Motherwell boss blasts 'keystone cops' defending in Saints defeat

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell blasted St Johnstone's winner as 'keystone cops' as they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Fir Park this afternoon.

But Kettlewell says the positive from Motherwell's point of view is that their Premiership status was secured weeks ago.

Goals from Nicky Clark and Adama Sidibeh had St Johnstone 2-0 up, having seen keeper Dimitar Mitov save Theo Bair's penalty just after the half-hour.

Motherwell had a goal-mouth scramble in which Bair and Lennon Miller's shots were cleared off the line, and Blair Spittal hit the left post with a rifled shot - but it wasn't to be their day.

Kettlewell said: "It's a disappointing way for us to end the season, it really was. I just felt that the two goals were so avoidable.

"It was a brilliant piece of quality from Graham Carey for their first goal, but for me, looking back at it, we get it wrong in the middle of the pitch. We should fill in an area, we don't, and the ball springs wide to Graham.

"I played with Graham, I know the quality he has in his left foot, and it's just too easy. It's a great ball and a good finish that comes with it.

"But the second goal was what I would call keystone cops from our point of view. We have to deal with it 100 times better than we do, and if I'm being honest that has been our Achilles heel this season, conceding cheap goals, conceding silly goals.

"We obviously miss a penalty, and we have a host of chances in the second half, but we stopped getting to areas where we're a real threat.

"It's disappointing, I'm trying to be positive as always, but we didn't find ourselves in the position where we were looking to see if goals were being scored elsewhere and other results.

"We did that with a bit to spare, and that's testament to the players."

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