Motherwell 2 - 0 Hearts

Alan Campbell at Fir Park

MOTHERWELL got their first three points of the year, and their first win in the Premierleague since December 11, but only the most diehard home supporter would argue that this was an uplifting occasion. A previously resurgent Hearts side were simply abysmal, and this turned into a routine victory for Terry Butcher’s side.

Not that the manager was complaining. “It’s a lovely feeling to win – you can’t beat it,” he said. Given that several members of his squad had been struggling with flu in midweek, Butcher was entitled to be pleased.

“I was especially pleased with the workrate,” he said. “We worked very hard in the second half as well, although we didn’t add to the score. Hearts are a difficult team to beat, as we saw in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup on Wednesday. If you let them play, they can destroy you.

“We’ve been playing well, but have still only taken four points out of nine in the last three games. We’ve been winning and losing in phases this season, so hopefully this will be the start of a winning run. I believe Kilmarnock won as well today, and well done to them, but that keeps us two points ahead as far as finishing in the top six goes.”

Butcher’s counterpart at Hearts, John Robertson, was candid in his disappointment.

“That was an embarrassing performance,” he said. “I don’t blame the players. It’s myself who’s responsible because I pick the team. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“They’ve played us four times this season and they’ve beaten us four times, but I don’t believe in Indian signs. All the plaudits go to Motherwell today. I thought they showed outstanding hunger and they won the battle. Their work ethic was tremendous.

“The only plus point from our point of view was the performance of Craig Gordon. If it hadn’t been for him it might have been more than 2-0. On Monday we’ll look back at the game and try to sort it out.”

Butcher’s side’s form has been erratic, to say the least, this season but, as Robertson pointed out, there was one constant going into this game. Good results for Motherwell have been easy against Hearts.

An opening 2-0 win at home in the Premierleague way back in August was followed by another three points at Tynecastle in November. The teams met again in the semi-final of the CIS Cup at Easter Road, and again it was Motherwell who departed laughing.

Nevertheless, given the outstanding form of Hearts in their previous two games against Kilmarnock, they arrived at a cold Fir Park as firm favourites.

The form of Lithuanian midfielders Saulius Mikoliunas and Deividas Cesnauskis had been remarked upon against Kilmarnock, but in Baltic conditions that should have been familiar to them, they froze as the home side took the initiative in the first half.

Motherwell, no doubt lashed by Butcher’s boot before the game, were far and away the better side in the opening 45 minutes. After Dennis Wyness had squandered an early chance for the visitors, Motherwell were presented with a penalty in the 11th minute. Lee Wallace, the promising left-back introduced to the Hearts side, had given away a late spot kick against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Wednesday, and he again transgressed when he brought down Scott McDonald.

Up stepped Jim Hamilton, although not, it seemed, to the approval of all his team-mates or the home crowd, and whatever reservations they had proved right when the striker took the kick rather tamely and Craig Gordon saved.

Motherwell’s tenacity, in admittedly mediocre exchanges, was evident, and in 23 minutes they deservedly went ahead. Steven Hammell, one of their best players, exchanged passes with McDonald before firing in a shot which Gordon blocked. The rebound fell to McDonald, who gratefully netted.

It was no more than Motherwell deserved, although they were being given an easy time by a Hearts midfield which had only Paul Hartley on full charge. Some of the action was numbing, with free-kicks being regularly conceded by both sides, but the home side went two ahead in the 38th minute after poor Hearts defending allowed Marc Fitzpatrick, scorer of the CIS Cup extra-time winner, to hurt the Edinburgh side again.

Motherwell, hungry for league points after being without a win since December 11 when they beat Livingston 2-0, were in no mood to surrender their advantage when the teams came out for the second half. No surprise there.

What was remarkable was the lack of fight in the Hearts side, and after Paterson had a couple of early opportunities to extend Motherwell’s lead, both sides had to accept that the events of the first half were to define the outcome.

20 February 2005

Taken from the Sunday Herald