St Mirren make their point during frenetic final act at Fir Park

Graeme Macpherson

Football Writer

Monday 27 August 2012

THIS was a reward for perseverance.

Substitute Thomas Reilly celebrates his late equaliser yesterday. Picture: SNS

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Graeme Macpherson

St Mirren fell behind early on at Fir Park and then spent the rest of the 90 or so minutes searching for an equaliser. Just when it looked as if their dominance would count for nothing and having spurned chance after chance, their luck finally turned two minutes into added time. Gary Teale swung in a cross from the right, Steven Thompson's header was parried by Darren Randolph and 17-year-old substitute Thomas Reilly was on hand to sweep in a shot to draw his team level. The final whistle sounded not long after and St Mirren celebrated as if it were a victory. This was a hard-fought point and no mistake.

Motherwell could have little gripes about the result – they were second best for most of the match – but had plenty to say about the decision to send off Shaun Hutchinson two minutes from time. The defender, who was also sent off against Levante in midweek in the first leg of their Europa League play-off, had been booked moments earlier for mouthing off at Thompson after yet another aerial tussle between the pair, then had the red card flashed in his face for a late tackle on Reilly. Motherwell thought that Hutchinson had got enough of the ball and the home crowd let referee Euan Norris know all about it come full-time."I thought he won the ball but if he didn't then it's [no more than] a foul," said Stuart McCall, the Motherwell manager. "If we're giving out yellow cards for challenges like that we're going to be in trouble. The lad's inconsolable in there."The home side also thought a throw-in decision should also have gone their way in the build-up to the equalising goal, while there was anger, too, that St Mirren elected not to return the ball after play had been stopped to allow treatment for Hutchinson just before the defender's first booking. "That's on their conscience now," said Randolph. "That will be remembered for the next game if something like that happens again. I'm sure it will come back and get them, but today they got away with it."It will seem like little consolation given the concession of such a late goal, but the draw at least ensures Motherwell remain unbeaten four matches into the league season. McCall's side now need to overcome a 2-0 first-leg defeat by Levante on Thursday if they are to force their way into the group phase of the Europa League and only the most optimistic of Motherwell fans would wager the house on that, especially given their ever-growing list of injured players.They could not have wished for a better start yesterday, however. Marc McAusland failed to adequately deal with a routine ball forward, and Michael Higdon got the better of Lee Mair to rattle a shot low past Craig Samson from just inside the box. Barely 70 seconds of the match had elapsed.St Mirren shoulders sagged despondently but not for long. Stung by the early setback, the visitors went on to enjoy an extended spell of possession, zipping the ball quickly across the wet turf. Some neat interplay by David van Zanten and Sam Parkin concluded with a Paul McGowan shot that Randolph parried, with Thompson just beaten to the rebound.The striker then got on the end of a deep Graham Carey cross but couldn't direct his header on target, while Randolph was fortunate that his decision to wander around the penalty box chasing a loose ball went unpunished. This was an encouraging spell for St Mirren even if it failed to deliver the equalising goal they desperately craved.An open game ebbed from end to end. Jamie Murphy's darting run from his own half created an opening for Henrik Ojamaa who flashed a shot wide, before the same player dribbled in a low shot from a tight angle that Samson did well to snare. St Mirren responded through Kenny McLean but the midfielder mishit his shot.The second half followed a similar pattern; St Mirren seeing a lot of the ball and Motherwell threatening mainly on the counter attack. McLean rasped in a left-foot shot that Randolph did well to shovel around the post before a second attempt almost deceived the goalkeeper before drifting just over the bar. Then came the frenetic finale, with Motherwell's frustration at Hutchinson's red card compounded by the loss of a late equaliser. Danny Lennon, who will be looking at a foreign left-sided player on trial this week, felt it was the least his side merited. "We deserved something," said the St Mirren manager. "Our response to falling behind early on was top drawer."

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St Mirren make their point during frenetic final act at Fir Park

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