Louis Moult is known more for his efforts to score goals rather than someone who deliberately tries to stop the opposition's most talented players from working their magic.

But that was the accusation levelled at the Motherwell striker in the wake of Saturday's first-half flash-point which surrounded Greg Stewart's enforced substitution due to injury in this hard-fought win for Dundee.

Moult's foul midway through the first-half at Dens Park which earned him a yellow-card saw this issue brought to the fore, leading to Dundee manager Paul Hartley identifying Moult as simply the latest individual to intentionally adopt the kind of strong-arm tactics aimed at preventing Stewart, who was short-listed for last season's PFA Player of the Year, from exercising his considerable influence in front of goal.

The 25-year-old's afternoon was cut short by being forced to hobble off after Moult had caught him rather late and so the hosts, who prevailed in the end through second-half goals from on-form attacker Rory Loy allied to defender Kevin Holt's free-kick before Stephen Pearson hit a late consolation for managerless Motherwell, were deprived of their talisman striker for over an hour.

Hartley rates Stewart one of his best signings since acquiring him from lower league Cowdenbeath in the summer of 2014, but feels in light of last term's exploits he is now in strong need of protection from referees, having become something of a marked man with each passing game of this new campaign proof that teams are now intent on subduing him at all costs.

But Englishman Moult, a former Stoke City youth product, denied any intention of targeting Stewart as Dundee hope his time on the sidelines doesn't turn out to be too lengthy one.

“I’ve definitely caught him but there’s no intent,” protested Moult afterwards.

“I’ve seen the ball and tried to nick it and that happens in football but I didn’t mean to catch him.

“He’s a good player and we’re all aware of that but it’s just one of those things.

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t know it was him that I tackled.

“If it had been anyone, I’d have tackled him.

“I thought the ball was there to win. But he was a little bit quicker than me.”

Even without having to curtail the threat of Stewart for much of Saturday's game, Motherwell still couldn't halt Dundee despite the welcome boost of their previous weekend's win over Partick Thistle, which had come under the guidance of caretaker manager Stephen Craigan.

Neither was there much light shed on matters by Craigan, who doubles as Northern Ireland's under-19 assistant manager, who was again non-committal after the match as to whether he would be applying for the job on a permanent basis.

Like any side dealing with managerial uncertainty, the Fir Park men are trying their utmost on the park but the one thing they crave more than anything is some stability off it to erase any lingering doubts.

Moult, for one, knows a swift appointment on who's going to lead them in the coming months would help the struggling Steelmen most in their current state.

Moult said: “We need things clarified so we can concentrate on our jobs.

“Stephen has been fantastic since I’ve been here. He is so passionate.

“That has shown in some of our performances. We never gave up.

“We got a goal late on today and on another day we might have got another.

“If he (Stephen) wants it, I believe in him.

“His passion for the club is fantastic and its spread in the dressing-room.

“There’s no uncertainty among the new boys.

“Obviously Ian Baraclough brought a few of us in, like myself, and there’s a fantastic togetherness in the changing-room and now we just need to get it right on the pitch.”

Dundee striker Loy, meanwhile, is certainly doing his bit after the early part of his season was restricted by a niggling groin injury following his summer move from Falkirk.

The 27-year-old is showing just why Hartley brought him to Tayside by bagging three goals in back-to-back two Dens Park appearances, and is confident of continuing his scoring streak.

Loy said: “I’ve missed a few games through injury.

“But I've scored a few now and if you look to get into the right areas then goals will flow.

“Every striker goes through spells when they score and they don't score, and thankfully just now the goals are going in for me.

“I played against Greg (Stewart) in the Championship and I could see the assets he held.

“I knew it would be good for me to get to play with players like him and Kane Hemmings.

“That was a big part in my decision to come here in the summer.”