Show of unity helps Hearts turn on the style

By STUART BATHGATE at TYNECASTLE
Published on Monday 26 December 2011 00:08

Hearts 2

Motherwell 0

NO-ONE knows how long the current Hearts squad will stay together in recognisable form, but for as long as they do, they appear determined to remind us that they can play a bit.

For the second week running, Paulo Sergio's team played with confidence, determination and more than a little panache. The 11 who began the 4-0 win over Dunfermline seven days earlier were again sent out to start this one, and although the winning margin was halved, given the relative status of their opponents the result was at least as impressive.

Hearts fans were even treated to the rare sight of an Andy Driver appearance. Having featured in only five league games this season, the player was left out of the squad against the Pars following talks with Sergio, but on Thursday denied he had refused to play under the Portuguese and returned to the bench, coming on as a substitute after 62 minutes.

Eggert Jonsson has left for Wolves, Ryan Stevenson has made himself unavailable, and more players will depart in January as the club implements drastic financial cutbacks.

At the beginning of the crisis which has seen the players paid late for two months and not at all this month, the resultant uncertainty and irritation had an understandable effect on the team's play. More recently, however, they have given a remarkable display of unity, proving that, at least on their day, they are still the third-best team in the country.

Motherwell hold that position according to the league table, but they were well beaten here, hardly offering a glimpse of the form that has taken them so high. They had the first scoring attempt of the day – a Michael Higdon shot comfortably saved by Marian Kello – but thereafter were second best in every aspect of the game.

David Templeton did most damage down the left, but Mehdi Taouil on the opposite flank was almost as impressive, and those two wide men were ably supported by full-backs Ryan McGowan and Jamie Hamill.

Ian Black was dominant in midfield, with team-mates Adrian Mrowiec and Scott Robinson not far behind, while up front Stephen Elliott played his part in stretching the Motherwell back four.

It was Templeton who made that defence snap, though, setting up both goals in the space of ten minutes. In both cases poor defending played a part, but it was the winger's sleight of foot which was crucial.

The build-up to the first goal saw Templeton seize on a slack pass and skip past Tom Hateley down the left touchline. He then darted inside and shot, the blocked attempt rebounded to Black, and the midfielder cleverly made space for himself on the left before scoring from just outside the box into the far corner.

The second goal some ten minutes later started deep inside the Hearts half with a pass from Andy Webster out to the left. McGowan slid in to send the ball on to Templeton, and the winger again got the better of the hapless Hateley before cutting inside. This time he opted for the cross rather than the shot, and Elliott timed his run expertly to meet the ball close to the far post, knocking it in from three or four yards out.

Between the two goals, Templeton had made an ambitious attempt on goal from almost 40 yards out, but his shot went wide. He had another chance not long after Elliott's strike, albeit one that was no more than half-intentional, the result of a mis-hit clearance by Motherwell goalkeeper Darren Randolph.

Seeing the ball coming straight for him, Templeton had only enough time to ensure it made contact with his head, and not enough to get it on target. It ended up a couple of yards wide of goal, and Randolph was spared what would have been a major embarrassment.

At the other end, a low cross from Omar Daley five minutes before the half-time whistle was as close as Motherwell came to getting back into the contest. It came back off the post, and, with some assistance from an alert defence, Kello was able to gather at the second attempt.

An increasingly difficult wind made life difficult for both teams after the break, but the standard of football remained high. Motherwell were markedly less creative than they can be. However, clearly lacking the steadying influence of Steve Jennings in midfield, they were unable to put consistent pressure on the Hearts defence, and Kello had next to nothing to do in that second half.

Both the keeper and Templeton had been struggling to overcome a virus, and, with half an hour to play, the winger signalled to Sergio – back in the dugout for the first time since his touchline ban – that he had run his course. He was replaced by Driver, whose differences with the manager appear to be at an end.

Stuart McCall then made a double switch, bringing on Stuart Carswell and Bob McHugh, but the substitutes were unable to give any impetus to a team who already appeared to have accepted defeat.

For Hearts, the only down side was an ankle injury 20 minutes from time which forced Jamie Hamill off on a stretcher. The defender had been carrying an ankle knock and he is now a doubt for the midweek visit to Aberdeen and the Edinburgh derby a week today.

Hearts: Kello, Webster, McGowan, Zaliukas, Hamill (Barr 71), Black (Skacel 85), Templeton (Driver 62), Taouil, Mrowiec, Elliott, Robinson. Subs not used: MacDonald, Obua, Stewart, Novikovas.

Motherwell: Randolph, Hammell, Craigan, Hutchinson, Law, Hateley, Lasley, Daley, Hughes (Carswell 65), Higdon, Murphy (McHugh 65). Subs not used: Bradley, Page, Clancy, Humphrey, Forbes.

Taken from the Scotsman