TWO defeats in 10 games has quickly become two in a matter of days for Motherwell.

After seeing their impressive recent run of form come to a halt against Dundee United on Friday, Stuart McCall's side again fell short against one of their top-six rivals last night as they went down 3-0 to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

McCall has played down the chances of the Steelmen finishing best of the rest in the Premiership this term and on an evening when Aberdeen toppled Celtic, Well lost further ground on the Dons as the race for a European berth intensified. Inverness Caley Thistle also won to close the gap to McCall's side to just three points.

The Fir Park boss bemoaned his side's sluggish start as they crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Tannadice last week and they were again slow out of the traps as they struggled to get going in Perth.

The Steelmen survived a penalty scare after just four minutes when Steven MacLean felt he was fouled by Stephen McManus.

But the striker didn't have to wait long to find the target as he marked his return to action with the first of a quickfire brace that put the Saints on the road to victory.

Stevie May thundered in a free-kick from fully 30 yards and when keeper Gunnar Nielsen parried the ball back into the six-yard box, MacLean was on hand to convert and put Tommy Wright's side ahead with just six minutes on the clock.

It was far from the start Motherwell had in mind as they looked to get back to winning form following their United defeat, and it almost got worse when May again tried his luck from distance, the forward this time seeing his dipping free-kick go just wide of Nielsen's right-hand post.

Motherwell were struggling to assert themselves as an attacking force and shortly after Iain Vigurs fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area, they were left facing an uphill struggle.

MacLean met Brian Easton's whipped cross from the left-flank to head home and the Saints had doubled their advantage.

The Steelmen should have given themselves a route back into the game just before the half-time whistle.

But when McManus collected Vigurs' free-kick at the back post, the defender ­somehow managed to pull his effort right across the face of goal and wide of target.

McCall watched on in disbelief as another poor opening 45 minutes from his side came to a close.

THE interval gave the Fir Park boss a chance to rally his troops and he wasted little time in calling for reinforcements, James McFadden and Lionel Ainsworth joining the front line as Steven Hammell and Vigurs failed to reappear for the second half.

But it was St Johnstone who would create the best chances of the opening minutes, Nielsen saving well from Lee Croft after the hosts worked a neat corner routine, before the Faroese shot-stopper pulled off another good block to prevent May adding his name to the scoresheet.

Saints keeper Alan Mannus had to be alert as McFadden launched a series of long throws into the area and Motherwell began to look a bit more lively in the final third.

But the decisive breakthrough continued to elude them as the clock ticked down and another Premiership ­defeat loomed large.

The Steelmen still had faint hope but the game could, and should, have been beyond them as the hosts passed two more chances to put a shine on the scoreline.

David Wotherspoon shot wide from the edge of the area, then Chris Iwelumo spurned a fine chance after waltzing into the Well area.

But with just minutes remaining, the Saints had their third, Gary Miller storming down the right wing and blasting the ball beyond Nielsen to complete a second successive miserable night for Motherwell.