Mark McGhee pleased with clean sheet as Motherwell climb into top six

Mark McGhee was thankful for his side's second clean sheet of the season which enabled Motherwell to move into the top six of the Ladbrokes Premiership.

First half-goals from Louis Moult and Scott McDonald gave Well a 2-0 home victory over Partick Thistle.

Thistle keeper Thorsten Stuckmann gifted Moult the opener after 14 minutes as he flapped at a McDonald cross. Moult then set up McDonald to convert from the edge of the box after 39 minutes.

Well had opportunities to extend their lead in the second half while, at the other end, Thistle rarely troubled Craig Samson and the Jags' record of having not won in 20 years at Fir Park continues.

McGhee said: We worked really hard, from the back to the front.

We got close to them everywhere on the park and didn't give Partick a chance to settle.

Craig Samson's been playing well for us and has had some great days but hasn't had clean sheets and I think he deserves today as much as anybody.''

McGhee also praised his strike pairing as Moult and McDonald combined for both goals.

He added: The two up front worked their socks off to put Thistle under pressure.

Both of them worked as a pair. I spoke to them about that, about not working apart, about being close and working around each other and I thought they did that brilliantly.''

Thistle boss Alan Archibald, meanwhile, bemoaned the defensive lapse which led to the opening goal.

He said: There's a number of errors in it. We let the cross come in, first and foremost. Then we don't deal with it.

I think there's a bit of a mix-up. Liam Lindsay's going to get it and Thorsten Stuckmann thinks he can go and deal with it as well, and none of them do.

You know in this league, it's massive the first goal. It changes the whole outlook on the game. It allowed Motherwell just to pick us off on the break and sit off the game at times.''

The Jags manager was also surprised by his players' flat performance, after two successive away victories.

He added: We've been free-flowing and we've created a lot chances in recent games and it just wasn't there today.

Yes, the first goal changes games, but I still think you've got to adapt.

If it's not quite working, you can change it and go back to front if you have to. There's nothing wrong with that.''