Scottish Premiership: Motherwell come from behind to beat Aberdeen
Sunday 20 March 2016 13:28, UK
Aberdeen lost ground on league leaders Celtic after Motherwell came from behind to win 2-1 at Fir Park.
Well boss Mark McGhee had selection problems in the run-up to the match with a flu bug affecting his squad but his side looked in decent shape until the final minute of the opening half.
Jack Leitch struck the woodwork early on but McGhee was disappointed to see his side go into the break a goal down after Kieran Kennedy was adjudged to have fouled Jonny Hayes in the box.
Kenny McLean, who recently won his first Scotland call-up for the friendlies against the Czech Republic and Denmark, dispatched the penalty.
The game turned with 17 minutes remaining, however, when Scott McDonald's header brought the home side level before Louis Moult struck to give Motherwell the lead two minutes later.
To make matters worse, Aberdeen were then reduced to 10 men when Barry Robson was dismissed with 11 minutes remaining for appearing to throw an elbow at former Celtic team-mate McDonald.
The Dons are now four points behind Celtic who snatched a 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock in the lunchtime kick-off.
Hearts suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to St Johnstone as their winning run came to a shuddering halt at Tynecastle.
Robbie Neilson's team had won four in a row without conceding going into the clash with the Perth side but two early goals from Murray Davidson stunned the home crowd.
St Johnstone opened the scoring after just 11 minutes when Davidson got on the end of Liam Craig's delivery to head past Neil Alexander. The 28-year-old got his second 10 minutes later in relatively similar circumstances, again heading into the net after meeting Craig's cross six yards out.
Craig almost got on the scoresheet himself with 10 minutes remaining but was unlucky to see his effort from 30 yards come back off the bar. However, Darnell Fisher did net a third for the visitors after a quick counter attack in the closing stages.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle put the disappointment of their midweek Scottish Cup exit behind them as they hammered League Cup winners Ross County 3-0 in the Highland derby.
Liam Polworth struck just after the half-hour mark, giving his side the lead with an effort from outside the box, before Ross Draper added a second just five minutes later.
Miles Storey put the game out of sight for the away side three minutes into the second half with a great effort from outside the box.
The scoreline could have been even more emphatic with Carl Tremarco and Polworth both hitting the woodwork either side of half-time.
Partick Thistle moved up to seventh in the Premiership after a vital 2-1 win over Hamilton at New Douglas Park.
Accies are without a win at home in six months but got off to a good start when Greg Docherty fired into the roof of the net after 11 minutes.
However, Mathias Pogba equalised for Thistle five minutes into the second half and Ryan Edwards headed the winner in the 84th minute as the visitors moved nine points clear of Kilmarnock in the relegation play-off place.
