Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough will take a lot of positives from their 3-1 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday.

The Steelmen's recent woes continued as they lost to fourth-top United on Tayside to leave them with a run of five straight league defeats.

Well are perilously placed in third bottom in the Scottish Premiership table above St Mirren and Ross County.

But Baraclough, who took over from Stuart McCall with the clear aim of starring them up the Premiership, believes it's not all doom and gloom having had a goal from John Sutton disallowed just before the break as well as seeing two strong penalty claims turned down by referee Craig Thomson before Simon Ramsden gave them hope with his 79th minute strike.

He said: "There was a lot of endeavour from the players all over the pitch. There was a desire to win individual battles which is what we need right now.

"Looking at it, on another day it would have gone for us. That's just football for you but some big decisions obviously went against us.

"We need to keep working hard for each other - that goes without saying.

"But we'll pick ourselves up and get on with the next match and see where it takes us."