TWO games, two goals, six points.
Ian Baraclough's first seven days in Scottish football have certainly been productive and the numbers are starting to add up for Motherwell once again. After months of doom and gloom and head scratching, there is a silver lining in a season that was once overshadowed by a dark cloud.
For the second time in a week, John Sutton got the only goal of the game as Motherwell recorded a crucial 1-0 win, with Partick Thistle this time on the wrong end of the scoreline after Baraclough got his reign off to a perfect start with victory at St Mirren.
On a day when the Saints and Ross County both added to their tally, beating Dundee and drawing with Celtic respectively, the importance of the three points earned at Fir Park cannot be understated for Motherwell. They remain tenth in the Premiership standings, but now have Thistle within touching distance as they look to keep up the momentum that has been built in the opening days of a new reign at Fir Park.
"I am not worried about anyone else, I am really not," Baraclough said. "I concentrate on what we do and our performances. If, half an hour after, I find out the other results, fine. We can only do what we can and if we get the right performances and results then nobody can catch us. We want to be looking up the way."
Baraclough did not get everything his own way on his home debut, but the Fir Park crowd would still have headed for the exits more than satisfied as Sutton's 13th-minute penalty proved the difference.
The build-up was a sign of things to come as Lionel Ainsworth got the better of Stuart Bannigan, the Thistle midfielder again filling in at left-back. Ainsworth burst beyond his man and was fouled, with Sutton left to do the rest and find the bottom corner of the net.
It was just the start Thistle didn't want as they looked for a victory to give them a bit of breathing space in the Premiership table, but there was no immediate response. ManagerAlan Archibald shuffled his pack as Bannigan was relieved from his defensive duties and Christie Elliott took over, but as the Jags huffed and puffed, they never looked like blowing the Fir Park defence down.
It took until after the break for them to show any real threat in the final third, but even then Dan Twardzik in the Motherwell goal was hardly under siege. Gary Fraser tried his luck from distance, as did Steven Lawless, before Kris Doolan was twice denied by Keith Lasley as the pressure mounted on Motherwell.
They should have clinched it when Lee Erwin raced clear but, with only Paul Gallacher to beat, he found the side of the net rather than the back. In the end, it wouldn't matter.
The concession of late goals has blighted Thistle since their return to this level, but they couldn't inflict on Motherwell the same kind of scenario, with a late charge ultimately proving futile.
"We got into the final third, we got to the byeline a number of times and cut the ball back, but we chose the wrong option," Archibald said.
"It is concerning, especially if teams sit in and defend. Fair play to Motherwell, they threw their bodies on the line, but it is down to us to cut them open and work the goalkeeper more."
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