Jamie Murphy ended Motherwell's barren spell as Stuart McCall's team returned to winning ways with an emphatic 3-1 victory at St Johnstone.
Motherwell had gone four matches without a goal but it took less then 40 seconds for Murphy to find the net and he doubled the advantage with a solo effort before half-time. Nicky Law added a third in the 73rd minute and the game was well and truly over by the time David Robertson netted for the hosts, who suffered their first Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat since August.
Murphy was quickly presented with the opportunity to break Motherwell's recent duck. Henrik Ojamaa made a positive run down the left and turned inside to shoot. His effort was deflected into the path of Murphy, who steered a first-time left-footed shot out of the reach of Alan Mannus.
Motherwell should have doubled their lead two minutes later when Mannus struggled to deal with Steven Anderson's close passback. Ojamaa dispossessed the goalkeeper and worked space to shoot but got his body shape wrong and sliced his effort high and wide of the gaping goal.
St Johnstone, with Frazer Wright and Steven MacLean starting again following injury, settled and first Liam Craig and then Gregory Tade headed wide from Gary Miller crosses. Tade's was by far the better chance as he arrived unmarked round the back and met the ball six yards out.
Murphy doubled Motherwell's advantage with a goal out of nothing in the 38th minute. The former Scotland Under-21 international cut inside Miller and ran at the Saints defence, who failed to close him down, and fired a powerful low drive inside the goalkeeper's near post from 20 yards.
Murray Davidson's long-range volley had Darren Randolph scrambling but the ball flew just wide and Motherwell survived comfortably until the break, when Murphy was moved to the left wing for a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation.
Rowan Vine replaced Tade on the hour mark as St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas looked to shake up his attack following a flat start to the second half. Vine soon had a half chance from Nigel Hasselbaink's low cross but he could not get hold of his shot and Randolph saved.
Motherwell continued to look comfortable and Law put the game beyond them. The midfielder was taken out by a wild sliding challenge from Davidson but he got up immediately and ran on to Keith Lasley's through ball before lifting the ball over the onrushing Mannus and into the net.
Robertson smashed fellow substitute Vine's cutback high into the net with three minutes left to provide some consolation for the hosts, although Murphy almost got his hat-trick in injury-time when Mannus pushed wide his angled drive.
