Motherwell secured their place in next season's Premiership with a slender win over St Johnstone at Fir Park. Goals from Callum Slattery, Johnny Koutroumbis and Tom Sparrow saw the Steelmen comfortably overturn Makenzie Kirk's early opener, and the win moves the Steelmen 13 points clear of their visitors with 12 to play for. But sub Elliot Watt's strike from distance made it a more nervy end to the game than Motherwell would have liked. While Michael Wimmer's side can technically get sucked into the play-off fight, it would take quite a few snookers and is looking unlikely. Kirk put St Johnstone ahead in just six minutes but two goals in as many minutes from Slattery and Koutroumbis saw Motherwell overturn that by half-time, with Sparrow adding his contribution three minutes into the second half. It looked like that would wrap up the points, but for Watt smashing in a snap-shot from distance, reducing the lead to a single goal. The first half took a while to get going, and when it did Kirk left Fir Park stunned as he thundered the ball into the net after Saints' first real attack of the game in six minutes. Saints looked to be fairly comfortable on that lead until Tony Watt darted down the left wing to set up first Slattery for his fifth goal of the season and Koutroumbis' first. The second half was only three minutes old when Sparrow slammed into the net to seemingly make sure of the points, but Saints sub Watt got in on the act. St Johnstone threw pretty much everything they had to snatch a point from the game, but Motherwell held out. Motherwell boss Michael Wimmer made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Hearts last time out, as Johnny Koutroumbis and Harry Paton came in for Kofi Balmer and Tawanda Maswanhise. Koutroumbis was making his first home start, while Steve Seddon was on the bench for the first time in 2025. St Johnstone gaffer Simo Valakari made three changes to the side that lost 5-0 to Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Josh McPake, Makenzie Kirk and Taylor Steven came in for Barry Douglas, Victor Griffith and Nicky Clark. Saints took the lead in six minutes when Josh McPake found space inside the box and darted to the left, before pulling the ball back for Kirk to rifle a fine shot into the top left corner. Moments later, Ellery Balcombe was forced to save a sliced attempted clearance from Koutroumbis at the right post corner. Harry Paton's cross to Tom Sparrow was headed out for a corner in 20 minutes and when the set-piece came in from the left, it was bounced around the box a bit before being played to Paton, about a yard outside the box, who couldn't keep his shot down as it flew over. Motherwell went closest to a leveller in 29 minutes when Callum Slattery controlled a high ball on his chest and hit a flashing volley past the left post corner. Slattery then had a shot well saved by Andy Fisher at the bottom right corner. But Motherwell drew level in 38 minutes when Watt darted down the left and his low cross was fired into the near post corner by Slattery. Motherwell took the lead in 40 minutes when Watt again made his way down the left and this time his cross was smashed in off the left post by Koutroumbis. Graham Carey sent a 23-yard free-kick whistling past the right post in 43 minutes as Saints tried to draw level. But Motherwell put the game out of sight in 48 minutes when good work by Dom Thompson on the left saw him set it up for Sparrow to smash into the net. Sub Uche Ikpeazu nearly made a quick impact as he got on the end of a corner in 59 minutes, but Balcombe made a good save on the line. Watt and Sparrow tried to combine again in 66 minutes, but his header was saved. St Johnstone pulled a goal back from nothing in 66 minutes as sub Watt smashed in a shot from around 25 yards out. McPake cut in from the left and his shot took a deflection that looped it onto the roof of Balcombe's net in 77 minutes. At the other end Tony Watt had a shot well blocked by Fisher, before heading wide of target with the rebound. MOTHERWELL: Balcombe, Sparrow, O'Donnell, Koutroumbis, Casey, Thompson, Halliday (Zdravkovski, 81), Slattery (Andrews, 90+1), Miller, Paton (Armstrong, 70), Watt (Ebiye, 81) Subs (not used): Oxborough (GK), Seddon, Wilson, Andrews, Dickson, Tavares Bookings: Slattery (65), O'Donnell (66), Halliday (68), Sparrow (89) ST JOHNSTONE: Fisher, Curtis, Balodis, Sprangler, McPake, Holt (Kimpioka, 85), Duke-McKenna (Watt, 57), Carey, Kirk, Steven, Sidibeh (Ikpeazu, 57) Subs (not used): Sinclair (GK), Griffith, Svendberg, Clark, Douglas, Franczuk Bookings: Ikpeazu (84) Referee: Steven McLean