Tawanda Maswanhise’s brace earned Motherwell a routine 2-0 victory against Dundee United and moved them to within a point of third-placed Celtic.
The Zimbabwean striker’s 37th-minute penalty and deflected strike 60 seconds after the restart made for a comfortable success and took his tally for the season to 21.
Jens Berthel Askou’s entertainers were not required to be at their mesmerising best to take the points as they made it one defeat in their last 20 William Hill Premiership matches.
Dundee United’s top-six hopes suffered a near fatal blow as they now trail Falkirk by 12 points with five games to play before the split.
United survived a couple of early scares before growing into the game.
Iurie Iovu’s well-timed lunge stopped Ibrahim Said from pulling the trigger right in front of goal after neat work from Callum Slattery and Maswanhise.
Slattery flashed an effort right across goal when teed up by Elijah Just.
United had no wish to suffer the same fate as St Mirren who were thrashed 5-0 by Well last Saturday.
Jim Goodwin packed the midfield and tried to prevent Elliot Watt and Lukas Fadinger dictating from deep.
The visitors fashioned openings from winning the ball high up the pitch.
Calum Ward saved from Max Watters and Luca Stephenson and Julius Eskesen dragged a good chance wide.
United took the lead from the spot after a lengthy VAR check on a penalty-box flashpoint. Maswanhise took a blow to the ribs from Vicko Sevelj’s elbow and a penalty was given.
Maswanhise was fully recovered in time to send Ashley Maynard-Brewer the wrong way.
Motherwell went direct to trouble United – and that was the route to their second goal.
Watt’s free-kick from his own half found Maswanhise on the edge of the United penalty area and a great take and turn allowed him to fire towards goal. A deflection was enough to beat the goalkeeper.
Maswanhise was released again in the 50th minute but he sent his hat-trick chance bobbling wide.
Goodwin made a quadruple substitution just after the hour and one of those introduced, Kristijan Trapanovski, hit the far post direct from a corner.
That apart, Motherwell and their fans enjoyed playing with a lead.
The excellent Slattery whipped a superb attempt inches wide from 25 yards, while at the other end Stephenson got in behind the defence, only to clip an effort just past the far post.
