Thistle sink 'Well at the death

Lawless’s deflected 25-yard shot put Thistle above ’Well and Hamilton into seventh place in the table and left the Fir Parkers third bottom and only two points ahead of Kilmarnock in the relegation play-off spot.

Motherwell started promisingly enough with winger Marvin Johnson’s second minute cross flashing dangerously across the goal.

Thistle’s Lawless then shot just wide at the other end just a minute later.

The hosts wasted a great chance to go ahead on seven minutes when Dan Seaborne’s header from a corner went straight at ’Well keeper Connor Ripley.

After shooting into the side netting, ’Well’s Scott McDonald then produced a brilliant a brilliant 10th minute run which culminated in his final shot being blocked by Seaborne.

Louis Moult almost put Motherwell ahead on 43 minutes but his header from a Josh Law corner was blocked.

Another ’Well corner just before half-time saw a McDonald shot from close range blocked.

Other than that, the first half was a major disappointment with four bookings for Thistle (Miller, Seaborne, Bannigan and Osman) and one for Motherwell (Pearson).

The second half started with Pearson having a shot deflected wide after build-up work by McDonald and Johnson, before a double ’Well substitution saw new loan signing Morgaro Gomis replace Moult and Kieran Kennedy come on for the injured Ben Hall.

Thistle responded by putting on Mathias Pogba for Sean Welsh and David Amoo for Christie Elliott.

But the game exploded into life in the dying minutes with Ripley saving brilliantly from Callum Booth on 84 minutes.

However, the away keeper could do nothing to stop Lawless’s stunning 91st minute effort.

The Steelmen kept battling on though and almost levelled when McManus’s glanced header from an inswinging Stevie Hammell corner was cleared off the line by Gary Fraser.