Kevin van Veen pulled me out of a hole after horror miss, admits Motherwell star

Paul McGinn joked that he doesn’t know why Kevin van Veen is at Motherwell, but is grateful that the striker bagged a clinching second goal against Kilmarnock.

Defender McGinn hit the base of the left post in the second half, with the ball running along the goal-line before being gathered up by grateful Killie keeper Sam Walker.

So he was delighted when van Veen popped up in the last minute to make sure of the three points, adding to Blair Spittal’s fourth-minute opener.

McGinn said: “I think I’m never going to score again – that’s my second sitter of the season, off the same post, but luckily this time we won the game!

“I was just waiting on some wonder-goal from Killie, just after I missed it.

“I think the mathematicians will enjoy that – it must have been a 90 degree one. How it has gone along th goal-line I don’t know.

“I thought somebody would at least tap it in, but I’m just glad we didn’t make a mess of it.

“Kev’s scoring rate is unbelievable, and he could have had a couple more, he’s just a real threat.

“Defenders are probably scared before they even go on the pitch, but he doesn’t score that many goals against me at training,” he said with a laugh.

“He’s not slow, he has that turn of pace and you need to give him that respect, because he’ll just twist you one way or the other.

“Sometimes you wonder what he’s doing here, he’s that special at times – but there are other times you see it, and you know why!

“But when he’s playing like that, it’s a real joy.”

Motherwell could have added to their tally on Saturday, which would have helped their goal-difference that is currently at minus-two.

But McGinn says he’s grateful not to be in the scrap at the bottom of the Premiership and reckons that will help both sides when