McGhee content after Motherwell grind out 'horrible' win

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee hailed an ugly but effective performance against Dundee United which eased their relegation fears.

McGhee made five changes and switched to a new-look 3-4-1-2 formation which helped them to a 3-0 victory at Tannadice. It was Motherwell's first three-point haul of 2016 and moved them from 11th to eighth place in the Premiership.

Stephen McManus headed home James McFadden's free-kick right at the end of an otherwise uneventful first half and Scott McDonald grabbed a double in the final 18 minutes after United midfielder Blair Spittal headed a glaring chance off the bar.

"That could get football stopped," McGhee said. "It was horrible.

"But we have watched the way they have been playing recently and it's been effective against other teams so we came here determined that, at worst, we were going to match them.

"We knew we weren't going to be able to play. The conditions, even the way we've been playing, suggested that we weren't going to come here and pass the ball. So we reduced it to what you saw and fortunately we were a bit more effective at it than they were."

McDonald won the free-kick which led to the opener and took his goals brilliantly but McGhee also had praise for McFadden following his first start of the season.

"We did think we needed somebody who could get their foot on the ball and maybe create something once the ball came back from outer space," he said.

"Faddy was terrific and added that quality from the free-kick."

United had the chance to cut their deficit on Motherwell to nine points with a game in hand. And manager Mixu Paatelainen was baffled by the way they let it slip.

"Too flat, not enough urgency, not enough quality in certain situations," he said. "It was a poor performance.

"We did realise and highlight to the players that this it: a great opportunity, don't miss that opportunity. But we did.

"Our preparation was talking about the importance of the game, making sure we had energy and were sharp and pressed and made it difficult for Motherwell. And we got a flat performance. I need to speak to the players about why that was.

"It's not always physical, sometimes it's mental. Maybe one or two players can't handle it. Maybe they start panicking a little bit."

United are now 13 points from safety and have third-placed Hearts to play next.

But Paatelainen said: "It's not over, we don't give up. We just concentrate on getting ready for Saturday. Of course, it's a long road."

The night could have been different if Billy McKay had not inadvertently blocked John Rankin's header at 1-0, before Spittal missed an even better chance.

"It's not a 3-0 hammering," Paatelainen said. "Two set-piece goals. We were poor in those situations: flat-footed and poor marking. That has been the story of the season.

"Those two chances, Rankin and Spittal, you simply need to score. Clear-cut chances."