Neil McCann got off to a flying start as Dundee manager as his team ended their seven-game losing run with victory at Fir Park.
The Dens Park men must wish they could play Motherwell every week, as this was where they got their last win under Paul Hartley before the stunning slump that cost him his job.
Two goals from Marcus Haber and one from Mark O’Hara did the damage for Dundee, who lifted themselves out of the second bottom play-off position.
Low confidence and high stakes made for a first half of little football and goalmouth action.
Indeed it wasn’t until the 31st minute that there was a shot on goal. Louis Moult took a cross from the left down on his chest and struck his first time effort well. It went straight at Scott Bain, though.
It wasn’t so simple for the Dundee keeper three minutes before the break when Chris Cadden over-hit a diagonal cross and Bain had to back-pedal to keep it out of his top corner.
The Dark Blues had toiled as an attacking force in the opening period but at the very end of it they were gifted the opening goal.
Craig Samson took his eye off the ball under pressure from Haber and presented the ball at the feet of O’Hara, who lashed home the loose ball to make it 1-0 to the visitors at the break.
Three minutes after the re-start Dundee doubled their advantage. Kevin Holt made a strong run to the bye-line and cut it back for O’Hara, who was unable to find the target. It fell nicely for Haber, who was lethal with his finish.
Any thoughts that this might now be another comfortable Fir Park afternoon were banished when Motherwell pulled a goal back two minutes later.
A corner went beyond the back post, where Moult was lurking. The striker’s first touch wasn’t the best but there was nothing wrong with his second – a left foot finish high past Bain.
If the first half was pretty dull, the second was action-packed.
Dundee were getting a lot of joy down their left and on 57 minutes a Craig Wighton cross was met by O’Hara, whose header appeared to take a touch off Haber on its way into the net for the Dark Blues’ third.
At the other end Bain made a brilliant save from Elliot Frear just after the hour mark.
There was a controversial incident on 77 minutes when a goal-bound Ben Heneghan header was cleared by James Vincent, with the Motherwell players claiming the ball had crossed the line. Referee Steven MacLean, however, waved play on.
A nail-biting finish was set-up when Chris Cadden slid in at the back post to make it 3-2 to Dundee with 10 minutes to go.
McCann’s men held on, though, for a priceless three points.
