Callum Hendry nets added-time winner as St Johnstone hit back to beat Motherwell

Callum Hendry scored a brilliant stoppage-time winner as St Johnstone came from behind to beat Motherwell 2-1.

Hendry scored his second goal of the game when he latched on to a long ball down the left channel and fired into the far top corner.

Kevin van Veen had netted a brilliant solo effort in the 12th minute – his 10th goal of the season – as Motherwell opened the scoring for the first time since Boxing Day.

There appeared little danger when the Dutch striker received the ball with his back to goal but he turned his man and ran into space before firing a shot which bounced into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Saints levelled nine minutes later when Melker Hallberg crossed from the right and Hendry ran across his marker to head into the top corner at the near post.

The Saints striker had the final say as his sixth goal in 10 games since returning from a loan spell at Kilmarnock moved the Perth side four points clear of Dundee at the bottom of the cinch Premiership.

Motherwell have now gone 11 league games without victory but are still just a point off the top six.

Saints were missing manager Callum Davidson through coronavirus but had Shaun Rooney and Murray Davidson back in the team after injury while Nadir Ciftci earned a recall.

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander went with the same formation – with three centre-backs and three forwards – that lasted 50 seconds against Hibernian before Bevis Mugabi was sent off. Stephen O’Donnell replaced the suspended Uganda international at wing-back while Jake Carroll and Connor Shields also came in.

The two goals lit up a scrappy start but Dean Cornelius was at the heart of some decent passing moves from Motherwell towards the end of the first half. One ended with Shields