Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell admitted his team used the poor Dens pitch to their advantage to secure a vital 3-2 victory over Dundee in the cinch Premiership.

The game only went ahead after two pitch inspections at 11am and 1pm, with Dundee storming into a two-goal lead thanks to Jordan McGhee and Luke McCowan.

However, Motherwell made a dramatic comeback with Georgie Gent, Theo Bair and Moses Ebiye on the mark.

Kettlewell’s men were playing towards the Bob Shankly Stand in the second half and Kettlewell admitted that worked to their advantage.

The manager said: “Did we play on the conditions at that end in the second half? Yeah, that’s something we were taking into account.

“That goalmouth area, there’s a bit 20 yards out that isn’t good so we knew if we could get the ball into that area there’s the potential for slips, bad bounces that might fall in our favour.

“So we spoke about that and aiming towards it.

“Was it playable? When I walked on the pitch there were four or five areas I didn’t think were playable.

“Again I need to be consistent, I’m not going to change now.

“At no point did I speak to anyone or the officials from Dundee, I was prepared to let everyone do their job.

“I didn’t try to have an influence on anyone because we’d prepared to play here at 3pm.

“The referee felt it was playable and we were not endangering the safety of players so it was on.

“I have an opinion on a bigger scale of what I feel about getting to April and dealing with this.”

Dundee boss Tony Docherty admitted the result was a hammer blow for him and his players.

The Dark Blues were on course to secure a top-six finish with St Johnstone beating Hibs until the dramatic late collapse.

However, the manager was irate over the VAR decision that led to the penalty award for Motherwell’s first goal.

The 53-year-old said: “It’s a sore one. We’re really hurting.

“Obviously you don’t know others’ results at the time but we were 14 minutes from the top six.

“Goals change games and they get momentum from the VAR decision. I haven’t seen it back but nobody claims for the penalty.

“We were really comfortable at 2-0 so we should see the game out. Certainly the momentum swings on the VAR decision but I would trust my players to see that out.

“I won’t be critical of them because they have been brilliant all season.

“The one positive to come from the disappointing last 14 minutes is to see the league table and realise we still have an opportunity to do what we need to do.”

Motherwell came from behind to secure a remarkable 3-2 victory against Dundee at a drenched Dens.

The Dark Blues looked to be coasting after Jordan McGhee and Luke McCowan had given them a 2-0 lead.

However, the Steelmen hit back with goals from Georgie Gent, Theo Bair and, deep into added time, Moses Ebiye.

The game only went ahead after two game-day pitch inspections. Despite that, there were still heavily-sanded areas in front of both dugouts and in one goalmouth.

Motherwell issued a statement prior to kick-off expressing deep concern over the welfare of their players due to the state of the surface.

After an even opening, Motherwell had a chance in the 26th minute but Adam Devine could not direct his header on target with the ball flying well over Dundee keeper Jon McCracken’s crossbar.

The hosts then had an opportunity of their own when a McCowan free-kick was headed back across goal towards Mexican defender Antonio Portales but he hit his shot into the side-netting.

However, the hosts took the lead in the 37th minute. Lyall Cameron sent a cross into the box with Amadou Bakayoko heading across goal to McGhee, who powered home a header at the back post.

Dundee doubled their advantage in the 70th minute. McCowan fired an inswinging corner from the right which flew over Liam Kelly and into the net at the back post. The Motherwell players appealed for a free-kick but after a VAR check the goal was given.

However, the game was turned completely on its head in two minutes.

VAR intervened with a penalty check for handball against Joe Shaughnessy in the 79th minute. Referee David Dickinson was called to the pitchside monitor and he pointed to the spot.

Bair stepped up with McCracken making a superb save but Gent reacted fastest to rifle home the rebound with the goal being given after yet another VAR check.

The Steelmen equalised two minutes later when Bair twisted and turned on the edge of the Dundee box, beating McCracken, before finding the back of the net.

The hosts were rocking and Bair had two more chances to give his side the lead but could not take them.

However, Motherwell scored their third to seal an incredible win in the 93rd minute when substitute Ebiye fired home past McCracken.

Boss Stephen Robinson believes there are plenty of positives despite St Mirren not quite managing to secure a place in the top six after drawing 1-1 at Motherwell.

The Buddies opened the scoring after 18 minutes when Marcus Fraser nodded home but they were pegged back with 16 minutes remaining as Theo Bair bundled over the line.

Robinson’s side remain fifth in the Premiership and hold a five-point advantage over Hibernian in seventh with just two games remaining.

He said: “Overall, to come to Fir Park and get a point is another point towards our ultimate goal which is top six.

