STUART KETTLEWELL has praised the character of the Motherwell players after they ground out their 2-1 win over St Mirren to move the Steelmen up to ninth in the table.

The interim Motherwell manager said that the embattled squad showed what they were made of as they stood up to a Saints comeback from two goals down, eventually seeing out the win with a mix of graft and defensive backbone that has long been missing from the side.

“I was delighted,” Kettlewell said.

“Delighted to win at the game, firstly, because it’s been a while since winning one here. It was a great feeling for the players and the supporters going home.
“We were looking for a result, of course, but it was also about how they followed the game plan. That was a good feeling for me at the side.

“You talk about how to get the supporters onside. You put your body on the line, you run the extra yards and cover your mates.

“I’ve been working with young players recently and you try to get that across. You might think you are the cleverest guy in the room when it comes to tactics and so on, but those are the fundamentals.

“Then you can add layers and be cuter and clever once you have earned the right to play.

“We’d love to pass the ball but you need the platform.”

Meanwhile, St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson slammed his own players after feeling they were beaten at their own game.

“I’m obviously disappointed, disappointed with the first 20 minute performance,” Robinson said. “They did to us what we usually do to other teams. They landed on more second balls and put balls into good areas.

“We gave ourselves a lifeline with the goal but ultimately I don’t think we deserved anything from the game. Sometimes you get nights like that. 

“Motherwell’s start didn’t surprise me. They’re a team fighting for their lives so it shouldn’t surprise anyone. We didn’t cope with it in the first 20 minutes. We played in front of them way too much. 

“As a collective we know it wasn’t up to our usual standard.”