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Andy Campbell Hibernian 1-1 Ross County George Harmon drags Dwight Gayle to the ground and concedes a penalty. It's completely unnecessary from the Ross County defender, but the officials are checking for an offside in the build-up. Check over, and the penalty award stands! Nicky Cadden to take. .. Tom Sparrow Clinical Motherwell strike again! Seconds after seeing their own woodwork struck, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos lays it off to Tom Sparrow, who finds the bottom left corner with the outside of his foot. Motherwell 3-2 Dundee United United almost have the equaliser! Glenn Middleton charges down the left, cuts it low to Moult, who rattles the crossbar. On the replay, I think Aston Oxborough saves it. Cody David Substitute Cody David doubles Raith Rovers' lead in the Fife derby. St Johnstone 1-1 St Mirren David Keltjens is pulled to the ground by Marcus Fraser as he tries to keep the ball in play by St Mirren's corner flag and wins the hosts a free-kick. Matt Smith's delivery meets the head of Jack Sanders but he sends it wide. Motherwell 3-2 Dundee United Aston Oxborough makes amends with a superb save to deny Sam Dalby, who powers a header at goal after a Louis Moult cross. Some are calling it a chance for Dalby's hat-trick. I'm still not sure he got the final touch for the second goal. Alfie Bavidge Alfie Bavidge heads his second goal of the game to put Ayr further ahead. Hibernian 1-1 Ross County We haven't had a shot in more than 10 minutes at Easter Road. Alex Samuel then has a good chance for the visitors, but Jack Iredale scrambles back to put the ball behind for a corner. Motherwell 3-2 Dundee United Sam Dalby has been credited with Dundee United's scrambled second goal, meaning a double for the forward. One thing is for sure, goalkeeper Aston Oxborough should do better. St Johnstone 1-1 St Mirren Tyrone Smith BBC Sport Scotland at Mc Diarmid Park A blow for St Mirren, Richard Taylor's game is over as he leaves the pitch on a stretcher. Luke Kenny is the player replacing him. Motherwell 3-2 Dundee United Tawanda Maswanhise has acres of space in the box but he somehow aims his shot at Kevin Holt instead of picking out a corner. Huge chance for the hosts. St Johnstone 1-1 St Mirren Tyrone Smith BBC Sport Scotland at Mc Diarmid Park I don't know what Simo Valakari said to his players at the break, but it has certainly done the trick so far in this second half. It is a very different St Johnstone side that have taken to the field since the interval, playing with a whole lot more intent and finally carrying an attacking threat. Makenzie Kirk scored St Johnstone's equaliser Alfie Bavidge Ayr put some distance between themselves and 10-man Falkirk. There's a scramble in the box and Alfie Bavidge gets the final touch. Own Goal Aston Oxborough has had an absolute howler! A deflected cross loops into the air, Oxborough comes to punch and doesn't get off the floor, missing the ball with his flailing fist. I think it's come off Liam Gordon, but I'm not sure. No one is. Motherwell 3-1 Dundee United Marvin Kaleta sets up another, crossing low to find Apostolos Stamatelopoulos but his first-time shot is tame. Hibernian 1-1 Ross County Hibs' finishing here has to be seen to be believed. Elie Youan almost completely misses the ball when it falls to him on the penalty spot, before Joe Newell fires miles over the bar. Makenzie Kirk It's a great run from captain Nicky Clark on the right, he lays it off to Makenzie Kirk who sends one low and into the far corner of Ellery Balcombe's goal! St Johnstone 0-1 St Mirren Is St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson predicting the final score in Perth? Raith Rovers 1-0 Dunfermline Athletic Raith Rovers have the lead in the Fife derby after Dylan Easton's first-half goal. As things stand, Raith will overtake the Pars in the Scottish Championship table. Games getting back under way. Tom Sparrow marked his return from injury with a goal Motherwell leapt to fourth in the Scottish Premiership after edging out Dundee United in pulsating seven-goal thriller. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos struck a brace either side of Andy Halliday's bundled effort had Motherwell ahead at the break, despite Sam Dalby's penalty. The United striker got another one back after an Aston Oxborough mistake, but Tom Sparrow's brilliant finish looked to have killed the game off. Louis Moult's 88th-minute header looked to have set up a tense finale, but Motherwell held on to leapfrog their visitors who drop to fifth. News and analysis on all things Motherwell Get all your Dundee United updates in one place It took Motherwell just 46 seconds to open the scoring, when Marvin Kaleta reacted quickly to a loose ball, fired a cross in and Stamatelopoulos turned it in from a few yards out. The lead did not last long. Moult was caught in the box after collecting a cross and, after a