Hearts 0 - 2 Motherwell: Motherwell display what hosts lack as Steelmen go fourth

Published Date: 25 April 2010
By Moira Gordon
at Tynecastle
Scorers

Motherwell 2

Saunders 42; Sutton 45

Hearts 0

MOTHERWELL'S Steve Jennings and Giles Coke squared up to each other and their manager praised them for it. At the time the scoreline was still 0-0 but as far as Craig Brown was concerned it proved that his players were willing to battle for better. And they did. It was the kind of competitive spirit Jim Jefferies longed to see from his charges but instead, he watched them fail to match the endeavour and the enterprise of their guests.

Two quick goals just before half-time secured the victory for the Fir Park side but a fourth place finish looks like taking an entire campaign to earn. They are the team in possession though and on this evidence it's not going to be easy for either of the capital sides to wrestle it off them.

They now sit seven points clear of Hearts and a point ahead of Hibs, who have a game in hand against Rangers this afternoon, but the big decider looks like being the Easter Road side's trip to Fir Park next midweek.

Brown will lead his men into that one full of belief that they can win. He felt that the recent run of four defeats had failed to do his team justice and they underlined that with a performance which simply built on last month's 3-1 victory at home to Hearts, and which probably merited more than a 2-0 triumph this time.

Jim Jefferies had only lost one of his five home games at Tynecastle since returning to the Hearts managerial post and this was a match where he had hoped to take advantage of the familiar surroundings and partisan support as they tried to close the gap on their opponents to a solitary point and open up the possibility of pegging back local rivals Hibs in next weekend's derby. Instead, despite offering intermittent threats down the left flank as Lee Wallace drove forward and interacted with young David Templeton in the early stages, they were completely outplayed.

Motherwell have lost a bit of form in recent weeks but they went into this game with real purpose, aware that victory over the team below would virtually put them out of sight with three games remaining. It was enough to galvanise them and right from the start they were the team in control. It was a high tempo and fluid performance from the Fir Park side, whose movement and drive were just too much for a Hearts side which failed to get going and could match neither the industry nor the precision passing of the visitors.

They also had the passion and determination to succeed. That was evident in the first-half tussle between Jennings and Coke. Good friends, according to their gaffer, they were incensed with each other when a runner was allowed free and caused a minor scare. Standards have been set within this squad and they are willing to demand of each other.

Which probably explains perfectly how they have engineered their way into fourth place in the league table. By half-time they had capitalised on their superiority and were two goals to the good, infuriating the home crowd and their manager, and as the second half got under way Jefferies used up two of his permitted substitutions, withdrawing Michael Stewart, who had an ineffectual 45 minutes in a midfield which Motherwell dominated. He was joined by Gary Glen, who had been woeful when presented with one of Hearts' better chances, blazing the drive seriously high over the bar. On came Ian Black and Calum Elliot and within 20 minutes they were joined by Ryan Stevenson who replaced David Obua.

Afterwards Jefferies insisted he could not repeat the rant he had delivered to his players but confirmed he was raging and claimed he had learned more about the players he had inherited from the first 45 minutes of the match than he had from the rest of his spell back at the club. He didn't like what he saw. Being outplayed was hard to stomach, but being out-fought on home turf was intolerable.

He even conceded that the scoreline may have perhaps flattered his side. The visitors certainly could have had a couple of goals before they broke through and they would have had it not been for Jamie MacDonald. The Hearts keeper had to pull off a number of saves to keep his side in the hunt. Jennings had an early effort saved, while Lucas Jutkiewicz was just under the ball as he tried to head home at the back post seconds later. Coke, who was exceptional in midfield and also timed his runs from deep to perfection, then had a couple of shots parried and stopped by MacDonald, with Jim O'Brien also a star performer.

The first goal was a bit messy but it counted. It came from a melee at the back post in the 42nd minute and although MacDonald got down to block initially from Sutton, Steve Saunders was able to prod it home eventually.

The second came three minutes later and caused a real rumpus. Sutton jumped up to meet a Tom Hateley free kick and, although there was a claim that he had manhandled Marius Zaliukas, voiced vehemently by the Lithuanian himself in the aftermath, the bulleted header into the Hearts net was allowed to stand. While the second half was less one-sided, it was still honours to Motherwell, a fact everyone acknowledged.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Giles Coke was exceptional in midfield and his Hearts counterparts couldn't get close to shackling him.

QUICK FACT

This was the first time in seven meetings between these two where the side with home advantage did not emerge victorious.

TALKING POINT

Hearts players were incensed by Motherwell's second goal, claiming Zaliukas had been impeded, but regardless, Motherwell were worthy winners.

Taken from the Scotsman