Motherwell boss Graham Alexander: Terrible start made us edgy but we'll come through "rough patch" after missed chance against Covid-hit Dundee

Motherwell boss Graham Alexander admits a terrible start against Dundee made his side edgy, but he has backed his squad to get through their rough patch after missing a huge opportunity against the depleted basement boys.

The Steelmen are now 10 games without a Premiership win and still searching for their first triumph of 2022 after they fought back to draw 1-1 with Mark McGhee's men.

Dundee were gifted a sixth minute opener when Stephen O'Donnell was caught in possession in his own penalty box and Paul McMullan pounced to curl the ball home, but Joe Efford's first goal for Motherwell 12 minutes later earned a point.

Alexander knows they spurned a massive chance to stop the rot and boost their top six hopes by failing to really test the Dark Blues, who were missing six first team players due to Covid and had to get 20-year-old goalkeeper Harrison Sharp "out of his bed" to replace Ian Lawlor.

The Fir Park boss saw his side slip to eighth in the table - although they are just a point off fourth place Hibs.

And he said: "All the things were there for us, but you have to start well and we started in terrible fashion.

"The goal is so poor. It gets our crowd edgy, it gets us edgy, it makes Dundee puff their chests out and feel better about themselves.

"That's what goals can do when two teams are looking for that glimmer of light.

"My players responded well, but it is 100 per cent a missed opportunity.

"Regardless of what team they put out, we've had a good record at Fir Park this season.

"We go into every game trying to win it, expecting to win it and that was the case today but we feel short.

"In this spell after the Rangers game we felt we could pick up some big points that we knew could put us in a good position in the