LIONEL AINSWORTH is the toast of Motherwell after his dazzling performance in the Lanarkshire derby.

And there was nobody more pleased for the former Shrewsbury Town man than manager Ian Baraclough.

The Well boss handed the wing king a rare start after a number of influential cameos from the bench in recent weeks against Hamilton Accies at Fir Park.

And his faith was rewarded when Ainsworth rattled home the opener from over 25 yards before slamming home a second just moments later in a 4-0 rout.

It took the 27-year-old's tally for the season to six, and Baraclough was full of praise for his star man's contribution.

He said: "He's got something I don't believe too many players have got in this country. When he's on song he's a delight.

"I say to the wide men get yourself into the back post and you'll score 10-12 goals a season and he's gone and done exactly that. When I first came in he wasn't tending to do that.

"Something's clicking, but he's got great ability. He can be frustrating at times, but he can be a game winner and on Friday he was very much a matchwinner."

It was without doubt the most emphatic win of a season for Motherwell as they continue to pile the pressure on bottom-markers St Mirren, who are now four points adrift at the foot of the table.

While performances at Well have improved in recent weeks, Friday was the night everything finally clicked into place for the Fir Park club.

And Baraclough said he was just relieved to finally reward the club's supporters who have stuck by the team during a season to forget.

He said: "I'm really pleased for the amount of work that the fellas have gone and put in. To be honest, I felt as though it was coming. It wasn't just bravado last week saying that we'd be okay, we would be fine and the results would start to come.

"Friday was everything you wanted it to be. It's a sweet one for the supporters because they've had to put up with a fair bit this season so far, and three previous defeats against your neighbours is hard to swallow.

"They can look towards the final eight games with a bit of renewed positivity in the hope that we can replicate that."