Jardell Kanga announced his arrival at Motherwell with a dramatic 93rd-minute debut goal to salvage a 3-3 draw away to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership. The late equaliser rescued a point for the Steelmen after they had squandered a two-goal lead in a chaotic match at the SMiSA Stadium in Paisley.
Motherwell had looked in control early on. Tawanda Maswanhise and Regan Charles-Cook found the net to put the visitors two goals ahead. But Maswanhise also missed a penalty, a moment that proved costly. St Mirren launched a stunning comeback, scoring three times in a frantic nine-minute spell either side of half-time. Paul Nsio, Declan John and Samuel Ramos all struck between the 39th and 48th minutes to turn the game on its head.
Kanga, who signed from Finnish club Ilves just days before the match, came off the bench to make his first appearance. He timed his run perfectly to meet a cross in the dying seconds, firing home to spark wild celebrations. Manager Alfred Johansson was full of praise for his new attacker. "I think he is a player that we know is a lethal finisher but he is a player that also is creative, and can combine with others," Johansson told The Scotsman. He added that Kanga can set up other players and predicted he will be 'one to watch' in Scottish football.
Alfred Johansson's emotions were mixed after the final whistle. He expressed clear disappointment with how his team finished the first half, allowing St Mirren back into the contest. However, he was proud of the team spirit shown to fight back and secure a point, especially so soon after their Conference League exit to Freiburg less than 72 hours earlier. The result leaves Motherwell with 5 points from their opening matches, a solid if unspectacular start as they sit 5th in the Premiership with 4 points from 2 games and a goal difference of +1.
St Mirren were without Irish midfielder Killian Phillips due to a shin injury. He picked up the problem in their Premier Sports Cup exit to Rangers earlier in the month and is expected to miss another week. With the transfer deadline day looming on Thursday, manager Craig McLeish addressed the speculation surrounding the player. "If something comes along that's too good for him to turn down, or too good for the club to turn down, then we have to look at it," McLeish said. He confirmed no official offer has been received but acknowledged a lot of talk and interest, stating both club and player are relaxed about the situation.
The point keeps Motherwell in the top half of the table, though they now trail leaders Celtic by five points. Their immediate focus shifts to their next fixture, a home match against third-placed Dundee on December 19th. It represents a key opportunity to build momentum. Johansson will be looking for a more complete performance over 90 minutes as his team prepares for that challenge. Fans can view the full schedule on our fixtures list. The character shown to fight back in Paisley provides a foundation, but converting promising positions into wins is the next step for this Motherwell side.
