Last updated on .From the section Scottish Premiership

Motherwell kept their slim top-six hopes alive in the Scottish Premiership and condemned St Johnstone to a bottom-half finish with three goals in the final 20 minutes at Fir Park.

Substitute Elliott Frear, David Turnbull and Richard Tait clinched a fifth consecutive home win.

Liam Craig had an early penalty saved for the Perth side.

Motherwell, who leapfrog the visitors, trail sixth-place Hibernian by five points with two games until the split.

A niggly contest was on a knife-edge until Frear guided a classy finish low into the net, and St Johnstone capitulated in the closing stages and have now won just once in 11 matches.

Hosts come on strong

Although both teams still held aspirations of a top-six finish, there was little evidence in the early stages either believed they could achieve their target.

Stephen Robinson and Tommy Wright lined up their players in identical formations and cancelled each other out.

Joe Shaughnessy had an early header blocked for St Johnstone while, at the other end, Tom Aldred twice had opportunities to find the target but missed.

The Perth side were given a glorious opportunity after just 12 minutes when striker Chris Kane was bundled down inside the box by Alex Rodriguez-Gorrin. Craig stepped up but his left-foot effort was poor and Mark Gillespie saved easily low to his left.

Kane passed up a good second-half chance for the visitors when he latched on to a knockdown by Shaughnessy and fired over from just six yards out.

Both managers then made a rash of changes and it was the home team who made the breakthrough. Motherwell striker Curtis Main sent a lovely flick into the path of substitute Frear, who took a touch before curling low into the net.

The goal gave the game the lift it badly needed. Kane hooked over from a St Johnstone corner, while Tait crashed a long-range shot off the woodwork.

And with 10 minutes left the home side secured the points. Turnbull was played into space at the edge of the box and his smart finish wrong-footed Clark.

Further pain was to come for St Johnstone in stoppage time when Tait curled a composed effort past the helpless goalkeeper.

David Turnbull skidded in Motherwell's second goal

'Motherwell can relish run-in' - analysis

Goals change games and Wright will be cursing the fact Craig's spot-kick was saved. But there was little else in terms of creativity and, with a top-six spot out of reach, it would be no surprise if the manager gives some fringe players an opportunity in the final seven matches.

Motherwell can still squeeze into the top half but need to win both games and hope results elsewhere go their way. However, after a start to the season that had the Lanarkshire club looking in danger of a relegation battle, Robinson can now relish the run-in.

'Totally unacceptable from us' - reaction

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson: "First half, we played in front of them too much. We lacked movement and creativity.

"The three subs - Elliott Frear, Chris Cadden and Carl McHugh - were excellent and changed the game for us. We started putting balls into the strikers' feet and that was the difference in the game."

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright: "There was very little in it first half. Second half we were the better side. Chris Kane should score. After that, it's totally unacceptable from us.

"The players have to stand up and take responsibility. There was no reaction at all. There's maybe too many of them who think they've arrived in the game and they got what they deserved."