“I thought we should have won the game but when you don’t take your chances then you don’t.

“The fact we’re in the running for the top six two years in a row after such a long absence tells you we are going in the right direction.”

Having lost 5-2 at Kilmarnock in their last league outing, Robinson was pleased with the resilience his side demonstrated against the Steelmen.

The Northern Irishman also praised their travelling support for staying with the team throughout.

“After Kilmarnock, it was important we were hard to break down, hard to beat and we were,” he added.

“The reaction to two weeks ago and the fans reaction, they stayed with the boys even when they equalised.”

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell talked up his team’s spirit after they battled back from behind to claim a hard-earned point.

Bair took his tally for the season to 12 to earn Well a share of the spoils.

“I thought we started really well in the game, we played with a real purpose and we were a real threat down our left-hand side,” Kettlewell said.

“There was a frantic four or five-minute spell, St Mirren hitting the crossbar from a free-kick, we know they’ve got quality with the guys that surround the ball and even from the follow-up that cannons off the bar as well.

“It probably just rocked us a wee bit leading into the goal we concede. We’ve got the throw-in, it leads to a corner for then and, fundamentally, we’ve got to defend it better.

“The most pleasing aspect is not being at our best, not passing as well as what I’ve seen us do, not connecting key players in the game – we still had that bit of character.”

Motherwell have kept their slim hopes of landing a top-six place alive despite failing to win at home for the second game in a row.

The Steelmen are six points behind Dundee, with just two games remaining, so will need favours from elsewhere and to take maximum points before the split.

Kettlewell added: “It still keeps us in the position of trying to get the top six, we find ourselves six points behind and still have Dundee and Hibs to play.

“It keeps us in the mix, we need a few favours and a few things to drop our way.”

Aberdeen substitute Duk hit a double as the Dons came from three goals down to claim a 3-3 draw against Motherwell in Neil Warnock’s first league match at Pittodrie.

The visitors looked set to bounce back from their cup defeat by Morton as Theo Bair’s double and Adam Devine’s strike put them in a commanding position inside 26 minutes.

But Duk soon netted 30 seconds after coming on as part of a double substitution and the attacker levelled five minutes after the break after Stefan Gartenmann had pulled another goal back.

Both sides went on to have goals disallowed and both will no doubt be disappointed with a point, which leaves each of them three points outside the cinch Premiership top six.

With Pascal Jensen dropping out through illness, Warnock started with three defenders – Gartenmann, Nicky Devlin and Jack MacKenzie.

His side looked vulnerable at the back and Motherwell were ahead inside five minutes after Shayden Morris clumsily brought down Georgie Gent inside the box. Bair hit the penalty into the roof of the net.

Aberdeen had their moments in the opening half hour. Bojan Miovski got in behind and forced a save from Liam Kelly, while Connor Barron and Morris threatened from outside the box.

But Motherwell came closer when Kelle Roos tipped Jack Vale’s volley on to a post and stopped Bair’s follow-up.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Bair tapped home Gent’s cross from five yards for his eighth goal in his last six league games.

They were three up and apparently cruising four minutes later when Devine marked his first start for the club by steering home Blair Spittal’s blocked shot after some direct running from Harry Paton had left Aberdeen’s back three exposed.

Boos rang round Pittodrie and Warnock started plotting changes which came on the half-hour mark as attacker Duk and centre-back Angus MacDonald came on for midfielders Dante Polvara and Morris.

Duk instantly made his mark, turning home after Motherwell had lost possession from their own throw-in deep in their half.

The deficit was further reduced in the 37th minute following Barron’s inswinging corner. Devlin was allowed a free header and Gartenmann converted the rebound following Kelly’s save.

The Dons continued to exploit Motherwell’s vulnerability from set-pieces. Leighton Clarkson, twice, and MacDonald threatened before the equaliser came following a throw-in. Graeme Shinnie was allowed space to cross and Duk outmuscled Devine to head into the far corner.

Aberdeen thought they had completed the turnaround midway through the second half when Miovski bundled the ball home from close range. The striker was flagged offside and a lengthy VAR check confirmed the decision, although he looked level to the naked eye.

Warnock’s side kept knocking on the door and Gartenmann headed against the crossbar from another Barron inswinger.

Motherwell were struggling to retain possession long enough to relieve the pressure, but they were celebrating in the 80th minute after Paton turned the ball home after a corner led to a goalmouth scramble.

The home side claimed for at least one foul and referee Kevin Clancy disallowed the goal after seeing Calum Butcher push Jamie McGrath with two hands on his VAR monitor.