GRAHAM ALEXANDER had to settle for a point as he took charge of Motherwell for the first time but was perhaps unfortunate not to have left Paisley with all three on offer.

Devante Cole nudged the Steelmen ahead in the first half and the Fir Park side looked like they would record their first win since Halloween until a soft penalty awarded to St Mirren with 10 minutes to go levelled the contest – but the new manager reckons his charges showed plenty of promise in the 1-1 draw.

“It’s bittersweet,” Alexander said of his first game in charge. “I thought the first half was really good from us.

“In the second half, we forgot the things we did in the first. We allowed St Mirren a little bit more territory without them really hurting us.

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“I’m really happy with the way the players took on board the limited information from Friday [in Alexander’s only training session so far] and put it into practice.”

The game got off to an entertaining start and it was quickly apparent that both sides intended to play on the front foot and seize the initiative. The early momentum swung in favour of the hosts and while they didn’t have too many issues creating chances, Motherwell debutant Liam Kelly was rarely called into action.

An ambitious lob from Kyle McAllister sailed wide of the target after the winger spotted Kelly off his line and set the tone for the Buddies’ finishing: Marcus Fraser rifled a low shot past the far post after the ball fell kindly for him in the visitors’ box; Jamie McGrath’s low drive from a short free-kick whistled past the woodwork; a half-chance for Lee Erwin rolled just wide of the back stick; and McAllister almost caught out Kelly with a drilled shot towards an unguarded near post, only for the ball to flash wide of the target.

Motherwell, while showing promising phases of play in the middle, struggled to create clear-cut chances until suddenly, three arrived in a matter of minutes. Liam Polworth’s superb high cross from deep picked out Tony Watt unmarked at the back post but Jak Alnwick was equal to it, batting away the initial header before smothering the ball.

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Cole really should have opened the scoring minutes later when the striker gracefully plucked the ball out the air following a lobbed ball forward from Watt, instantly taking two St Mirren defenders out the game and giving the on-loan striker a clear sight of goal. Somehow, he contrived to miss the target despite being afforded the freedom of Paisley.

He would make amends soon after. A Polworth corner was repelled but only as far as Watt, who was lurking midway between the corner flag and the goal. The forward headed it back into the mixer and Cole was at hand to stick in a foot and stab the ball home.

St Mirren were undeterred, though, as Goodwin’s men went chasing a leveller before the break. First Erwin and then Dylan Connelly had a go from pot-shots that never seriously troubled Kelly as the away side started the second half with a lead to defend.

The game became increasingly attritional as the game wore on. Motherwell ventured forward less and less, and the impression given was that 1-0 suited them down to the ground. Jim Goodwin realised something had to change and turned to his bench as Eamonn Brophy, who only joined on loan less than 24 hours earlier, was handed his debut.

Chances were hard to come by for the home side, though – certainly compared to the opening 45 minutes anyway. Ethan Erahon spurned a glorious opportunity around the hour-mark when the midfielder dragged a cut-back just wide of the far post when it looked easier to score.

Then, with 10 minutes left to play, St Mirren were handed a golden opportunity to get back into the contest. A Richard Tait cross picked out Erwin, who held off Bevis Mugabe with his back to goal before taking a tumble under minimal contact. The Motherwell players howled at referee Bobby Madden but it was too late; up stepped McGrath and parity was restored.

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Kelly was forced into a smart stop moments later after Ilkay Durmus’ fizzing free-kick beat the wall, with the goalkeeper diving at full stretch to prevent his side from falling behind. He would be outdone moments later by his opposite number Alnwick, who produced a magnificent save to deny Mark O’Hara’s powerful free-kick from distance as the two sides settled for a share of the spoils.

“I thought first half Motherwell were the better team and caused us a lot of problems,” conceded Goodwin after the final whistle.

“Jak Alnwick makes a good save from a dangerous ball in and we felt like a goal was coming. Motherwell were on top at that point.

“I was actually quite happy to get in at 1-0 because I didn’t think we looked like what we’re capable of.”