Motherwell 1 Hearts 0

Aug 8 2011 David McCarthy

THERE may be a new manager but it's the same old gory.

Paulo Sergio may have been given orders to change Hearts' style of football and bring the league flag to Tynecastle but his first priority must be to change this club's disciplinary record.

The new Jambos boss watched Ian Black fly into a reckless, ridiculous challenge on Keith Lasley just four minutes into the second half of his first SPL game in charge and saw his chances of victory crumble with the red card that followed.

Sergio later defended Black in public but in private he should be seething. It's no use anyone from Hearts claiming conspiracies against them when you have a player who marauds around the midfield the way Black does.

With his attitude you are never far from trouble and 16 red cards in the last two seasons points to an endemic lack of discipline in this team.

It cost them three points yesterday, without doubt. By the time ref Stevie O'Reilly evened up the numbers with the 87th minute sending off of Well's Keith Lasley, the damage was done - Jamie Murphy the triggerman.

The striker's 61st minute goal sealed the three points and sent Motherwell to the SPL summit.

On a day when the heavens opened, Stuart McCall's men were having their day in the sun.

McCall brought back Michael Higdon, who'd missed last week's 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock, to spearhead a three-pronged attack featuring Chris Humphrey and Murphy in the wide areas.

Hearts, meanwhile, paired little David Templeton through the middle with Ryan Stevenson at the sharp end for the visitors.

Not a real striker on the pitch yet John Sutton sat on the bench. It looked a strange selection.

It took Hearts just five minutes to carve out the first opening, though, or rather take advantage of a Stephen Craigan mis-control on the edge of his own box.

The ball fell to Andy Driver, who took one touch to control and another to sting the palms of Darren Randolph who parried the ball to safety.

The home side were busy enough but found it difficult to breach the Tynecastle rearguard and Marian Kello was virtually redundant in the first 20 minutes.

To be fair, his concentration levels were good because he made a fine stop a minute later when Well finally stretched Hearts enough to have a pop.

Tom Hateley, playing at right back, prodded the ball wide for Humphrey to send a cross to the back post where Steve Jennings was lurking but Kello got down well to make the save.

By this time, Sergio had emerged from his dug-out, arms folded. A few feet away, McCall was already in position and neither were overly impressed.

The Motherwell boss, at least, had something to be pleased about in 33 minutes when the best move of the match saw Nicky Law, who looks a real player, send Humphrey scurrying down the right flank with a terrific pass.

The winger fired an excellent cross over which found Murphy arriving at the far post but the youngster mistimed his jump and his header flew harmlessly over.

If that was easy on the eye, Keith Lasley's tackle on Adrian Mrowiec two minutes later was as ugly as sin and he picked up a deserved booking.

Motherwell had Randolph to thank five minutes from the break when his top drawer stop denied Driver after the pacy winger left Craigan in his wake.

The Irishman raced to the edge of his box and as Driver tried to dink him, he threw up his left arm to claw the ball to safety.

Randolph had to look lively again a minute later, diving to his left to keep out Jamie Hamill.

It all got a bit fiesty as the half drew to a close. The sight of Black moaning about rough treatment was followed by pots calling kettles by his surname.

But Black decided to get his own back in the worst possible way in 50 minutes.

Lasley had popped off his pass and ended up on the ground as the ball left - only for the Hearts midfielder to crunch into him.

Ref O'Reilly had his easiest decision of the day to make - a straight red card. Even some of the Hearts players looked disgusted by the challenge.

Thankfully, Lasley wasn't badly hurt but he could have been because the tackle was reckless.

Sergio pulled Stevenson back into midfield, sent on John Sutton for Driver, and prayed. The home side cranked up the pressure and it paid off just after the hour.

Eggert Jonsson had just made a goal-saving block from Hammell when Well attacked again.

Humphrey played in Law, who in-turn picked out Murphy and the 21-year-old showed composure to coolly tuck beyond Kello.

If Higdon had been sharper it would have been over in 73 minutes. Law found space to cross for Hateley and the driven ball was begging for a touch - but the striker was on his heels.

With three minutes left, Lasley picked up his second yellow with a foul on Arvydas Novikovas, who replaced Hamill.

Hearts piled forward but their efforts lacked poise and the Steelmen held out for a third clean sheet and a place at the top of the SPL.

Taken from the Daily Record