ONE MOLE IS ENOUGH

MOTHERWELL 0

HEARTS 1

SUNDAY, September 17,2006 ...a date that will be written in bright red letters in the diary of Jamie Mole, aged 18 and a half.

In the 71st minute of what had been a grim performance by Hearts at Fir Park, the teenager wrote his own headlines with the goal that took his beleagured team up to second place in the SPL table.

But a thank-you note should also be penned to Craig Gordon for a sensational late save from Jim Paterson that ensured Mole will have more pocket money this week.

It might have taken Mole an eternity to put the ball away after Neil McCann had left him one on one with Colin Meldrum, but the boy maintained his composure to get the job done.

It was almost an act of larceny because Motherwell did not deserve to lose a match that ended with them still nailed to the foot of the league.

But Hearts couldn't care less about that and why, indeed, should they? They arrived in Lanarkshire desperate for points and they won't care how they got them.

They hadn't won at Fir Park since March 2002 and, having lost five of their previous seven games, travelled west with a degree of trepidation.

Their opponents, though, weren't exactly awash with confidence either but they shoved aside last week's hammering from Inverness Caley Thistle to give their fans hope for the rest of the campaign.

The omission of Callum Elliot was enforced, with Hearts insisting the of striker they loaned to Motherwell could not play against them.

But goalkeeper Graeme Smith was dropped after his howler last week, with Colin Meldrum being drafted in, while Brian McLean returned to stiffen the defence.

There was also a place for Marc Fitzpatrick but Kevin McBride was benched.

The Hearts team sheet, as usual, provoked much raising of eyebrows. Valdas Ivana auskas, or Vladimir Romanov, picked four Lithuanians in the starting line-up and while Saulius Mikoliunas and Deividas Cesnauskis may have been expected, Marius Zaliukas and Andrius Velicka were not.

Roman Bednar was out due to suspension and Robbie Neilson made way for or Ibrahim Tall, back after an injury absence of six weeks, while Mirsad Beslija, Christophe Berra, Bruno Aguiar and Mauricio Pinilla didn't even make the bench.

Motherwell's cause wasn't helped by McLean being stretchered off after committing a foul on Hartley in just five minutes.

That left boss Maurice Malpas with a reshuffling job. He sent Steven McGarry on to play on the left of midfield and Paterson, who had been operating in that role, switched to the right of Motherwell's three-man defence.

Brian Kerr tested Gordon from long range soon after, but most of the traffic flowed in Meldrum's direction.

Motherwell broke out effectively in the 15th minute only to be undone by the linesman's flag. Paul Quinn picked out Richie Foran but the flag was up before the Irishman delivered a low cross that Scott McDonald tucked away.

It was very much a low-key start, though, and it took a couple of contentious decisions by referee Iain Brines to inject atmosphere into proceedings.

The Motherwell fans didn't take kindly to a free-kick being awarded on the edge of their team's box for a trip by Keith Lasley on Mikoliunas and although Hartley's shot hit the wall, it didn't stop them howling their protests.

There were more moans and groans in the 25th minute when a series of hefty challenges on the edge of the Motherwell box ended with Foran clattering Cesnauskis.

It should have been a yellow card and the Lithuanian was carted off to be replaced by Neil McCann but if anything it proved Motherwell were showing more fight than they did last week.

Hartley's free-kick found the head of Velicka but the striker's effort was weak and the home side cleared.

Motherwell were by this stage playing some neat, short-passing football that was causing Hearts problems and another sequence of possession involving Lasley, Foran and McDonald was stifled by the linesman's flag as the Aussie pulled the trigger.

They were giving their support something to shout ab out.

Hearts survived a penalty appeal in the 37th minute when Foran, looking to get on the end of Quinn's cross, was sent tumbling by Tall.

Had it been given, the award would have been soft, but the Senegalese defender should have been more careful.

The home side came desperately close to taking the lead in the 39th minute when Kerr fizzed a 16-yard shot across goal. Foran, sliding in at the back post, missed the ball by inches and gave himself a sore one as his shins smacked the woodwork.

It all got a bit nasty as the interval approached with Lasley going into the book for a crude challenge from behind on McCann before Hartley and Foran joined him for mouthing at one other.

There was time for Motherwell to miss two good chances - Foran and McDonald the culprits from similar positions on the left - before Brines brought to an end a first half that had the home fans applauding their team off the park.

