The Fir Park side saw their first-half opener from new boy John Sutton cancelled out five minutes before half-time by Lee Wilkie and went on to dominate the final 45 minutes of the game without managing to convert any of their chances into goals – i
ncluding a missed penalty on the hour mark.
Well finished in third place in the SPL last season, winning a place in the UEFA Cup in the process, but they have taken just one point from their opening three game this time around.
However, McGhee says he can't fault his players for effort and firmly believes they will get their reward in the shape of points in the coming months if they continue to play in the same manner.
McGhee said: "Missing a penalty, hitting the bar and missing chances is disappointing, but overall, I'm pleased with my side's performance.
"We have to keep playing like that. If we do and we win games, fantastic. If we play like that but don't win, we've just got to live with it because you can't ask any more than that.
"We've got ambitions to be in the top six, but we don't need to be in there right now. If we keep playing like that then I will have no complaints, I can't ask for any more from my players."
As well as handing Sutton his debut, McGhee gave Steven McGarry the nod, while Stephen Hughes missed out because of a hamstring problem and Jamie Murphy slipped to the bench.
United boss Craig Levein brought Prince Buaben into his starting line-up at the expense of David Robertson and it was Buaben who carved out the first real chance of the game, only to see his shot on the angle tipped round the post by Motherwell keeper Graeme Smith.
With just over half an hour gone, it was the home side who made the breakthrough, Clarkson finding Paul Quinn to create the danger. Quinn's ball into the box was headed on by Keith Lasley and when he diverted it into the path of Sutton, the new boy had no hesitation in turning the ball past Lukasz Zaluska.
The former St Mirren frontman was delighted to get off the mark, just a day after signing for the Fir Park side, but felt that the Steelmen had deserved to take more than just a single point: "Getting the goal gets a monkey off my back straight away, but I'm disappointed because I thought that our performance deserved a win.
"You've got to give credit to United, who are strong defensively, but rarely will we dominate a game like that for 45 minutes and not get a victory out of it."
Sutton and Well's delight at edging in front lasted no more than six minutes though, as United skipper Wilkie equalised.
Gomis sent in a great ball at just the right height for Wilkie, who powered a header down and into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
Chris Porter caused United problems after the break and when he was brought down by Buaben for a free-kick it looked like the home side might just get their noses back in front again. Steven Hammell sent the dead ball to Quinn, who nodded it down towards Sutton, lurking almost on the goal-line. However the big Englishman was denied his second goal when the ball was stabbed away for a corner before he could connect. Next to go close was Clarkson. He latched onto Hammell's long ball and found himself in space and through on goal, but his first attempt was parried by Zaluska and the Well midfielder hit the top of the bar with his second effort.
Then came the penalty, which was conceded on the hour mark when Garry Kenneth brought down Porter, but the big striker saw his effort saved by Zaluska.
The home side had another shout for a penalty in the dying minutes when they claimed Porter had been brought down by Wilkie in the box – a claim the big defender was furious with after the match, accusing the Motherwell striker of play-acting.
United manager Levein
said: "It's not often I can say our team got a break and didn't perform to our best and still managed to get something from the game, so that's encouraging."
The full article contains 775 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
