Hearts 4 Motherwell 2

By PA Sport Staff

A hungry Hearts side produced a scintillating comeback from being 2-0 down inside the first half-hour to beat an entertaining Motherwell side at Tynecastle.

Trailing 2-0 after just 28 minutes following goals from Motherwell's Dirk Lehmann and James McFadden they looked set for a likely defeat.

However, a 35-minute bullet header from Dutchman Mark de Vries gave the Gorgie men a lifeline.

A double from Andy Kirk and a fine Stephen Boyack goal in the second half completed the turnaround.

The win continues Hearts' encouraging start to the SPL season and puts them in the heady heights of third position where lead Kilmarnock and Dunfermline on goal difference and lie behind only Rangers and Celtic.

Terry Butcher's Lanarkshire side had started the game where they had finished off last Tuesday in their spectacular 2-1 win over Celtic last Tuesday.

Scotland hopeful for next month's match in Iceland McFadden was giving Hearts skipper Steven Pressley, another player with international aspirations, a torrid time in the first half.

In that first half-hour a Hearts win had seemed hugely improbable, such was the spectacular nature of the Fir Park side's opening to this fixture.

However, great performances from de Vries, Phil Stamp and Andy Kirk was added to by some classy French finesse courtesy of Jean-Louis Valois - a player who will lighten up the SPL this season.

The home side started this game positively and after winning a free-kick on the right of the box Valois sent over a cross after just 50 seconds which forced Stephen Woods to punch down and around his near post for a corner.

From the resultant flag-kick taken by Valois, Dutch striker de Vries managed to get to the ball first but lost his balance and headed well wide.

Then Scotland international Scott Severin had a decent low drive from 20 yards which skimmed past Wood's left post.

Then after 12 minutes Motherwell went in front after some impressive skill from man-of-the-moment McFadden on the left wing.

The 19-year-old turned Pressley inside-out before sending in a great cross which was beautifully volleyed home with his left foot by Lehmann.

In the 28th minute the Fir Park side went 2-0 in front after winning a corner on the right which was taken by Steven Hammell and met by Lehmann who turned the ball back across the face of the goal and McFadden stuck his head in bravely to divert it into the net.

The home side were fighting very hard knowing full well that this game appeared to be running away from them fast and 10 minutes before the break Motherwell's 6ft 3in German centre-half Dan Sengewald impeded de Vries on the left.

Valois swung over the free-kick and de Vries gave Hearts a glimmer of hope by rising above the visitors' defence to thunder an unstoppable header home.

The crowd at Tynecastle had witnessed a pulsating first 45 minutes and the second half did not disappoint either.

Hearts were definitely having most of the possession and after a neat Boyack cross was headed goalwards by Stamp only a goalline clearance from Sengewald kept the visitors in front.

However, the home side were rewarded for their pressure in the 64th minute when an excellent Paul McMullan cross from the left saw Andy Kirk place a fine header past the keeper into the left corner.

Passions continued to rise in a game which saw several bookings and although Hearts were having most of the play, Motherwell always looked as though they could be dangerous on the break.

Pressley really had to work hard to come back from a difficult first 45 minutes but he showed great maturity to keep focussed and turn in an inspiring second-half display, even managing to keep livewire McFadden a lot quieter.

With 16 minutes to go Hearts edged in front for the first time after Valois' cross was beautifully finished by Boyack, who rifled in a powerful shot to bring the home side to life.

Just three minutes later Hearts went 4-2 up after Stamp's great pass cut out the visitors defence and send Kirk clear.

The Northern Ireland international kept his cool to side-foot neatly past Woods before being replaced within a couple of minutes to a standing ovation with Gary Wales coming on.

In the dying stages Valois went close with a clever curling shot and Severin had a late goal chopped off for an infringement on the keeper.

Teams

Hearts: McKenzie, Maybury, Pressley, McKenna, McMullan, Boyack, Severin, Stamp, Valois, de Vries, Kirk (Wales 79).

Subs Not Used: Gordon, Webster, McGeown, Weir.

Booked: Severin, Kirk.

Goals: de Vries 35, Kirk 64, Boyack 74, Kirk 77.

Motherwell: Woods, Ramsey, Sengewald, Partridge, Hammell (Russell 88), Lasley, Corrigan, Adams (Ferguson 81), Fagan (McDonald 61), Lehmann, McFadden.

Subs Not Used: Dubourdeau, Cowan.

Booked: Hammell, Sengewald, Adams, Partridge.

Goals: Lehmann 12, McFadden 28.

Att: 8,578

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com