Motherwell 1 Partick Thistle 0

John Sutton scored another winner as Ian Baraclough continued his winning start as Motherwell manager with a 1-0 victory over Partick Thistle at Fir Park. Sutton's 14th-minute penalty proved enough to move Motherwell three points behind the Jags in the bottom six of the Scottish Premiership.

Motherwell, who had Steven Hammell back in the team after a long absence, were worthy of their half-time lead but they survived 45 minutes of pressure from the visitors, although they created the best chance of the second half when Lee Erwin failed to convert a counter-attack.

Thistle had started well and Dan Seaborne headed over as they threatened from some early corners, but they gifted the hosts the lead. Midfielder Stuart Bannigan was playing at left-back in the continued absence of Jake Carroll and Jordan McMillan and he pulled down Lionel Ainsworth when the winger touched the ball past him as he took a Josh Law pass.

Referee Brian Colvin - who awarded St Johnstone what proved to be a match-winning penalty against Inverness last weekend for an incident that ultimately saw Brian Graham banned for diving - initially looked unconvinced but he pointed to the spot, presumably after some communication with an assistant.

Bannigan was fortunate to escape a booking but Sutton punished him by sending Paul Gallacher the wrong way from the spot. Thistle centre-back Conrad Balatoni soon almost presented Motherwell with another goal when he lost the ball to Sutton on the edge of his box, but the striker shot just wide.

Motherwell, who had secured only their second win in 12 games at St Mirren Park the previous weekend, looked like a team playing with the shackles off as they played the ball around and attacked for much of the first half. Henrik Ojamaa had two powerful strikes from outside the box scrambled away by Gallacher and Craig Reid also had a shot saved before playing the ball inside Bannigan for Ainsowrth, whose driven cross was cleared by Balatoni as Sutton waited to tap home.

Ainsworth's ability to get past Bannigan and put in dangerous crosses forced Alan Archibald to move Christie Elliot to left-back before the interval and Dan Twardzik made his first save in injury-time when he pushed Stephen O'Donnell's past his near post.

With Bannigan helping them keep possession in midfield and substitute Steven Lawless adding a spark, Thistle took the initiative after the break and kept Motherwell pegged back for the vast majority of the half. Despite their pressure, they struggled to create clear chances though and Ryan Stevenson's attempt to win a penalty when he threw himself to the ground under pressure from Keith Lasley only resulted in a booking for dissent after Colvin waved play on.

Lawless almost got in a couple of times and Thistle had another penalty appeal rejected when the former Motherwell player went down under the attention of Hammell as he looked like latching on to Kris Doolan's lofted ball.

Substitute Doolan had a shot well blocked by Stephen McManus after Kallum Higginbotham had got round the outside and cut it back, but Motherwell should have doubled their lead seconds later when Ojamaa's brilliant ball with the outside of his foot sent Erwin clear.

The substitute cut in well but his left-footed shot scraped the outside of the post with only Gallacher to beat. The visitors kept the pressure on but Ojamaa almost netted deep into injury-time when Gallacher parried his shot on the break.