Motherwell deserved better, but must do more, says boss Stuart Kettlewell

Stuart Kettlewell says Motherwell were the better side and deserved more than a 1-0 defeat at home to St Mirren, but must do better with their chances.

The Steelmen dominated on chances created and struck the crossbar through sub Georgie Gent late on, but ultimately succumbed to a Scott Tanser volley nine minutes into the second half.

That ended their unbeaten Premiership run at 10 games, and while Kettlewell says it's not the end of the world, they must prepare well for a visit to face Rangers at Ibrox next Sunday.

He said: "Everybody that was there would see that we were by far the better side and I don't think there's any point in kidding ourselves on about that.

"But again I give St Mirren full marks, in the sense that they got something to cling onto, to hold on to.

"I thought we were the better side in the first half, but maybe not as fully dominant as we were in the second half.

"That's not to make an excuse. I get fed up sometimes when I hear people say 'we were the better side' so we need to do more in some aspects, whether that's converting a chance or the one moment we switch off to stop the cross from Ryan Strain, who has obvious quality.

"But I have to say that's probably as well as we've performed since I came to the club in February. I genuinely believe that. In and out of possession we were excellent.

"But it's all excuses - we've lost the game of football and I've said to the players there that we can't become a side that plays like that and doesn't pick up something from the game.

"I genuinely mean that I would have been disappointed with a point, such was the dominance, in my opinion, in the second half.

"But that can happen. We've been on the other side of that. We've been the team that hasn't