Motherwell out of luck as Levein's head rules Hearts

STUART BATHGATE AT TYNECASTLE

Hearts 2 McKenna (30), Simmons (72)
Motherwell 1 Lasley (53)

TO ADAPT the old golfing adage, the more Hearts calculate, the luckier they get. There was, undoubtedly, an element of good fortune to this win, as Motherwell had quite a few chances to add to their single goal; but, not for the first time this season, the result was also a product of Craig Levein’s ability to keep cool in a crisis.

In a rousing, always competitive encounter, it would have been all too easy for everyone involved to lose the head - and indeed, the Hearts coach and his opposite number, Terry Butcher, came close to doing so in a first-half exchange of words. But crucially, when the home team were on the ropes, having seen their half-time lead annulled by Keith Lasley’s 52nd-minute equaliser, Levein calmly resolved that affirmative action was called for.

He could have settled for a point, and if a draw had been the outcome, it would have seemed a fair reflection of the game. Instead of trying to tighten up at the back, though, he decided to ease the pressure on his defence by asking more questions of Motherwell’s.

So Stephen Simmons came on for Neil MacFarlane, and Hearts pushed on. Within ten minutes, a rampaging run down the left from Phil Stamp produced a goal for Simmons, and the game was as good as over.

It was a simple solution to what had appeared to be a complex problem for Hearts. They did themselves no favours by repeatedly being unable to clear their own lines, but Motherwell merit substantial credit for continually harrying the home back four. Having failed to take the lead, though, Butcher’s boys were somewhat deflated by the sucker punch, and were left to reflect on an afternoon to which they had contributed so much, yet from which they gained nothing.

Levein did not bother to claim responsibility for a tactical masterstroke. From his vantage point, it was obvious what needed to be done. "I knew before the game it was going to be tough, but we controlled the game in the first half and I felt comfortable at half-time," he said.

"Then Motherwell came into the match and got a goal at a good time. But by putting Simmons on for a more defensive player the idea was to put pressure on them. Simmy got a goal and I felt after that we were comfortable."

That sense of well-being at the interval was thanks to Kevin McKenna’s drive which had given Hearts the lead just before the half-hour mark. The big Canadian, usually a centre-back, is not exactly a textbook striker, being more or less as slow as the injured Mark de Vries. Yet, while his aerial power is his chief weapon, he can be a threat of sorts on the ground as well, and when he was given a yard of space by a neat pass from Gary Wales he required just a steadying touch before dispatching a left-footed 20-yarder into the net.

Motherwell understandably felt aggrieved when James McFadden was denied a penalty after a heavy contact with Valois, but as they trooped in at the interval they should also have been relieved that they were still at full strength. Barely a minute after being booked along with Alan Maybury after the two squared up to each other, Stephen Pearson blatantly tripped Stamp in full view of the referee. Mike McCurry’s decision to award the free-kick but take no further action was a charitable one.

Even if they had been reduced to ten men, though, Motherwell would probably have mounted a fightback all the same. Their competitive spirit sometimes shades over into indiscipline, but it is on the whole an admirable trait, and one which could make all the difference in the forthcoming fight to avoid relegation.

They began the second half with an all-out assault on the Hearts goal, and they were rewarded when Lasley lobbed the ball over Valois then slammed home a volley. They had chances to score again, notably when McFadden shot over after finding himself in the clear, but in the end they paid for their profligacy.

"For half an hour in the second half we dominated the match," Lasley reckoned. "We definitely had the chances, and if we had gone ahead it might have been a different story.

"Fair play to Hearts, they were professional enough to slow the game down a bit after they went in front again, but it’s very disappointing for us. That’s been the story of our season: we’ve played well in matches but not got what we’ve deserved.

"Now we’ve just got to dig in in all the matches we’ve got left. And if we play as well as we did in the second half there, I don’t think we should have any problems."

Victory for Dundee United against Dunfermline, however, made Motherwell’s position more perilous, and, as they look forward to the split, there is another reason for Butcher’s side to worry. Of the six league victories they have managed this season, only one was against a side - Hibs - who are currently in the lower half of the table.

Victories against the Old Firm may be inspiring, but they count for no more than dreary wins over the league’s lesser lights. Until Motherwell find it in themselves to get such wins, they will remain in serious trouble.

Referee: M McCurry. Attendance: 11,704

Taken from the Scotsman