Dundee United penalty claim that wasn't given was stronger than one they were awarded, insists baffled Motherwell skipper Liam Kelly

Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly insists the penalty claim that saw Dundee United striker Steven Fletcher booked for simulation was a stronger one than the spot-kick he was actually awarded earlier in yesterday's clash.

The Tangerines' target man won the decisive penalty, which Jamie McGrath converted, in their 2-1 win when he went down one-on-one with Kelly midway through the second half.

In a carbon copy of that incident, he later picked up a yellow card from referee Nick Walsh for diving to try and win another spot-kick in stoppage time.

It was a decision that left both Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell and United gaffer Jim Goodwin baffled, with identical incidents throwing up different decisions.

And captain Kelly has joined the club, while also insisting that although neither were penalties in his eyes, the later one was the stronger claim of the two.

The stunned shot-stopper said: "I think the one Fletch got booked for diving in, rightly, wasn't a penalty - but it was probably more of a penalty than the one that he gave.

"In the first one, I felt when I came out that Fletch was going to get there first so I pulled out and I didn't tackle him.

"He just kind of goes down and jumps into me, then the ref gives a penalty.

"I need to respect the decision.

"I can't change anything but we need to trust referees that are in this position to make the right call.

"They obviously thought it was a penalty and I personally didn't think it was.

"It is done now though, we just need to move on."

Motherwell had their chances at 1-0 to put United to the sword but that came back to bite them as they missed the chance to go some way to consolidating their spot in the Premiership next season, having sat joint-bottom when Kettlewell