Motherwell 0-1 Hearts

Both sides made several changes with Hearts greatly altered from the team that fell to Sparta Prague midweek.

Motherwell had the better of the early play and might have gone in front had Richie Foran taken one of his chances.

Hearts struck when Neil McCann ran from the half-way line and supplied Mole for the decisive finish past Craig Gordon.

Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas made three changes with keeper Graeme Smith and midfielder Kevin McBride dropped for Colin Meldrum and Brian McLean.

Calum Elliot could not play as a result of the loan agreement with Hearts, so Marc Fitzpatrick came in.

Julien Brellier, Saul Mikoliunas, Deividas Cesnauskis, Marius Zaliukas, Andrius Velicka and Ibrahim Tall were all recalled for Hearts.

Motherwell lost McLean after only five minutes to injury so Steven McGarry came on.

The hosts created the best early opportunity but Scott McDonald's chip was weak.

Hearts were also forced to make an early change when Cesnauskis was hurt in a crude challenge by Richie Foran and McCann entered the fray.

The visitors looked disjointed and Motherwell grew in confidence with Foran inches away from connecting with McDonald's cross-cum-shot.

In first-half injury time Foran spurned pushed a shot wide of Craig Gordon's left-hand post when the striker should have done better. After the break Hearts head coach Valdas Ivanauskas took off Brellier and brought on Robbie Neilson.

Then, in the 69th minute, Hearts broke the deadlock with a classic counter-attack.

McCann collected on the halfway line and ran to the edge of the home box before feeding Mole, who rounded Meldrum and fired low into the net.

Motherwell: Meldrum, Paul Quinn, Craigan, McLean (McGarry 6), Reynolds, Paterson, Lasley, Fitzpatrick (McCormack 87), Kerr, McDonald, Foran.

Subs not used: Graeme Smith, McBride, Fagan, Robert Donnelly, Connolly.

Booked: Lasley, Foran.

Hearts: Gordon, Tall, Pressley, Zaliukas, Wallace, Mikoliunas, Hartley, Brellier (Neilson 54), Cesnauskis (McCann 27), Mole, Velicka (Makela 72).

Subs not used: Banks, Fyssas, Karipidis, Ivaskevicius.

Goal: Mole 69.

Ref: I Brines.

Att: 5,931.

Taken from the BBC