Motherwell leapt to fourth in the Scottish Premiership after edging out Dundee United in a pulsating seven-goal thriller.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos goals either side of Andy Halliday's bundled effort had Motherwell ahead at the break, despite Sam Dalby's penalty leveller.

United striker Dalby got another one back after an Aston Oxborough mistake, but Tom Sparrow's brilliant finish looked to have killed the game off.

Louis Moult's 88th-minute header looked to have set up a tense finale, but Motherwell held on to leapfrog their visitors who drop to fifth.

It took Motherwell only 46 seconds to open the scoring, when Marvin Kaleta reacted quickly to a loose ball, fired a cross in and Stamatelopoulos turned it in from a few yards out.

The lead did not last long. Moult was caught in the box after collecting a cross and, after a video assistant referee review, Dalby stepped up to equalise - and became the Premiership's top scorer in the process.

It took a little longer for the third goal to come and it came from more good work from Kaleta on the right. Twisting and turning, he picked out Harry Paton at the back-post, who in turn found Halliday to turn home from a yard out.

Stamatelopoulos added to the hosts' lead before the break, rising nicely to divert a Tawanda Maswanhise cross.

While Motherwell were clinical at the front, they gifted United a goal in the second half when Oxborough failed to deal with Glenn Middleton's deflected cross, with the ball bouncing off Dalby and in.

The game was almost level when Middleton then picked out Moult in the middle, but his placed effort was turned onto the bar by Oxborough, making amends for his earlier gaffe.

Motherwell breathed a sigh of relief, went up the pitch, and scored. Stamatelopoulos turned creator, laying the ball off nicely to Sparrow who finished cooly with the outside of his foot.

However, it was a nervy final few minutes after Moult powered in a header, but United never came close to another goal.

Stuart Kettlewell's critics have, recently, become a little louder in their opinions on the Motherwell manager but last weekend's last-gasp win over St Mirren quietened them down.

The performance against United should do the same. Instead of the long, direct play that had plagued performances over November, they chose to knock the ball about and get the best out of Paton and Lennon Miller.

There also seemed to be a connection between player-of-the-match Stamatelopoulos and Maswanhise, as well as an imposing figure on the right in Kaleta.

Defensive frailties were still there, though. A silly penalty and a goalkeeping error threatened to let United back in.

The emergence of Stamatelopoulos as the main striker will be a relief for Kettlewell. The manager needed to fill the Theo Bair-shaped hole up top and it looks like the Australian striker is starting to find his feet.

Even the most ardent of United fans might admit that this season they have excelled up the table without displaying the most eye-catching football.

Results tend to be ground out, and one of their big strengths is their mentality and their consistency - something the other teams around them have not managed.

However, their five-match unbeaten run is now over after they conceded three first-half goals that were all far too easy.

Each time, Motherwell attackers were either allowed too much space in the box or just reacted quicker to loose balls.

Once again though, they threatened when Middleton was able to get forward and when he's allowed to find Dalby, it tends to be a dangerous combination.

Motherwell assistant manager Stephen Frail: "It's a tough league and to get two wins back-to-back after three defeats in a row is really pleasing. There's tonnes for us to be pleased about, but there's tonnes for us to be trying to fix for the next game.

"I've heard some of that 'long ball' stuff and that we don't play to the talents of Lennon Miller. He's been outstanding and he isn't outstanding if we play long-ball. We're not a long ball team and we try and play the right way."

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin: "It was a strange game. It's as poor as we've defended the box all season. It could have been another two goals for each team, it was very end-to-end.

"Both teams, looking at the goals they've conceded, will be very disappointed. Our defensive record prior to today has been excellent, one of the best in the league. Today, for whatever reason, we didn't defend the box well enough."