Dylan Levitt scored eight minutes into his Motherwell debutImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Dylan Levitt scored eight minutes into his Motherwell debut

At a glance

  • United's Agyei shown red after just 13 minutes

  • Palmer-Houlden heads Motherwell in front five minutes later with his first for club

  • Impressive Lowry rifles in a second before debutant Levitt nets against former team

ByAmy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Fir Park

Dylan Levitt's debut goal helped classy Motherwell end their four-game winless run with a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory against 10-man Dundee United.

Wales international Levitt, who joined the Steelmen on Tuesday, announced himself to the Fir Park faithful eight minutes after coming off the bench, dragging his right-footed effort in for the hosts' third against his former side.

That was after first Motherwell goals for Seb Palmer-Houlden and Alex Lowry, either side of the break against a United side once again led by assistant Lee Sharp as manager Jim Goodwin recovers from a spell in hospital.

His side were up against it early on, though, when Emmanuel Agyei caught Alex Lowry a few yards outside the box, referee Calum Scott showing no hesitation in sending him off despite the 21-year-old's protests.

Motherwell looked in the mood against 11 men - Emmanuel Longelo lashing off a post after just two minutes - but were even more up for it against 10, with Palmer-Houlden neatly sweeping home Tom Sparrow's cross five minutes after the dismissal.

Former Rangers youngster Lowry has caught the eye since joining on loan from Wycombe Wanderers and was pulling all sorts of strings again before releasing a net-bulging strike from distance.

Two tough Conference League legs against Freiburg were book-ended by a League Cup defeat by Stenhousemuir and an entertaining draw with St Mirren, but this was a much-deserved - and perhaps needed - first home league victory of the campaign.

Motherwell analysis: Home fans singin' in the rain

The home fans were on their feet indulging in their latest rendition of "stand up and sing for Motherwell" when Lowry smashed in their deserved - and needed - second.

It sounds like a broken record, but what a time they're having. Their team are a joy to watch, and they found their groove in the Lanarkshire rain against United.

There are only a few hours left of the transfer window, and should they manage to keep a hold of Emmanuel Longelo, then that ought to be some of the best business in the land.

It boggles the mind that clubs - even in this country - haven't thrown money at the lung-busting left-back. He's been at the heart of the hectic start to the season, but is showing no signs of being leggy. Quite the opposite.

He could have had a hat-trick of assists such were the quality of his balls across the face of goal, while he cracked the post himself.

In a performance like this, though, it's unfair to single just him out. The goalscorers - all new boys - in addition to fellow fresh faces Jardell Kanga and Joe Hodge, look right at home here at Fir Park, and who can blame them?

The European dream may be over this term, but what a season the supporters of the Steelmen look set to have again.

Dundee Utd analysis: Plenty to ponder for stubborn visitors

No team wants to lose a player, but no one certainly wants to lose one to this free-flowing Motherwell side.

What looked set to be a fairly end-to-end contest in the opening 13 minutes or so turned into one-way traffic in United's direction following Agyei's red.

With that in mind, United deserve credit for keeping the scoreline as low as they did for as long as they did. It really was a matter of when, not if, the floodgates would open for Well.

Amid all their domination, though, United did still have their chance on the odd counter.

Zac Sapsford losing his footing at the moment he was about to pull the trigger in the box in the first half is the kind of action that need be acted upon when up against it. But it wasn't.

Little to learn, in truth. But plenty to ponder for Sharp and Goodwin over the phone.

Player of the match

Number: 11 A. Lowry
Average rating 8.56
Number: 11 A. Lowry
Average Rating: 8.56
Number: 63 D. Levitt
Average Rating: 8.21
Number: 71 J. Hodge
Average Rating: 8.12
Number: 45 E. Longelo
Average Rating: 7.85
Number: 1 A. Paulsen
Average Rating: 7.78
Number: 47 S. Palmer-Houlden
Average Rating: 7.71
Number: 7 T. Sparrow
Average Rating: 7.68
Number: 5 M. Moormann
Average Rating: 7.68
Number: 13 J. Kanga
Average Rating: 7.45
Number: 8 L. Fadinger
Average Rating: 7.43
Number: 4 J. Knight-Lebel
Average Rating: 7.41
Number: 3 J. Girdwood-Reich
Average Rating: 7.12
Number: 18 T. Maswanhise
Average Rating: 6.88
Number: 2 S. O'Donnell
Average Rating: 6.85
Number: 15 E. Björgólfs­son
Average Rating: 6.76
Number: 77 W. Vogt
Average Rating: 5.94

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.