Hearts 2-1 Motherwell

GAFFERS Mark McGhee and Csaba Laszlo clashed on the touchline — then went to war AGAIN in an angry post-match fallout.

Motherwell boss McGhee claimed the Hearts chief told him to ‘f*** off’ during a second half bust-up.

But Laszlo hit back by insisting that McGhee said WORSE to him.

The row broke out during a tense Tynecastle showdown that saw Hearts strengthen their grip on third spot.

A late strike from Ruben Palazuelos killed off Well’s hopes of catching them after Stephen Hughes looked to have clinched a point for the Fir Park men by wiping out Andrew Driver’s opener.

But McGhee was left fuming at his rival’s reaction to a 62nd minute foul by Well’s Maros Klimpl.

McGhee said: “I was quite upset and quite disappointed to be honest.

“I asked him what the problem was and he told me to f*** off. There was a foul by one of our players, so what, it was a foul.

“There are lots of fouls in games all the time. Maros was booked for it.

“But the reaction from their bench was as if there had been an assassination. I asked what it was all about and was told to f*** off.”

But Laszlo rapped: “If he says I said this, then he must also say what he told me before that.

“Sometimes there could be a WAR between people for what he told me!

“If I told you what he said then we would have to go to the law.

“He must not bring too much emotion into this after losing the game. If you are emotional you must control it.

“We have to respect each other. I apologised for what happened, he didn’t do this.”

The row soured a lively clash between the Euro-chasing rivals that was only settled deep in injury time when Palazuelos took advantage of a poor clearance from Mark Reynolds to fire in a low shot.

Tynecastle erupted as the ball took a nick and flew past Graeme Smith’s arm to seal all three points.

Hearts have beaten Aberdeen, Dundee United and Motherwell in the last month and sit five clear of United and 12 ahead of Well with ten games left. And a Europa League place now surely beckons for Laszlo’s men.

United boss Craig Levein was in the directors’ box — with Well his side’s next opponents — just days after he slammed Jambos for the way they played in their weekend win at Tannadice.

But there was little for him or anyone else to look at in a poor first 30 minutes.

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Janos Balogh flapped at a Jim O’Brien corner, with the ball falling to Stephen Hughes, but the midfielder crashed his shot off the top of the keeper’s bar as Balogh struggled to get back.

Adrian Mrowiec was booked in the 33rd minute for catching Klimpl after the Austrian had nicked the ball off Driver.

By this stage Laszlo had seen enough to bring Christian Nade off the bench to replace the out-of-sorts Pole.

Mrowiec looked less than pleased as he headed straight up the tunnel. At the same time Driver swapped wings with David Obua and began to influence things.

Jambos took charge and took the lead early in the second half, though Well’s defending was poor.

Robbie Neilson’s long throw was allowed to bounce in front of Smith’s six-yard box without a white shirt anywhere near it.

And Driver reacted first to get his head on the ball and nod past the keeper to claim his fifth goal of the season.

John Sutton headed wide of Balogh’s goal from a Brian McLean cross and David Clarkson tested the keeper as Well responded.

Driver had Tynecastle on its feet as he raced the length of the park only to shoot into the side net.

Motherwell lost Craigan in the 72nd minute, the defender taking a head knock in an accidental clash with Nade.

But as play restarted Stevie Hammell’s cross-ball was headed out by Nade.

It dropped to Hughes on the edge of the box and his sweetly hit left-foot volley flew through a ruck of players and beat keeper Balogh.

Palazuelos, though, pounced with time running out, his low shot taking a deflection on its way past Smith.

And Balogh then made a crucial injury-time save from Reynolds to seal yet another massive three points.

McGhee groaned: “We lost two goals from long throw-ins. That’s one way to win a game but I am happy with the way my team played.”

Laszlo added: “After we scored we were a little more confident, but sometimes you also need a bit of luck.”

Dream Team Star Man: Andrew Driver — fine display.

Ratings: Hearts: Balogh 5, Neilson 6, Karipidis 5, Jonsson 6, Wallace 7, Obua 6, Stewart 6, Aguiar 5 (Elliot 1), Palazuelos 6, Driver 8 (Mikoliunas 1); Mrowiec 2 (Nade 4). Booked: Mrowiec.

Motherwell: Smith 5, McLean 6, Reynolds 7, Craigan 5 (Smith 2), Hammell 6, O’Brien 6, Klimpl 7, Hughes 7, Clarkson 5 (McGarry 2), Sheridan 7, Sutton 6. Booked: Klimpl.

Ref: Brian Winter — kept a lid on things, 6