henrik Ojamaa (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
83 mins:Goal! Motherwell 4, St Johnstone 1. Henrik Ojamaa (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
82 mins:Foul by Alan Maybury (St Johnstone).
82 mins:Michael Higdon (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
81 mins:Substitution, Motherwell. Stuart Carswell replaces Steven Jennings.
81 mins:Substitution, Motherwell. Henrik Ojamaa replaces Jamie Murphy.
80 mins:Foul by Marcus Haber (St Johnstone).
80 mins:Tim Clancy (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
78 mins:Attempt saved. Jack Compton (St Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.
75 mins:Substitution, St Johnstone. James Keatings replaces Liam Craig.
70 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Michael Higdon tries a through ball, but Michael Higdon is caught offside.
69 mins:Foul by Alan Maybury (St Johnstone).
69 mins:Nicky Law (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
67 mins:Murray Davidson (St Johnstone) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
67 mins:Foul by Murray Davidson (St Johnstone).
67 mins:Steven Jennings (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
66 mins:Foul by Derek Riordan (St Johnstone).
66 mins:Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
65 mins:Offside, St Johnstone. Marcus Haber tries a through ball, but Marcus Haber is caught offside.
64 mins:Attempt saved. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.
64 mins:Attempt saved. Michael Higdon (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
63 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
62 mins:Foul by Marcus Haber (St Johnstone).
62 mins:Tim Clancy (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
61 mins:Foul by Nicky Law (Motherwell).
61 mins:Alan Maybury (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
60 mins:Foul by Tim Clancy (Motherwell).
60 mins:Marcus Haber (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
59 mins:Goal! Motherwell 3, St Johnstone 1. Liam Craig (St Johnstone) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
59 mins:Penalty conceded by Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell) after a foul in the penalty area.
59 mins:Penalty St Johnstone. Marcus Haber draws a foul in the penalty area.
57 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
55 mins:Attempt saved. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
55 mins:Attempt saved. Liam Craig (St Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.
54 mins:Foul by Tom Hateley (Motherwell).
54 mins:Liam Craig (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
54 mins:Substitution, St Johnstone. Jack Compton replaces David Robertson.
53 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Jamie Murphy tries a through ball, but Jamie Murphy is caught offside.
52 mins:Goal! Motherwell 3, St Johnstone 0. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
51 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Nicky Law tries a through ball, but Nicky Law is caught offside.
50 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
48 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Jamie Murphy tries a through ball, but Jamie Murphy is caught offside.
47 mins:Foul by David McCracken (St Johnstone).
47 mins:Michael Higdon (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
Second Half begins Motherwell 2, St Johnstone 0.
45+1 mins:First Half ends, Motherwell 2, St Johnstone 0.
45 mins:Attempt missed. Marcus Haber (St Johnstone) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
44 mins:Foul by Michael Higdon (Motherwell).
44 mins:Alan Maybury (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
43 mins:Corner, St Johnstone.
43 mins:Attempt saved. David Robertson (St Johnstone) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved.
41 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
40 mins:Foul by David Robertson (St Johnstone).
40 mins:Steven Hammell (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
39 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
38 mins:Foul by Keith Lasley (Motherwell).
38 mins:Murray Davidson (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
37 mins:Foul by Marcus Haber (St Johnstone).
37 mins:Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
34 mins:Attempt saved. Derek Riordan (St Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
34 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
33 mins:Attempt saved. Michael Higdon (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
29 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Jamie Murphy tries a through ball, but Jamie Murphy is caught offside.
29 mins:Attempt saved. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved.
28 mins:Attempt saved. Chris Humphrey (Motherwell) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved.
28 mins:Foul by Keith Lasley (Motherwell).
28 mins:David Robertson (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
27 mins:Corner, Motherwell.
26 mins:Foul by Michael Higdon (Motherwell).
26 mins:David McCracken (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
25 mins:Foul by Michael Higdon (Motherwell).
25 mins:David Robertson (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
23 mins:Foul by Frazer Wright (St Johnstone).
23 mins:Michael Higdon (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
22 mins:Attempt missed. Derek Riordan (St Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right from a direct free kick.
21 mins:Foul by Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell).
21 mins:Marcus Haber (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
20 mins:Goal! Motherwell 2, St Johnstone 0. Nicky Law (Motherwell) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal.
18 mins:Foul by Michael Higdon (Motherwell).
18 mins:Steven Anderson (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
17 mins:Goal! Motherwell 1, St Johnstone 0. Michael Higdon (Motherwell) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
16 mins:Steven Anderson (St Johnstone) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
16 mins:Penalty conceded by Steven Anderson (St Johnstone) after a foul in the penalty area.
16 mins:Penalty Motherwell. Chris Humphrey draws a foul in the penalty area.
15 mins:Foul by Shaun Hutchinson (Motherwell).
15 mins:Marcus Haber (St Johnstone) wins a free kick.
