Callum SlatteryImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Callum Slattery's double earned Motherwell an important point

Watch Motherwell v St Mirren highlights on iPlayer

16/03/25

Motherwell dropped out of the Scottish Premiership top six despite scrapping back from two goals down to draw against St Mirren.

With each side gunning for a spot in the upper half of the table, this was a shootout of attacking endeavour, spectacle and incident.

The visitors, who had not beaten Motherwell since September 2023, cantered into a two-goal lead, with the speed and power of their forward line pivotal.

Toyosi Olusanya bustled into the home box and cut back for Caolan Boyd-Munce, whose 20-yard effort took a wild deflection en route to the net.

Killian Phillips slammed home the second after Marcus Fraser's looping delivery found him on the edge of the area. A cushion on the chest, and a swipe of his left boot later, St Mirren doubled up.

Within 90 seconds, Motherwell responded. Ellery Balcome whacked downfield, where Callum Slattery beat Alex Gogic to the ball, then bamboozled Alex Iacovitti before stabbing beautifully beyond Zach Hemming.

Gogic and new Scotland call-up Lennon Miller menaced in either box before the interval, but the second half delivered fewer opportunities and more chaos.

Boyd-Munce was carried off after a sickening aerial clash. Ellery Balcombe wiped out team-mate Liam Gordon and Olusanya as he raced out to clear.

Slattery, however, provided another telling moment.

Latching on to a ricocheted Tony Watt knockdown, he flashed, first time, low into the net from 18 yards.

Olusanya continued to career around the Motherwell half and, already on a yellow card, he thundered into Dan Casey. Referee Grant Irvine brandished another.

In a chaotic endgame, 14 minutes of additional time were played, but Motherwell could not stun their depleted guests.

Gogic had the best opening in the dying embers, arrowing a header into the Davie Cooper Stand from a corner.

Slattery's goals keep Motherwell three points clear of St Mirren, though they fall one behind sixth-placed Hearts in the quest to reach the top half.

Slattery applies killer touch

In the early throes of Michael Wimmer's rein, Motherwell are playing attractive football, with teenage kingpin Miller their fulcrum in the middle of the paddock.

What they needed - and lacked for spells of this contest - was a ruthless streak when they worked their way into the attacking third.

How Slattery provided it; his two finishes predatory and precious in equal measure.

The first was sumptuously created and clinically finished. The second opportunistic and instinctive, running on to the ball and sweeping it in.

Slattery's goals will hearten Wimmer, though he will harbour frustrations over how easily his team were opened up by St Mirren's direct passes into the channels and the physicality of their front two.

Paisley frontmen bring the fire

In some senses, this was a clash of styles. Where Motherwell relied on the intricacy and accuracy of their passing game, St Mirren looked to spring their explosive frontmen early and often.

Shorn of the injured Mikael Mandron, Jonah Ayunga was deployed alongside Olusanya, and the two were a potent cocktail of pace, panache and skill.

Ayunga bossed the aerial exchanges and showed flashes of class with his link-up play, often looking to introduce the energetic Ryan Alebiosu down the right flank.

Olusanya, linked with Rangers this week, has the raw speed and all-action style to fluster defences. He also plays with full-blooded dynamism.

Irvine clearly saw the speed of the challenge and the damage wrought upon Casey, but a second yellow seemed harsh on the striker.

It was a telling combination, if not quite a winning one.

What they said

Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer: "A draw is okay. The first 25-30 minutes, they had more energy and more power.

"The character was very good after going 2-0 down. In the end, we missed a chance to be more bold and create more chances.

"The spectators saw 114 minutes of power football."

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It was an opportunity wasted.

"Motherwell had two shots the whole game and scored both, had no corners, we didn't feel they were any threat whatsoever but managing the game has been a problem for us.

"I'm a million miles away from that decision [to send off Olusanya], it looked to me like it was just a coming together of two people running at pace.

"We showed great character and were the better team even when down to 10 men, as we were all day."