Motherwell prolonged their unbeaten run to eight matches with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Fir Park.
Elijah Simply opened the scoring within the twenty seventh minute, however the hosts have been made to sweat after passing up a number of possibilities to increase their benefit.
Though they have been on the again foot for a lot of the afternoon, the Dons struck a put up twice as Kevin Nisbet and Toyosi Olusanya each went agonisingly shut.
The Steelmen lastly sealed the three factors in added time following a well-worked passing transfer between Emmanuel Longelo and Sam Nicholson, who noticed his cross deflected into the online by Jordan McGhee.
Motherwell have been with out Lukas Fadinger, serving the primary of his two-match suspension following his dismissal in opposition to Rangers. The Austrian was changed by Oscar Priestman, whereas Tom Sparrow got here in for Stephen O’Donnell.
Peter Leven handed debuts to his 4 January signings as Aberdeen returned to motion for the primary time in over a fortnight. Goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit, Tom McIntyre, Dennis Geiger and Afeez Aremu have been all given their first begins for the Pittodrie facet.
The match started in a downpour, with the Fir Park floor displaying the affect of weeks of heavy rain.
Bratveit was known as into motion for the primary time within the sixth minute when he batted away Priestman’s highly effective strike.
The hosts have been displaying loads of attacking intent and Callum Slattery was subsequent to work Bratveit with an effort that was comfortably smothered by the keeper.
Aberdeen steadily labored their method into the sport and within the seventeenth minute Nisbet’s low drive was tipped on to a put up by Calum Ward, however a lot to the bemusement of the striker referee David Dickinson awarded a goal-kick.
The Steelmen broke the impasse within the twenty seventh minute. Stephen Welsh picked out Simply with a superbly-weighted move and the New Zealand worldwide stored his composure to slam his end past Bratveit.
Elijah Simply celebrates after placing Motherwell forward within the first-half
Minutes later Simply nearly added a second after connecting with Longelo’s cross. His first effort was effectively saved earlier than a mixture of McIntyre and Liam Morrison made a vital block from the rebound.
The house facet have been enjoying with a swagger. Tawanda Maswanhise’s chic through-ball discovered Simply, who lower the ball again for Ibrahim Mentioned, however he one way or the other turned it broad with the aim gaping.
A lung-busting run from Maswanhise noticed him dart previous McIntyre earlier than arrowing a shot inches previous a put up.
Morrison spurned an enormous likelihood to stage within the fiftieth minute. Lyall Cameron’s free-kick skipped off the top of Priestman and into the trail of Morrison, who was unable to direct his diving header heading in the right direction.
Maswanhise had scored in six successive video games earlier than his streak ended in opposition to Rangers. Nevertheless, he was trying within the temper to get again among the many targets, firing simply over, then narrowly broad throughout one other spell of Effectively strain.
An error from Ward nearly gifted Aberdeen an equaliser halfway by means of the second half. The keeper spilled a cross into the trail of Olusanya, who blasted in opposition to a put up.
Jens Berthel Askou launched Eythor Bjorgolfsson and Regan Charles-Prepare dinner as he regarded to place the sport past doubt.
The latter nearly offered a second aim when he fizzed the ball past Bratveit, just for it to journey alongside the aim line and away to security.
Aberdeen have been nonetheless very a lot within the contest, although, and Cameron’s cost ahead ended with a strong strike broad of the goal.
The sport was lastly put to mattress two minutes into added time when Nicholson’s cross right into a sea of our bodies was diverted into the online by McGhee.
Aberdeen’s Tom McIntyre (R) scored an personal aim in opposition to Motherwell
