Motherwell Dundee United jumped to fourth in the Premier League after scoring a memorable 4-3 win at Fir Park.
The Steelers opened the scoring after just 45 seconds through Apostolos Stamatelopoulos before Sam Dalby leveled matters six minutes later.
Goals from Andy Halliday and Stamatelopoulos then led the home side at half-time, but an Aston Oxborough error allowed Dalby to double their tally and drag the Terrors back into the game early in the second half.
Tom Sparrow looked to have put the game out of reach for Motherwell when he headed past Jack Walton in the 68th minute, but Kevin Holt headed in with four minutes remaining to seal a tight finish. arrange.
How the Mother's Well made a splash at Fir Park
It was a dream start for Well after Stamatelopoulos headed home Marvin Kaleta's low cross with less than a minute on the clock.
However, United were gifted with a golden opportunity for a quick response in the sixth minute when Louis Moult was brought down in the box by Liam Gordon. Referee Nick Walsh consulted VAR before awarding a penalty and Dalby sent Oxborough well the wrong way from the spot.
After a breathless opening, the game began to slow down, allowing the visitors to begin to control proceedings.
Dalby missed a chance before Moult connected with Luca Stephenson's pin point delivery, only to see his header turned round the post by the Well Oxborough keeper.
The home side had few chances but almost capitalized on a quick break just before the half hour mark which ended with Tswana Maswanhise drilling the ball straight across the target.
Two minutes later, good mix-up play between Halliday and Lennon Miller saw the Motherwell skipper fire a shot just wide.
The momentum was back with the hosts and they made it count in the 33rd minute. Harry Paton gathered Kaleta's cross and weaved in and out to find space inside the box before picking up Halliday, who was perfectly positioned to turn the ball home from close range.
Things got even better for Motherwell five minutes before the break as they extended their advantage courtesy of Stamatelopoulos' second goal of the afternoon, with the Australia international spinning home Maswanhise's delivery.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (left) celebrates the opening of the Mother Well
The hosts started the second half the brighter of the sides, but their momentum was halted after a moment of horror for Oxborough.
Glenn Middleton sent in a cross that curled into the air and the Tobar keeper couldn't get anywhere near the ball as he raced off his line, allowing Dalby to place the ball into the gaping goal.
The home keeper went some way to making amends for his error in the 65th minute when he cleared Dalby's header after a good cross from Moult.
Moult had already netted against his former side in this season's Premier League Cup, and could hardly believe his luck when his shot fell against the underside of his bar.
It was a moment when Graves left the chase just seconds later when a clinical break led to Stamatelopoulos feeding Sparrow to send a low drive into the corner to below.
The United players were adamant that Stamatelopoulos handled before the goal, although Fir Park erupted when the goal was awarded after a brief review.
There was still time for more drama when Holt found the net with four minutes remaining, and the home supporters had to endure some nervous moments as their side secured their third win over United of the season. this.
What the managers said…
The Mother's Well assistant chief Stevie Frail: “It was a bit of a sweat (when it went 4-3) because Dundee United are a good team and they put you under a lot of pressure.
“I'm sure it was an interesting game for neutrals, we're just happy we came out on top.
“I think the players showed great character, to go 1-0 up so early and then concede a goal so quickly – they recovered and I think it's a well-deserved three points there
“To be sitting fourth in the league and 11 points better off than we were last season, it's a testament to the whole team.”
Dundee United leader Jim Goodwin: “We didn't defend the box well enough.
“We've been given a lot of credit for our defensive displays throughout the season. We have one of the best records in our country and unfortunately today there were a few mistakes.
“When you concede four goals in any game, it's hard to take anything away from it.
“The boys are sure there's a handball before the fourth goal goes in. I didn't have a good enough angle to see it back, we'll see what happens from there.”
