Motherwell 2-0 Hearts
Michael Grant at Fir Park

CRAIG Levein was so incensed by Hearts’ performance that he punched a wall when he returned to the dressing room at full-time, bursting open a knuckle. Instead of doing the usual post-match media interviews, he was preparing to head to hospital for an X-ray to assess the extent of the damage. In every respect, yesterday was a sore one for the Hearts manager.
Never mind Hearts, Scotland were exposed here too. Levein’s counterpart, Terry Butcher, had written in his programme notes of the need for a successful and dangerous Scotland team, then sent out a Motherwell side which could not have done more to undermine national confidence.

The central defence that Berti Vogts might have considered putting out against Spain in Friday’s friendly, Steven Pressley and Andy Webster, were subjected to a torrid unravelling at Fir Park. If David Clarkson and Scott McDonald is a partnership capable of tormenting them, it is best not to contemplate the havoc that Raul and Fernando Morientes may wreak in Valencia.

Pressley and Webster have had few more uneasy afternoons together and Hearts as a whole seemed struck by the season’s first case of altitude sickness. With Celtic and Rangers both idle ahead of this afternoon’s Old Firm game, this was the oppor tunity for Hearts to plant their flag on the summit of the SPL for a few hours.

Victory was all they required to ease one point clear of Celtic to take temporary leadership; instead they produced a ragged performance and had few complaints about losing to a young Motherwell side they were generally expected to dismiss.

Prominent among those who had admired Hearts’ emergence as the country’s third best side in the last couple of seasons was Butcher.

“Without a shadow of a doubt Hearts will finish in the top three again, as their consistency and ability are top drawer and of an excellent standard,” wrote Butcher in the programme (some reading matter was advisable as a distraction from a dreary first half). There was no reason to interpret Butcher’s comments as an attempt at kidology, but yesterday his own team was more than a match for the supposed third force.

Motherwell’s unbreached defence was a reward for the efforts of central pairing Stephen Craigan and Willie Kinniburgh. Phil O’Donnell’s excellent contribution in midfield was matched only by that of Kevin McBride, the on-loan player from Celtic whose deliveries from set-pieces were a constant nuisance for Hearts.

McDonald and Clarkson added a variety of pace and strength which was consistently punishing for Pressley and Webster. The pair of them were booked during a second half which would have had Levein scouting for a nearby wall.

Hearts would never regard any vocal slagging of Chris Robinson as a waste of their energies, but yesterday the embattled chief executive was not present to hear their mandatory “Pieman” chants.

Robinson was in Monte Carlo on Friday for the Uefa Cup first-round draw and was still away on club duty yesterday instead of taking his place in the directors’ box at Fir Park.

Robinson and the other Hearts directors – all away either on holiday or business commitments – were the lucky ones: better to be anywhere rather than endure what was a depressing opening 45 minutes.

Hearts initially promised to assert their superiority by passing their way around midfield and pinning a wary-looking Motherwell back to the edge of their own penalty area. Only when Butcher’s side seemed to realise that Hearts were devoid of imagination – often resorting to fruitless long balls for Ramon Pereira to chase – did they emerge into the play and create the game’s first goalscoring chances.

First McDonald burrowed down the left and cut the ball back for O’Donnell, whose attempt was cleared by Alan Maybury for a corner. When that was delivered into the area, Clarkson’s header was cleared off the line before Craigan jabbed the loose ball into the side net.

Had Patrick Kisnorbo scored with a shot which struck the outside of Gordon Marshall’s post close to half-time Hearts may have found the com posure to see out the second half.

Instead, they never seemed likely to recover having conceded the opener in the 58th minute. McBride floated a free-kick into the box from the left and Freeland – adhering to a guideline recently given to referees – gave a penalty when O’Donnell’s jersey was tugged by Pressley. McBride scored low and firm to Craig Gordon’s left.

If that was routine, Motherwell’s second was fabulous. Again it was a McBride delivery, this time from a corner, and when Patrick Kisnorbo’s poor headed clearance floated to the back of the penalty area O’Donnell met the ball’s flight with a perfect left foot connection. Gordon was helpless as the volley flew across him and high inside the post.

“Turning back the years there ... Phil O’Donnell,” purred the stadium’s public announcer. O’Donnell, 32, has scored few better.

Hearts rallied a little in the closing minutes but poor passing and defensive indiscipline almost cost them a third when Gordon had to save sharply to deny a Clarkson header in the final seconds.

It was all too much for Levein. At least when Butcher used to lash out in dressing rooms he had the sense to do so with his boot, not an unprotected fist. “He’s a silly man,” said his assistant, Peter Houston.

Pressley and Webster’s one consolation is that inter national duty will take them out of Levein’s sight for the best part of a fortnight.

29 August 2004