Motherwell continued to look more dangerous after the break but couldn't get a shot on target. Kerr should have done better than blast over from the edge of the box in the 51st minute after robbing Hartley.

Hearts made a strange change just after that, Neilson going on for Julien Brellier. The decision was greeted with a chorus of jeers from the travelling support and resulted in Tall moving to centre-back and Zaluikas stepping forward to occupy Brellier's berth.

Still the play flowed towards the Hearts goal, which made the opener in the 71st minute all the harder for Motherwell to take.

They were caught by a classic sucker punch when Hartley won a crunching 50-50 with Fitzpatrick on the halfway line and sent McCann down the left. The defence was posted missing as McCann passed to Mole, who rounded Meldrum and seemed to take an age before finally planting the ball in the net.

Eight minutes later he almost added another, although it would have been lucky. Mark Reynolds, Motherwell's excellent defender, hit a clearance against Mole's body and the ball spun off a post.

Motherwell kept pressing, though, and Gordon was forced into aterrific point-blank save from Lasley in the dying minutes.

But as Well attacked they were always going to leave themselves open at the back and a breakaway led by Hartley should have killed the game. The Scot set up Mikoliunas, who underlined an abject personal performance by slicing wide.

And Hearts would have been made to pay in injury time but for a fantastic save by Gordon, who reacted instinctively to shove out his left hand and claw away Paterson's six-yard shot as it headed for the roof of the net.

MAN OF THE MATCH Mark Reynolds (Motherwell)

MAN BY MAN

MOTHERWELL

Colin Meldrum 7

Rare start for the keeper who was seldom called upon due to Hearts' shot-shy attack.

Brian Kerr 6

Shored up the midfield and gave his all for the cause with industrious display.

Stephen Craigan 7

Typical no-nonsense display and did the defensive job effectively at all times.

Brian McLean 1

Carried off after coming second best in a challenge with Hartley after just four minutes.

Scott McDonald 7

Worked the Hearts back line all afternoon but shot over the top when clean through.

Richie Foran 7

Stupidly booked and missed a sitter when one on one with Gordon.

Jim Paterson 6

Natural left-footed player switched to right when McLean left and coped competently.

Paul Quinn 6

Should have restored some of his battered confidence after nightmare against Caley Thistle and worked hard for the side.

Marc Fitzpatrick 6

Didn't do much wrong and played in a position alien to his natural game after McLean went off injured.

Keith Lasley 7

Got wired in and even had a spat with Velicka in opening period. Booked for his troubles and had two efforts brilliantly saved.

Mark Reynolds 8

Hugely impressive display by Scotland Under-19 star. Held his own very well.

Subs

Steven McGarry - Replaced unfortunate McLean and slotted neatly into Motherwell's hard-working engine room, 6. Ross McCormack - Shoved on in closing minutes in vain hope of rescuing a point, 1.

HEARTS

Craig Gordon 7

Produced two great saves with his chest and fist from Lasley to ensure all three points.

Steven Pressley 7

Unenviable task of coping with Well's little and large strike partnership but defended well.

Ibrahim Tall 6

Welcome return to side but lucky to get away with nudge on Foran in the box in first half.

Paul Hartley 6

Needless booking for mouthing off at Lasley. Unable to influence proceedings and be his usual creative self.

Saulius Mikoliunas 5

Started off brightly but faded as the game wore on. Really does flatter to deceive.

Deividas Cesnauskis 3

Lithuanian was carried off after bad tackle by Foran midway through the first half.

Lee Wallace 6

Fine early challenge on McDonald set the tone for a decent display but one mistake almost cost his side the opening goal.

Marius Zaliukas 5

Still looks unsteady and unsure as to what his role in defence ought to be. Unconvincing.

Andrius Velicka 5

Fluffed a free header early on and had an altercation with Lasley but offered little.

Julien Brellier 6

Restored to side after Euro suspension but struggled to get on the ball and was subbed.

Jamie Mole 7

Kept his cool and dug Hearts out of a hole with the only goal. Even hit a post late on.

Subs:

Neil McCann - Looked ring rusty but did set up Mole for his winning goal, 6. Robbie Neilson - Replaced ineffective Brellier much to the fans' annoyance but was reliable and dependable, 6. Juho Makela - On for 15 minutes after replacing Velicka, 3.

Taken from the Daily Record