Motherwell 1-0 Hearts

The Motherwell striker scored his eighth goal of the season as Laszlo’s shot-shy Jambos drew a blank for the fourth game in a row.

Porter’s opportunist 11th minute header is exactly the kind of goal Hearts have been missing all season.

But the problem for the Tynecastle club is that they are not the only ones interested in the player who will surely have impressed the scouts who turned up to run the rule over him last night.

Well boss Mark McGhee went with the same team that had drawn with St Mirren at the weekend.

But Jambos gaffer Laszlo, who made his interest in Porter public in his pre-match press conference, had to ring the changes.

Jason Thomson, Christos Karipidis and Laryea Kingston all missed out after picking up knocks in the derby draw with Hibs.

Lee Wallace, Marius Zaliukas and David Obua came in for them.

And after a scrappy start it was almost inevitable that Porter popped up to give the home side the lead.

Stephen Hughes combined with Paul Quinn and Jim O’Brien, before picking up the wideman’s cute backheeler on the right side of the box.

Hughes floated his cross to the back post, inviting someone to get on the end of it.

Porter obliged, climbing above Robbie Neilson to get to the ball and sending in a header which keeper Janos Balogh got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Hearts felt the challenge on Neilson was illegal but ref David Somers saw nothing wrong with it and the goal stood.

David Clarkson then flashed a shot over Hungarian Balogh’s bar as Well looked to increase their advantage right away.

Motherwell’s passing was slicker at this stage and McGhee’s men were quicker all over the park.

Hearts, who had failed to score in any of their last three games, looked short of ideas in most areas.

Christian Nade was already looking frustrated on his own up front and took half an hour to register an effort on goal, a header from an Andrew Driver free kick that sailed over.

The ball wasn’t sticking to him when Hearts played it forward, while Obua and Driver weren’t offering enough support.

It was hard to see where a Jambos goal was going to come from, while at the other end Porter was giving Hearts skipper Christophe Berra as good as he got.

The defender looked far less comfortable than he has done in recent weeks.

And the striker went close to adding a second in first-half injury-time, nodding just wide from a Stevie Hammell free kick after Balogh had looked less than convincing coming for the ball.

Eggert Jonsson, who had played left-back and centre-half against Hibs at the weekend, was on the right of midfield here.

The Icelander tried to lift Hearts at the start of the second half with a long-range effort that Well keeper Graeme Smith managed to hold with ease.

And the Jambos then forced a series of corners in quick succession as they looked to put Well under real pressure for the first time in the game.

Well stopper Mark Reynolds almost gifted Hearts a way back into the game when he appeared to handle the ball in his own box trying to control a quick throw-in in the 58th minute but again ref Somers ignored Hearts’ appeals.

Laszlo chose to throw on Calum Elliot in the 62nd minute but withdrew Nade, meaning Hearts were still playing with just the one man up front.

The young striker was unsurprisingly given a rough reception from the Well support, having endured an unhappy loan spell at Fir Park two seasons ago.

Gary Glen followed for Obua in the 67th minute with Deividas Cesnauskis replacing Lee Wallace five minutes later and Jonsson moving to left back to accommodate the Lithuanian.

Stephen Craigan was booked for clattering into Elliot in the 78th minute, although Hearts were unhappy Somers didn’t play the advantage as Glen latched onto the loose ball and headed for goal.

Maros Klimpl became the second player to be booked, for a foul on Michael Stewart with five minutes left, with Porter then leaving the field to be replaced by Dan Smith.

Jamie Murphy came on for O’Brien a minute later but the changes made little difference and Well saw the game out without Hearts creating a chance of note.

Dream Team Star Man: Jim O’Brien — very effective breaking forward.

Ratings: Motherwell: Smith 6; Quinn 5, Reynolds 5, Craigan 6, Hammell 6; Hughes 7, Klimpl 7, Lasley 6, O’Brien 7 (Murphy 2); Clarkson 6, Porter 7 (Smith 2). Booked: Craigan, Klimpl.

Hearts: Balogh 5; Neilson 6, Zaliukas 5, Berra 5, Wallace 5 (Cesnauskis 2); Jonsson 6, Stewart 5, Palazuelos 5, Obua 4 (Glen 2), Driver 6; Nade 4 (Elliot 2).