Kilmarnock 1-0 Motherwell

Kilmarnock's Craig Bryson slots home the winner past Graeme Smith

A Craig Bryson strike 90 seconds from full-time saw Kilmarnock beat 10-man Motherwell and strengthen their grip on third position.

Motherwell had looked likely to grab a valuable point despite playing the final 25 minutes with 10 men.

Mark McGhee's men lost Paul Quinn after he brought down David Fernandez to deny him a goalscoring opportunity.

Kilmarnock's Mehdi Taouil hit the wall from the free-kick before Bryson popped up with a dramatic late winner.

David Clarkson had started on the left of a four-man midfield and almost threaded Jamie Murphy through as Motherwell made a lively start.

Frazer Wright slid in to stop Sutton converting from a Steven McGarry cutback before Alan Combe held Stevie Hammell's 30-yard free-kick.

Kilmarnock had their first chance in the 12th minute after Stephen Hughes slipped while making a clearance, but Graeme Smith held Conor Sammon's shot.

Chris Porter slotted home in the 14th minute after Clarkson slipped the ball through, but the offside flag was quickly raised.

The home side were forced into a change in the 17th minute as Simon Ford limped off for James Fowler to come on at right-back.

Smith made a fine double save moments later after Sammon had headed on Taouil's lofted ball forward.

The Motherwell goalkeeper first beat away Bryson's volley towards the far corner before holding Danny Invincibile's first-time follow-up.

The visitors regained the ascendancy and Sutton had a free header from McGarry's near-post corner, but failed to direct the ball on target.

Sutton had another good chance after Murphy's cross had taken out Alan Combe, but the striker could not rise high enough to guide his header underneath the bar.

Smith appeared to be barged over by Sammon after Killie broke but Motherwell cleared and Sutton passed up another opportunity seconds later when he opted to dummy Clarkson's ball across the box.

Murphy was causing Jamie Hamill all sorts of problems on the right wing and Combe turned the teenager's powerful strike past the near post.

Clarkson and Invincibile were booked in first-half injury-time after clashing off the ball.

The first real opportunity of the second half arrived when Sutton's effort was cleared off the line by Kilmarnock's Fowler.

However, the game began to get scrappy with much action in the midfield battle zone and chances at a premium.

The action sparked into life after 64 minutes when Quinn was adjuged to have denied a goalscoring opportunity after Kilmarnock's Fernandez burst through.

Referee Alan Muir sent off the Motherwell player but Taouil could only hit the wall from the resultant free-kick.

Fir Park manager McGhee shuffled his 10 men, bringing on Bob Malcolm for striker Sutton to shore up things and Kilmarnock were struggling to break down their stuffy opponents.

However, on the brink of full-time, Hamill's attempted shot took a deflection and Bryson nipped in at the back post to strike a dramatic late winner for the home side.

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Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies: "I thought the first half was very even and the sending-off had a big impact on the game. It hurt them because they had to take a striker off to bring a centre-half on.

"Mark McGhee looked like he would settle for a draw after that - and you couldn't blame him.

"We kept plugging away. It was always going to be one goal, and it was a vital one.

"Fortunately it fell for us in the box and wee Bryson stuck it away."

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee: "Losing's tough to take, but I think we made a rod for our own back having a player sent off - particularly a central defender - at that stage of a game like that.

"I've no complaints about the sending-off. Paul Quinn should have stayed on his feet, he should have tried to get goal-side. If he couldn't get the tackle he should have just put pressure on the player to miss the shot and then rely on the goalkeeper saving it.

"So I think it was a bad decision to go to ground and bring the boy down."

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Kilmarnock: Combe, Lilley, Wright, Ford (Fowler 16), Invincibile (Flannigan 83), Bryson, Pascali, Taouil, Hamill, Sammon (Simmonds 74), Fernandez.

Subs Not Used: Rascle, Murray, Skelton, Cox.

Booked: Invincibile, Wright, Bryson.

Goal: Bryson 89.

Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Quinn, Reynolds, Hughes, Hammell, McGarry, Lasley, Murphy (O'Brien 86), Clarkson (Fitzpatrick 70), Sutton (Malcolm 65), Porter.

Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Connolly, Forbes, McHugh.

Sent Off: Quinn (64).

Booked: Clarkson, Graeme Smith, Hammell.

Att: 5,113

Ref: A Muir.