VAR review, Dalby stepped up to equalise - and become the Premiership's top scorer in the process. It took a little longer for the third goal to come and it came from more good work from Kaleta on the right. Twisting and turning, he picked out Harry Paton at the back-post, who in turn found Halliday to turn home from a yard out. Stamatelopoulos added to the hosts' lead before the break, rising nicely to divert a Tawanda Maswanhise cross. While Motherwell were clinical at the front, they gifted United a goal in the second half when Oxborough failed to deal with Glenn Middleton's deflected cross, with the ball bouncing off Dalby and in. The game was almost level when Middleton then picked out Moult in the middle, but his placed effort was turned onto the bar by Oxborough, making amends for his earlier gaffe. Motherwell breathed a sigh of relief, went up the pitch, and scored. Stamatelopoulos turned creator, laying the ball off nicely to Sparrow who finished cooly with the outside of his foot. However, it was a nervy final few minutes after Moult powered in a header, but United never came close to another goal. Stuart Kettlewell critics have, recently, become a little louder in their opinions on the Motherwell manager but last weekend's last-gasp win over St Mirren quietened them down. The performance against United should do the same. Instead of the long, direct play that had plagued performances over November, they chose to knock the ball about and get the best out of Paton and Lennon Miller. There also seemed to be a connection between player-of-the-match Stamatelopoulos and Maswanhise, as well as an imposing figure on the right in Kaleta. Defensive frailties were still there, though. A silly penalty and a goalkeeping error threatened to let United back in. The emergence of Stamatelopoulos as the main striker will be a relief for Kettlewell. The manager needed to fill the Theo Bair-shaped hole up top and it looks like the Australian striker is starting to find his feet. Even the most ardent of United fans might admit that this season they have excelled up the table without displaying the most eye-catching football. Results tend to be ground out, and one of their big strengths is their mentality and their consistency - something the other teams around them have not managed. However, their five-match unbeaten run is now over after they conceded three first-half goals that were all far too easy. Each time, Motherwell attackers were either allowed too much space in the box or just reacted quicker to loose balls. Once again though, they threatened when Middleton was able to get forward and when he's allowed to find Dalby, it tends to be a dangerous combination. Motherwell assistant manager Stephen Frail: "It's a tough league and to get two wins back-to-back after three defeats in a row is really pleasing. There's tonnes for us to be pleased about, but there's tonnes for us to be trying to fix for the next game. "I've heard some of that 'long ball' stuff and that we don't play to the talents of Lennon Miller. He's been outstanding and he isn't outstanding if we play long-ball. We're not a long ball team and we try and play the right way. " Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin: "It was a strange game. It's as poor as we've defended the box all season. It could have been another two goals for each team, it was very end-to-end. "Both teams, looking at the goals they've conceded, will be very disappointed. Our defensive record prior to today has been excellent, one of the best in the league. Today, for whatever reason, we didn't defend the box well enough. " Last Updated 14th December 2024 at 17: 07 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Stuart Kettlewell Formation: 3 - 5 - 1 - 1 Manager: Jim Goodwin Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 Manager: Stuart Kettlewell Formation: 3 - 5 - 1 - 1 Manager: Jim Goodwin Formation: 3 - 5 - 2 Scottish Premiership All competitions All competitions All competitions Motherwell have won both of their last two league meetings with Dundee United, last winning three in a row against the Tangerines in September 2009. Motherwell are unbeaten in seven league meetings with newly promoted opposition (W3 D4) since a 1-2 defeat to Kilmarnock in August 2022, while at home, the Steelmen are unbeaten in eight against such opponents (W5 D3) since a 0-1 loss to Dundee United in August 2020. Motherwell have lost three of their last four home league games (W1), as many as their previous 12 beforehand (W5 D4). Dundee United are unbeaten in five Scottish Premiership games (W2 D3), their longest such run since February 2022 (also 5), last going longer without defeat in the competition in October 2021 (7) – when their sixth game was a win over Motherwell (2-1). Motherwell’s 18-year-old Lennon Miller has won possession more times (103) than any player in the Scottish Premiership this season. © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.