St Johnstone Manager Simo Valakari celebrates at Full Time during a William Hill Premiership match between St Johnstone and Motherwell at McDiarmid ParkSNS

Simo Valakari celebrated back-to-back wins against his former side

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park

St Johnstone "needed these three points", said manager Simo Valakari after two late goals completed a sensational comeback against Motherwell.

Finishes by Taylor Steven and Bozo Mikulic on 86 and 88 minutes ensured a dramatic and potentially priceless victory for the bottom-placed side, who are now seven points adrift.

"Let's say we would have lost this match 1-0, I would stand there and say we played an okay game," Valakari told BBC Scotland.

"We needed the goals to show for it. I never doubted the desire of the players or the club and we showed it today. We needed this. We needed these three points to try and climb the table."

After defeating the Steelmen in the Scottish Cup last week, it appeared as though their Premiership pain was going to continue after conceding a spot-kick inside the opening 30 seconds.

It was minute four by the time Andy Halliday tucked away the penalty after referee Kevin Clancy went to the monitor to spot home captain Sven Sprangler's handball.

Stuart Kettlewell's visitors could not kick on as the manager watched on from the stand, serving the first of a two-match suspension after an accumulation of bookings.

As time ticked on in a freezing Perth, and after a raft of changes, it was the hosts who stepped up the search for much-needed and much-deserved points and goals and both came in remarkable fashion, sparking bedlam at McDiarmid Park.

Mikulic brilliantly smashed in the winner two minutes after Steven had slotted in a merited equaliser for a Saints side who have been thrown something of a lifeline.

Saints’ fight shines through

Throughout this testing spell, Valakari has never questioned his players' desire and determination to get out of this hole. Despite getting off to the worst possible start, never once did they look down and out.

Even after conceding their 23rd first-half goal in 24 league games, they entered the break with belief. In the second half, they were the only side seriously in the hunt. Defeat would have been a tough pill to swallow.

Ellery Balcombe twice denied Saints superbly, while Nicky Clark squandered a one-v-one and Mackenzie Kirk crashed a header off the woodwork.

The roar that greeted both goals and the full-time whistle was deafening and delightful for a support who have been through the ringer of late.

Finally, they had an opportunity to breathe and believe. The relief was palpable around Perth.

Not since 23 September 2017 - against Hamilton Accies - have St Johnstone won a home league game where they were behind at half-time.

Saints are far from out of the mire but with back-to-back wins to build on, they're not to be written off yet.

Well wilt as mentality questioned

Fifth-placed Motherwell could not have dreamt of a better start, particularly after their poor showing in Perth last week.

However, after Halliday - who headed down the tunnel in the second half with suspected symptoms of a bug that has swept through the squad - dispatched his penalty, they did not truly trouble St Johnstone.

There was a lot of neat play in the middle of the pitch from Harry Paton and Tom Sparrow but, at crunch time, they choked. In one instance in the first half, Tawanda Maswanhise had the chance for a drive at goal but instead slowed his run right down as if he was killing time and taking the ball to the corner.

That was just one example of what Kettlewell alluded to in his post-match interview - his players dropping off.

It was a strange showing from a side who have garnered much praise this season for their lofty position and accumulation of points.

What they said

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "The game started as bad as it could, we tried to build some momentum and in the first 10 seconds, boom penalty, gone.

"I felt we were in a match and we just needed the one goal. In the end, I am very happy for the players, the club and the fans. It was three points, we needed it and the work continues. All the players today wanted to play and make a difference."

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell: "It feels worse because it's the next one, it feels worse because you're in the lead in the game.

"My biggest frustration is this mentality that allows us to keep dropping off games of football - whether that's physically or mentally. We've conceded three goals from set plays against St Johnstone, which is awful from our point of view."