A GROUP of Motherwell fans invoked the spirit of Bob Marley yesterday.

'Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight,' their banner read. The players duly obliged, scrapping away to their first win of 2015, and inflicting on Inverness their first defeat of 2015. The three points arrived courtesy of an 84th minute winner from substitute Lionel Ainsworth, but not before the home side were left grimly hanging on with ten men following the dismissal of Simon Ramsden, in a match played out on a quagmire of a pitch amid incessant Lanarkshire rain.

There was just one problem. As they dragged their weary bodies off the pitch, Motherwell discovered that their main relegation rivals St Mirren and Ross County had both been victorious as well. Alas, the Lanarkshire side remained rock bottom of the SPFL Premiership, albeit with a game in hand on the Paisley side. It doesn't rain but it pours, you might say.

While Scott McDonald started up front on his return to Fir Park, the matchwinner's display of battling qualities was fuelled by his irritation at being relegated to the bench. The arrival of loan signings Conor Grant and Marvin Johnson from Everton and Kiddersminster respectively has meant Ainsworth becoming a peripheral figure, but he took his anger at this slight out on the Highlanders. When a corner kick alighted at his feet, he shifted the ball to his right and fired in a fierce low strike which would have troubled Ryan Esson even if it hadn't deflected off the leg of Ross Draper and deposited itself in the bottom corner of his net.

"I have been very disappointed for a while to be honest," said Ainsworth. "I was a bit gutted but I will go home, and take another goal for my tally. First and foremost it is the team but I'd love to think I could be more than just an impact substitute. I want to be playing every game. I am at an age where I think I should be playing every game. I know you have to wait for your time but hopefully I have taken that and can carry on from now until the end of the season."

A relieved Ian Baraclough eulogised about all of his players, including his goal hero, and made light of the fact that they remained bottom of the table. "There was a full range of emotions today, I can tell you," he said. "The biggest one was pleasure for the lads because it was a real effort not just from the 11 but those on the bench too. We can only take care of ourselves. We did that today and if we continue to do that we will be fine. Scott is just one of many senior players here now who are desperate to do well."

Both sides boasted brand new strikers in their line-ups. While McDonald joined Stephen Pearson in the massed ranks of Motherwell old boys, John Hughes reacted to the suspension of Marley Watkins by bringing in Edward Ofere, a one-time Nigerian striker whose last club was Sogndal in Norway. The 28-year-old did more than enough to suggest he will be an asset to his team, not least when he leapt to power in a fine Graeme Shinnie cross to equalise matters with 15 minutes left.

Although Motherwell had started the match on the front foot, and showed admirable courage late on, it was a minor travesty that the home side came away with all three points. The visitors struck the bar and post - the former was a 22 yard strike from Danny Williams, the latter a looping header from Ofere from a Nick Ross delivery - while Williams had a clear run on goal only to be defied by a combination of the underfoot conditions and an outstretched George Long arm. By the end of the second period, with Ramsden receiving his second yellow for a bad tackle on Ryan Christie, and Grant down with cramp, the hosts were living on their nerves with just nine men.

Hughes, who now turns his attentions to Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter final tie against Raith Rovers, spoke of his delight at Ofere, who had been thrown in after just a couple of training sessions. "Edward looks like he'll be an asset," said Hughes. "He's miles off full fitness but he leads the line really well. He lights a room up with his smile, he's a big gentle giant. I'm really pleased for him getting a goal and he'll be a good addition for us.

"The run was going to end sometime," said Hughes. "I thought we did enough to win the match but to get beaten by the goal that we did, a wicked deflection right into the bottom corner, is part and parcel of football. We have plenty to go our way this season so we just need to take it on the chin."

Motherwel (4-1-3-2): Long; Law, Laing, McManus, Ramsden; Lasley; Grant, Pearson, Johnson (Ainsworth 79); Pearson; McDonald (Sutton 67), Erwin (Moore 76). Subs not used: Twardzik, Carswell, Ainsworth, Sutton, Kerr, Moore, Thomas Booked: Pearson 26, Ramsden 33. Sent off: Ramsden 87

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (4-2-3-1): Esson; Raven, Devine, Meekings, Shinnie; Draper, Tansey; Ross (Doran 73), Christie, Williams (Ferguson 58); Ofere. Subs not used: MacKay; Doran, Horner, Tremarco, Polworth, Sutherland. Booked: Draper 55, Tansey 59

Referee: A Muir Att: 3,508