Teale Downbeat At Avoiding Drop

8 April 2015, 10:16 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

St Mirren manager Gary Teale has conceded his side are now almost certain to be relegated after a drubbing at Fir Park left them 10 points adrift at the foot of the Scottish Premiership table.

Two goals apiece from Lee Erwin and John Sutton helped Motherwell to a 5-0 win over their relegation rivals, with Scott McDonald also on target.

When asked if he felt his team could avoid the drop, Teale said: "On the back of that, no.

"It was always going to be a difficult task and I've said that from the very beginning, and that we have to give our all, but we're still making the same basic mistakes and it is basic schoolboy defending.

"We can't clear our lines, we can't stop crosses, we can't get tight to somebody in the box and ultimately you pay for that.

"It's been the story of our season, the silly goals that we lose and not really having a goal threat at the other end of the pitch, and ultimately that's what's putting us in the position that we are.

"Mathematically it's not [impossible to stay up] so I wouldn't concede, I'd never concede and I'll stand up and take the stick and the criticism. I'll still be fighting, still trying to make the boys win the six games that we've got remaining and if we do go down at least we'll have gone down with a fight.

In stark contrast, Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough was understandably buoyant after his side's third win in a row, and he is now setting his sights on the teams above them in the table.

"It was important we got the win to take us 10 points clear, it makes it very difficult hopefully for them to catch us,'' Baraclough said.

"Our eyes are up above us and we'll try to drag one or two closer to us.

"All eyes are on ourselves and Ross County now who are winning, so maybe the teams above should be looking over their shoulder.

"The lads haven't had a day off, we're fully concentrated, we know what's required, and everybody is going in the right direction.''

Ross County manager Jim McIntyre felt his side thoroughly deserved the three points despite leaving it late to see off St Johnstone at Global Energy Stadium.

Liam Boyce grabbed the only goal of the game six minutes from the end with a well directed header which gave in-form County their seventh win in their last eight games.

McIntyre admits there were things his side could have done better, but was full of praise for the attitude of his players as they kept fighting for the win until the end.

He said: "We had to grind that out tonight, it was a really hard fought game. But I think in the end we deserved the three points.

"We were just a wee bit wasteful with the final pass, we spoke about that at half-time to try and improve the end product.''

Saints manger Tommy Wright felt his should have done better in defence, even though their goalkeeper Alan Mannus did not have much to do.

Wright, whose side remain in fifth spot in the Scottish Premiership standings following the loss, said: "There was no surprise how they were going to approach the game and I thought we dealt with it fairly well all night.

"Alan (Mannus) had only one save to make, we've had to defend corners, balls into the box but we gave them too many opportunities to do that by giving away too many cheap free-kicks.''