Tommy Wright hails St Johnstone’s character after comeback win at Motherwell

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright hailed his side's character after they came from behind to win for the second time in four days.

Saints followed their Betfred Cup triumph over Hearts with a 2-1 Premiership victory over Motherwell at Fir Park despite falling behind to Chris Cadden's close-range finish two minutes after half-time.

Danny Swanson levelled within nine minutes after weaving in from the right and stabbing the ball through Craig Samson's legs and the Motherwell goalkeeper spilled Chris Kane's shot to allow Steven MacLean to nod home a 75th-minute winner.

Wright said: "We controlled large parts of the game. I thought our play was excellent, very pleasing on the eye as well. If we were guilty of anything, it was maybe over-playing a little bit in the first half.

"But again we showed character to come back. They did it quite a bit last season as well, and that's something that you can't buy.

"There are no prima donnas in the dressing room, they all have to muck in. So that helps when the chips are down, because they get on well off the pitch and on the pitch and they are not afraid to dig each other out.

"That's what they do at times, they drag themselves out of positions that they get themselves in, and they get through it. But the performance was excellent, particularly with the ball.''

Saints bossed the first half hour before Motherwell came into the game and Scott McDonald flashed a first-time shot just wide when the hosts were leading.

But Saints looked solid when they went in front and Motherwell boss Mark McGhee refused to allow Samson to take the blame for defeat.

"He was holding his hand up but the point I made was that, as a group, we have not played well,'' said McGhee, who was without the injured Steven Hammell and Craig McHugh as well as Louis Moult.

"Scotty (McDonald) has missed a chance."

"He has been brilliant recently. At Parkhead the other night I think it would have been double figures if it wasn't for him, so you have to forgive him that.

"We didn't lose the game because one popped out from him, we lost the game because as a group we were way off the pace.''