15 mins:Foul by Murray Davidson (St Johnstone).
15 mins:Steven Jennings (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
14 mins:Hand ball by Liam Craig (St Johnstone).
13 mins:Attempt missed. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
12 mins:Offside, St Johnstone. Derek Riordan tries a through ball, but Derek Riordan is caught offside.
12 mins:Corner, St Johnstone.
11 mins:Attempt saved. Derek Riordan (St Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.
11 mins:Attempt saved. Steven Anderson (St Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
10 mins:Foul by Steven Anderson (St Johnstone).
10 mins:Chris Humphrey (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
7 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Jamie Murphy tries a through ball, but Jamie Murphy is caught offside.
7 mins:Foul by Frazer Wright (St Johnstone).
7 mins:Michael Higdon (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
7 mins:Offside, Motherwell. Jamie Murphy tries a through ball, but Jamie Murphy is caught offside.
6 mins:Foul by Liam Craig (St Johnstone).
6 mins:Tom Hateley (Motherwell) wins a free kick.
6 mins:Attempt missed. Jamie Murphy (Motherwell) right footed shot from long range on the left misses to the right.
5 mins:Attempt missed. Murray Davidson (St Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
- Scottish Premier League
- 28 April 2012, 3:00pm
- Fir Park
- Attendance: 4,743
| Motherwell | v | St Johnstone |
5
| 1
|
match report
Motherwell thrashed St Johnstone 5-1 at Fir Park on Saturday to clinch a European place and strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot.
Two goals in three first-half minutes from Michael Higdon and Nicky Law put Motherwell in command and Jamie Murphy scored the pick of their goals with a volley just after the interval.
Liam Craig pulled one back from the spot but substitute Henrik Ojamaa netted two late goals on the break as Motherwell moved five points clear in third place in the SPL.
A late equaliser for Hearts against Dundee United in the lunchtime kick-off had prevented Motherwell dropping out of the top three for only the second time this season and they capitalised on their closest rivals' slip-up emphatically.
The win moved Motherwell eight points above St Johnstone and nine above Hearts and, with both of those clubs playing each other in the final three games, Motherwell cannot finish outside the top five.
Third place is well within their grasp too with their front players, especially Chris Humphrey, finding form. They also benefited from the restoration of the midfield partnership of Steve Jennings and Keith Lasley following recent suspensions to record their first win in five games.
St Johnstone were without Cillian Sheridan as well as his suspended strike partner Francisco Sandaza and they never recovered from the two-goal burst.
Murphy was restored to the side in a forward position and curled just wide of the far corner from 20 yards in the fifth minute but St Johnstone edged the opening exchanges.
With Marcus Haber up front alone, their midfielders were getting the chance to run at the home defence and Darren Randolph saved decent long-range efforts from David Robertson and Derek Riordan.
The key first-half moment came when Motherwell were awarded a disputed penalty after Steven Anderson was adjudged to have brought down Humphrey just inside the box.
Humphrey had got away from Craig, who failed to bring him down, and ran at Anderson, who slipped as Humphrey put the ball past him before falling over his body.
Although it did not look deliberate, Humphrey was impeded and referee Bobby Madden was well-placed to point to the spot before Higdon sent Alan Mannus the wrong way.
Humphrey created Motherwell's second three minutes later with some good skill on the bye-line before driving the ball across the face of goal for Law to slide home from close range. Riordan curled a free-kick just wide but Saints were struggling to cope with Motherwell's attacks and Humphrey in particular.
The right winger saw another dangerous low cross cut out before meeting a ball from the opposite flank and drawing an excellent one-handed save from Mannus, who held Murphy's follow-up.
Murphy then found space down the left before cutting inside to pass to Higdon, whose flicked effort on the stretch from 18 yards was touched just wide by Mannus.
Randolph saved another long-range Riordan strike and then came off his line quickly to block from Robertson before the break.
The home side extended their lead seven minutes after the restart with an impressive finish from Murphy.
Tom Hateley dug out a cross from the right which the former Scotland Under-21 forward powerfully volleyed into the corner of the net from 16 yards.
Murphy soon had a great chance for number four when David McCracken missed Randolph's kick-out but the forward's attempted lob lacked conviction and Mannus pushed the ball away.
Saints got a lifeline on the hour mark when Madden ruled Shaun Hutchinson had fouled Haber as the striker tried to turn the defender inside the box. Craig sent Randolph the wrong way.
Mannus saved Higdon's shot on the turn and Murphy's curler as Motherwell set out to finish the game off.
Saints lacked ideas going forward and Ojamaa finished the game off in the 84th minute after another assist from Humphrey.
The Jamaican-born wide man sprinted away from Jody Morris and picked out Ojamaa in the box with the Estonian taking a touch before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
Ojamaa grabbed another three minutes later when he cut in from the left and fired the ball under the body of Mannus, who could not prevent the ball crossing the line as the assistant flagged for the goal.
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