St Johnstone 2-1 Motherwell: Late sickener condemns Steelmen to defeat

Saints’ Callum Hendry scored a brilliant stoppage-time winner – his second of the match after levelling van Veen’s fine opener – to leave the struggling Steelmen still searching for their first league success since Boxing Day.

Yet that sad statistic had looked a good bet to be extinguished in the 12th minute when van Veen netted in front of a boisterous away support in Perth.

There appeared little danger when the Dutch striker received the ball with his back to goal but he turned his man and sprinted into space before sending in a shot which bounced into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

But Saints equalised nine minutes later when Melker Hallberg’s delivery from the right saw Hendry run across his marker to nod into the top corner at the near post.

And the Saints striker had the final say as his sixth goal in 10 games since returning from a loan spell at Kilmarnock moved the Perth side four points clear of Dundee at the bottom of the table.

The two first half goals earlier in this cagey contest had lit up a scrappy start but ’Well midfielder Dean Cornelius was at least at the heart of some accurate passing moves from the visitors as the first half neared its conclusion.

One of these ended with Connor Shields – part of a three-pronged attack with van Veen and Joe Efford – having a weak attempt stopped before Efford miscued his attempted volley from the rebound.

Van Veen and Dan Cleary were both yellow carded after an off-the-ball incident which left the Motherwell striker on the ground holding his head towards the end of the half.

The first half hour of the second period lacked any excitement.

The home team had the better of the early battles without ever threatening and Scotland fullback Stephen O'Donnell shot about 15 yards wide in Motherwell's first attack of the half.

Stevie May and Jacob Butterfield had come on for Saints before the Steelmen fans got the first substitution they had been calling for in the 77th minute.

Kaiyne Woolery came on for Jake Carroll as ’Well switched to a 4-2-4 and the substitute hit a post two minutes later with a powerful shot from out wide which took a slight deflection. Van Veen soon had a free-kick stopped and Liam Gordon headed over at the other end.

Woolery was booked for diving in the box following a delayed fall after launching a promising counter-attack before Hendry scored his last gasp stunner.

Van Veen came close to another brilliant goal but Zander Clark leapt to tip over the Dutchman's free-kick.

St Johnstone: Clark, Gordon, McCart, Cleary, Davidson (Butterfield 74), Rooney (Brown 88), Hallberg, Crawford, Gallacher, Ciftci (May 66), Hendry.

Motherwell: Kelly, Ojala, Lamie, Solholm Johansen, O’Donnell, Cornelius, Donnelly, Carroll (Woolery 77), Efford, van Veen, Shields.

Referee: David Munro

Crowd: 3772