Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson praised his side's commitment and spirit after they opened their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 2-1 win at Hibs at Easter Road.
Ibrahim Said's 85th-minute counter-attack goal sealed the points, after Lukas Fadinger's penalty and Martin Boyle's spot-kick had left the game level. Eight players made their Premiership debuts for Motherwell.
Johansson hails character
"I'm super happy to come out with the three points," Johansson said. "I think the game is a game where it's ups and downs for both teams. I think when we look our best, we still look really sharp and really good."
He added: "But tactics aside and goals aside, I am very pleased and proud that we have a group of players that can show this commitment this early on. Some of them have been here for days and we had eight players making their debut in the Premiership today for Motherwell."
"I think that the commitment and spirit that the team shows today when we have to ride out the storms and suffer a little bit as a unit, to show that it's evidence that we've brought the right characters in the door," the Swede continued.
Johansson pointed to goalkeeper Alex Paulsen's save, Martin Moorman's block and Tom Sparrow's all-action display as examples of the spirit shown. "It's nothing else, it's not me, it's not the staff, it's nothing. It's the players doing that," he said.
Missed the winner
The Motherwell boss admitted he did not see everything of the decisive second goal, as he was busy discussing tactical changes with his staff.
"Even though I didn't see everything of the second goal, everyone tells me it was a great play," Johansson said. "In that moment you're thinking about, should we change this or that and you're discussing with your staff. You don't always have your eyes on the game but I saw him put the ball in the goal."
Gray rues naivety
Hibs head coach David Gray was left to rue his side's defending in both goals, describing the decision-making as naive. The hosts had two efforts cleared off the line and were on top after Boyle had levelled from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute.
"I thought in the first half we had the better moments but without creating any chances off the back of that really," Gray said. "We won the ball back in decent areas but our decision-making or our intensity wasn't good enough to really put ourselves in front and then we lose a really poor goal with decision-making, a bit of naivety to give away a penalty."
He added: "There's two things within that. One, you need to be clinical when you get to that stage and second of all, to sit here with zero points off the back of that second half performance and the way the game went, it was really tough to take. The most frustrating thing for me is probably the manner in which we conceded the second goal, I think that's real naivety, right across the board."
European tests ahead
Motherwell now head into Thursday's Conference League third qualifying round first leg away to HJK Helsinki, while Hibs host Shkendija in the same competition that night.
