Safe six for upbeat Well

Not only are the Lanarkshire side now able to concentrate on Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone, they can approach the challenge with a promising sequence of results behind them, as well as a growing number of selection possibilities.

Their game was mostly about containment here, but the late arrival of John Sutton and Jamie Murphy provided a reminder of the team's counter-attacking threat.

Hearts could claim to have enjoyed most of the ball, but they were a disjointed lot for much of the afternoon, only rarely troubling Darren Randolph, the Motherwell goalkeeper. With just one win in their last six matches, their advantage over fourth-placed Dundee United has been cut to eight points. Given that it was 15 not so long ago, it looks suspiciously as though the team labelled "best of the rest" are having a bit of a wobble.

It wasn't the best way for Hearts to celebrate 125 years of playing at Tynecastle. An assortment of golden oldies were wheeled out at half-time to regale the fans with their favourite memories, while the match programme included a report from the old Evening Dispatch of the team's first appearance there. A 4-1 defeat of Bolton Wanderers in April 1886, watched by between 5,000 and 6,000 spectators, included a "scrimmage" in the Hearts box and a goal for the "strangers".

• Saturday's football in pictures

There were more than a few unknown faces in the Motherwell ranks yesterday, thanks partly to injury, and partly to next weekend's date at Hampden. With Murphy, Sutton, Keith Lasley and Steven Hammell all given a place on the bench, Esteban Casagolda was their lone striker and young Stuart Carswell was given a debut in midfield. Although they were asked to defend for much of the first half, they stood up well to the challenge.

At the beginning and end of the first half, they stretched their opponents, first when Casagolda charged down Ismael Bouzid just outside the penalty area. Stephen Jones nipped off with the ball, made space for himself in the box, but contrived to slice high and wide from 12 yards.

They were closer still just before the interval.

Casagolda's attempt to win a penalty after a challenge by Andy Webster was still being derided by most in the ground when the ball broke to Steven Saunders about 25 yards out. His first-time shot was low and crisp and hard enough to rattle the base o
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f a post.

Between those two let-offs, Hearts had enjoyed most of the possession, without seriously troubling their opponents. Two or three chances were slapped carelessly off target while Ryan Stevenson laid claim to their best effort. When a cross by Jason Thomson was only half-cleared, the striker poked a low volley that Randolph pushed away with his right hand.

Hearts opened the second half brightly, with David Templeton forcing a double save at the near post from Randolph, but it was a misleading sign. Motherwell looked the likelier to go ahead, with Tom Hateley providing much of their inspiration in front of the defence.

By the time Jason Thomson was bundling over Jones, giving him what looked like a legitimate penalty claim, it was all too much for Jim Jefferies, who took the unusual step of making a triple substitution on the hour. Andrew Driver, Scott Robinson and Suso Santana came on for Ian Black, Stephen Elliott and Templeton, and although there was a brief response from the home side, the visitors continued to be more incisive.

The introduction of Sutton with 17 minutes left added another dimension to Motherwell's attack. Moments after his arrival, he was nodding the ball down to Ross Forbes, whose chip shot from just outside the box came back off the crossbar.

Motherwell, by this time, were breaking forward at pace, so troubling Hearts that, when Humphrey set off on one of his trademark runs, Jason Thomson took him out with a cynical body check. Hearts would barely have deserved maximum points, but they nearly got them with a free kick three minutes from the end. With all expecting a cross, Craig Thomson curled a cheeky shot inside the front post, only for Randolph to scoop it off the line.

Jefferies said later that Motherwell came only for the draw, which wasn't entirely fair. Not content with hitting the bar earlier, Forbes had one last bash at securing the win, but his low shot whistled by the post.

"I have never been involved in the split, but I can imagine the season petering out if you are not in the top six," said McCall, who has plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead.

HEARTS

MacDonald
J Thomson
Bouzid
Webster
C Thomson
Black (61)
Palazuelos
Elliott (61)
Skacel
Templeton (61)
Stevenson

Subs used

Driver 61
Robinson 61
Suso 61MOTHERWELL

Randolph
Saunders (46)
Hutchinson
Craigan
Ross
Hateley
Humphrey (79)
Carswell
Forbes
Jones
Casagolda (73)

Subs used

Hammell 46
Sutton 73
Murphy 79

MAN OF THE MATCH

Tom Hateley (Motherwell)

Performed a variety of jobs in front of the back four.

TALKING POINT

Well had penalty claim turned down when Jones was bundled over in box.

Referee: C Thomson.

Attendance: 13,800