Had they failed to find the will and the wherewithal to mount a comeback, which began with the head/shoulder of John Sutton and was capped by the nether regions of Bob Malcolm, Motherwell would have headed into their UEFA Cup tie as the bottom team in the league. Instead, their efforts ensured St Mirren dropped to that position and left McGhee sort-of satisfied.

"The players were asked a question at half time and they answered it," McGhee said. "We said now is the time we'll see who is prepared to step up and to a man they did better. It was a three-quarters performance in the first half. We're still making things hard for ourselves."

For Gus MacPherson, the final scoreline was hard to take on a day he maintained his side deserved to take something. He was left to curse the loss of two goals from set-pieces that rendered Billy Mehmet's opener redundant. And he was left to curse the legitimacy of a red-card shown to Franco Miranda. With 18 minutes remaining assistant Graham Roberts flagged to referee Steve Conroy that the defender had elbowed John Sutton.

Not so, revealed the striker afterwards, who said his rival had pushed away his arm which he was using to hold him off. "I don't think it was a red card," Sutton said. "The referee could have spoken to him and told him to calm down. They had just lost a goal and he was frustrated. It was nowhere near my face, there was no harm and he didn't try to hurt me."

MacPherson praised former Saints player Sutton for his honesty. "That's enough for me," he said of his feelings over the dismissal. "We question the honesty of players so I appreciate John saying that." He said an appeal would be considered if television evidence proved conclusive.

It would have been a toss-up as to which of the teams at Fir Park yesterday entered the game feeling sorer with the midweek Co-operative Insurance Cup ties seeing St Mirren lose 2-0 away to First Division Dunfermline and, in controversial circumstances, Motherwell succumb 2-1 in extra-time at home to newly promoted Hamilton Accies.

McGhee may insist Chris Porter's ill-deserved dismissal cost them cup progress but his team are struggling to resemble the sparky, spiky side which finished third last season. He has claimed results are giving a false impression of his side's general form. Yet, Motherwell are decidedly porous.

Even if McGhee says otherwise, Europe seems to have proven a damaging distraction. It seems to be all anyone has talked about in relation to the Fir Park club – including those within it – for weeks, even when they have actually only played one game in continental competition. On current evidence, that tally for the season will close at two following the return leg against Nancy. They may only trail by 1-0 but there is every reason to believe the French side will be able to nick a goal at Fir Park.

Both sides gave it welly from the off. Within a minute, Mehmet manoeuvred himself behind the home defence for a shooting opportunity that Grame Smith was forced to block at his feet. An instant response was provided when Mark Howard produced a smart stop from a close-range Sutton header and thereafter the endeavour could not be faulted.

Mehmet, meanwhile, showed a pleasing daintiness to step inside Paul Quinn and shape a shot into the top corner for the 30th-minute opener in a first half St Mirren just about shaded. But by the time 18 minutes of the second period had passed, Motherwell had put the Love Street side completely in the shade. A classic example of goals changing games, as soon as Motherwell had bagged two of them, they became so energised the expectation was more would follow.

It wasn't that they conjured up any fancy play, they simply got the ball into the net. Their equaliser three minutes after the interval was the result of Sutton leaping higher than his marker to meet Steve Hammell's corner and heading the ball on to his shoulder for it to loop in. Their winner in 62 minutes proved as scrappy as a junkyard. Somehow, Malcolm got his, ahem, shorts in the way of a corner from Hammell to divert the ball over the line. "He got two touches is all I will say," McGhee grinned afterwards. It was Malcolm's payback from the fates after he hit the crossbar with a wickedly struck free-kick in the opening 45.

From the point the score became 2-1, St Mirren offered little or no threat, while a cross/shot from Hammell whalloped the bar and Motherwell started to drive forward with that zip and menace that made them such a powerful unit last season. They will need all of that on Thursday.


OVERVIEW

MAN OF THE MATCH

Simply for the fact his delivery lead to both Motherwell goals, left-back Steven Hammell can lay a fairly substantial claim to the award for the most valuable player on the pitch.

QUICK FACT

Fir Park will play host to a first European tie in 13 years when Motherwell host French Ligue 1 side Nancy in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

TALKING POINT

Frankly, God only knows how Steve Conroy missed John Potter blatantly hauling back David Clarkson in the box seven minutes from time.