IT'S not often a manager can only criticise his player for scoring good goals.

But that was the issue Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson was faced with after James Scott bagged an impressive brace in his side's 3-0 win away at St Mirren.

The playmaker scored a stunner back in October - also against the Buddies - but his manager wants him to also chip in with the scrappier goals that win games.

"James is a boy I rate very highly," Robinson said.

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"We've asked for more of an end product from him, we need more goals and physicality but he showed that in abundance tonight.

"His problem is that he scores a lot of good goals! You have to be in there to score the goals nobody really remembers.

"But at the end of the season when you look at the tally, James can be anything he wants to be.

"If we can just fine-tune him, get him stronger and get his understanding better, there''s such raw talent there and he's a great boy to work with."

It was midway through the first-half before the game livened up.

And it was Scott with a warning sign of what would eventually come from his left boot.

The tricky player drove forward from the right-hand side before cutting in and drilling a shot goalwards.

Vaclav Hladky did well to hold onto it - which is more than what could be said just moments later.

Scott again found space down the right-flank and went with his trusty left peg.

An area opened up for the 19-year-old and he slid a clever finish into the bottom of Hladky's right-hand corner.

It appeared like Scott was expecting to be closed down but, instead, he happily took advantage of the space to score.

Up the other end, only a speculative Paul McGinn effort and a deflected Kyle Magennis strike - on his 100th appearance for the Buddies - threatened to force Mark Gillespie into action. Neither did.

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And the Saints were punished when Scott bagged his second.

Liam Polworth did well to rob Tony Andreu in central midfield and he watched as Scott darted across the St Mirren backline.

Officials ignored offside calls against Scott and the winger did terrifically well to lift the ball over Vaclav Hladky who had raced out to meet the attacker.

It could so easily have been a hat-trick for Scott minutes later when a Liam Grimshaw cross found him inside the area.

His glanced header fell just the wrong side of the post.

Not to be outshone in the second half, Scott's counterpart on the other wing, Jermaine Hylton, assisted 'Well's third after a brilliant, mazy run.

He beat two markers and sent the ball into the six-yard box where Scotland under-21 star Allan Campbell prodded home through a ruck of bodies to seal the points.

Devante Cole went close with a strike following a Polworth corner and Declan Gallagher flick. But Danny Mullen was on hand to nod the ball off the line.

A very late flurry forward for St Mirren wasn't enough to bring a consolation goal. 

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Danny Mullen clipped the post with a header in stoppage time before Tony Andreu had a decent hit clutched on the deck by Gillespie.

Gutted Jim Goodwin said: "The goals are terrible when you look back at them.

"Prior to the first goal I thought it was a fairly even game but the first goal zaps the life out of a few boys and it was a real poor reaction thereafter.

"Motherwell looked stronger and sharper than us. They deserved the victory and were the better team."