Baraclough hails Ainsworth

Ainsworth came off the bench to hit an 84th-minute winner as the Scottish Premiership bottom club beat Inverness 2-1 at Fir Park.

The winger has dropped out of the starting XI in recent weeks and was even booed on to the park by some fans during Motherwell's 1-0 defeat by Dundee the previous weekend, but his response thrilled Baraclough.

The Englishman, whose side had only taken one point from the previous eight games, said: "I give him the credit for being in the right frame of mind to be that impact player. He has gone on there and shown the positivity to have a go.

"It's not easy coming off the bench and Lionel has got the rewards for showing that professionalism.

"He has worked hard in training and he has perhaps felt he has been overlooked again, but he has gone and got the rewards for the group. I'm really pleased for him."

Motherwell started with recent signings Scott McDonald and Stephen Pearson and, even though they remain on the foot of the table after the rest of the bottom four won, the home fans went home with renewed optimism after a far superior display than the previous week.

Louis Laing headed them into the lead in the 48th minute but Motherwell refused to buckle when Edward Ofere headed a debut goal in the 76th minute, and held out after Simon Ramsden's late red card for a second bookable offence.

The result and performance lifted the pressure off Baraclough, who needed a win to kick-start his Fir Park career.

"It's an emotional game and there was a full range of emotions going through, I can tell you," he said.

"But the biggest one was pleasure for the lads because it was a real effort, not just from the 11, those that were on the bench, those that were disappointed not even to be in the squad, but everyone rallying round before the game. Everyone knows what it means."

Motherwell looked to have rediscovered their fighting spirit but Baraclough felt it was shaking off the fear factor that was crucial.

When asked about his players' fight, he said: "Possibly looks that way but that's been there in abundance in previous weeks, but we have just not transferred that into the match.

"I said it last week, we have got to throw those shackles off and get people backing us and that's what we did today."

Ainsworth's goal ended a 10-match unbeaten run for Inverness.

"It was going to end some time," manager John Hughes said. "I felt we did enough to maybe win the match, hit the post, hit the bar, a couple just past the post.

"We had to weather the storm first half, stood up to that. We never really got slick enough on a heavy pitch, our passing was a bit sloppy.

"Our spirit was definitely there and it was a great header from the big fella. I thought we could go on and win it but to get beat by the goal we did, a wicked deflection into the bottom corner, you have to take it on the chin."

Hughes sprung a surprise on Friday with the capture of Nigeria international Ofere, who came straight in for the suspended Marley Watkins.

"The big fella looks an asset," Hughes said. "You can tell he has been about a bit, he leads the line really well. Miles off fitness but he is always smiling, he is just a big giant gentleman. He has fitted right in there and I'm really pleased for him."