Jambos see lead vanish in the rain

Published Date: 25 April 2011
By Barry Anderson
THE heavens poured down on Tynecastle, water slapping hard on the dugout roofs and drenching those on the field.
Yet Hearts were 3-0 ahead and practically singing in the rain. Despite the relentless precipitation, they appeared to be home and dry, thoughts perhaps already drifting ahead to next season's prospective Europa League campaign.

Marian Kello was reinstated in goal with his private matter resolved and was thriving once again with a string of impressive saves. Craig Thomson had scored his first senior goal, supplemented by additional strikes from Rudi Skacel and Ryan Stevenson. Everything was going their way against Motherwell's high-flying band of Scottish Cup finalists.

Then came a remarkable capitulation, the catalyst for which might have been a groin strain which dictated Andy Webster's departure at the interval. Hearts held a 2-0 advantage at that point through Thomson's penalty - given when Steven Saunders impeded Stevenson at a corner - and Skacel's powerful drive. Stevenson nodded the third eight minutes after the restart.

However, when John Sutton headed Motherwell a lifeline moments later, Hearts fell apart. Adrian Mrowiec was partnering Ismael Bouzid in an unorthodox central defensive pairing and their unfamiliarity showed. Sutton was unmarked heading Stephen Jones' cross beyond Kello, and on the hour mark Tom Hateley's free-kick bounced through a collection of players to nestle untouched in the Hearts rigging.

Then, in the final minute, Sutton stooped to meet Gavin Gunning's cross and complete an outrageous comeback in one of the season's most engrossing games. Motherwell, for all their intricate passing and moving, had been ineffective for much of the first half. Hearts, by contrast, had evinced their bold and clinical side to take an unassailable lead. Or so most inside the stadium thought.

"To look at the positives, it's probably as good as we've played for a while," said Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager. "We made an excellent start to the second half. How we didn't get more goals was just down to bad luck. We were 3-0 up and playing well. Motherwell scored a great football goal but we were a bit peeved at a foul on Stephen Elliott in the build-up. Their second goal came through everybody, and two quick goals gave them a massive lift.

"At 3-2 we had chances to kill them off but they kept plugging away. They got a great ball into the box for the equaliser and any touch from Sutton was going to give us problems.

We should be meeting the ball and putting it in row Z from there. Motherwell are a good side and they took advantage but it's the best we've played in a long time."

Jefferies elaborated on theories that Webster's absence left his defence disjointed. "It was a big blow with the groin strain to Webster.

"You saw him in the first half, he's always there in the right position, organising and talking. Not having Webster or Marius Zaliukas (who was suspended) left us inexperienced at the back. Marian didn't deserve to lose three goals. Motherwell will be delighted and it will feel like a loss to us."

Kello looked fully focused, producing four fine saves in total. In the first half, he repelled Saunders' header from Hateley's corner and then stood up to Jamie Murphy's angled shot with two strong hands to beat the ball clear. Later in the second period he pushed away vicious netbound drives from Hateley and Francis Jeffers with Hearts rocking under relentless pressure.

"Jamie MacDonald staved fingers in training but Kello would have gone in because the matter was resolved," said Jefferies.

"He said he was ready and we're glad it is cleared up. He looked like he'd never been away." If the Slovakian was impressive, then Stevenson was imperious. He earned the penalty and scored the third, but seconds before his goal he executed a quite mesmerising move which deserved a goal itself. Facing away from goal, the midfielder backheeled the ball through the legs of his marker, Stephen Craigan, and turned to leave the defender for dead.

As Randolph emerged from goal, Stevenson drove the ball across the goalkeeper from a tight angle only for it to strike the inside of the right post, then the inside of the left and roll clear. It was a moment of misfortune which left the Hearts player in disbelief. However three minutes he did score.

With Dundee United beating Kilmarnock 4-2 earlier in the day, Hearts' advantage over the Tayside club now stands at seven points. That adds yet more intrigue into the race for Europe but that was of little concern to Motherwell. On Saturday's evidence, they will provide a stern test for Celtic at Hampden next month.

"I actually don't think we played badly in the first half but it was a sloppy penalty to give away, we shot ourselves in the foot," said Stuart McCall, the visiting manager. "Steven's got hold of him (Stevenson) and he lets go as the corner comes in. It's silly to put himself in that position and I understand why the referee's given the penalty.I said at half-time that we will create chances but the last thing we said was to go to the final whistle regardless of who got the next goal. They certainly did that.

"I thought the game was a great advert for Scottish football and I'd have said that even if we lost 3-2. It could have been 6-6.

Their goalie made four good saves, they hit the double post and we hit the post twice." Scoring twice only raised Sutton's stock in view of suggestions that Hearts are one of several clubs tracking Motherwell's out-of-contract Englishman.

His overall performance was quiet but inside the box he was lethal. "We've offered John the best deal we can offer," said McCall. "We'd love him to stay and the grass is not always greener.

"If our offer's good enough we'll be delighted if he stays, if not we can't do any more."

Taken from the Scotsman