Hearts pick up three vital points with victory over Motherwell as John McGlynn fends off wages questions

22 Oct 2012 00:01

By Gordon Parks

JOHN McGLYNN insists it is much ado about nothing and is happy to see Danny Grainger help his side to victory.
Hearts manager John McGlynn focused on the team's performance Hearts manager John McGlynn focused on the team's performance

JOHN McGLYNN’S pay-off line – after Hearts pocketed three much-needed points – has been well borrowed.

As one of seven members of the Tynecastle staff still waiting for September’s wages, he isn’t the first Hearts boss to insist it’s much ado about nothing.

But for the sixth time in two seasons the salaries haven’t arrived on time leaving the Edinburgh side to face an SPL disciplinary hearing this morning.

And McGlynn snapped as money talk deviated from the subject of their 1-0 win over Motherwell.

He said: “It will be sorted tomorrow. I didn’t see any players begging around the stands and it hasn’t been an issue.”

In fairness, there appeared little off-field distraction as Danny Grainger’s first-half thunderbolt sealed a first league win at Tynecastle since early August.

McGlynn said: “Danny hit a great strike, a goal worthy of winning any match.

“The performance was good. We started on fire and were causing Motherwell all sorts of problems in the wide areas. We were getting good balls into the box and our goal came from a good passing move.

“We were then dogged and the team worked hard against a good Motherwell side who will always cause problems but a clean sheet was everything for us.

Hearts' Andrew Driver (left) battles with Steven Hammell Hearts' Andrew Driver (left) battles with Steven Hammell

“Now we’re able to move up a few places in the table. There’s nothing in SPL games as it’s the smallest of margins.

“It makes a huge difference to score first as goals are hard to come by. We need to strive towards that every week.

“We haven’t won a league game at home in the SPL since the first game of the season against St Johnstone so it’s natural we were nervous at the end.

“But we need to build on this as we’ll gain a lot of confidence from the three points and keeping a clean sheet.

“Winning breeds confidence, we’ve been playing well and not getting the results.”

Hearts were attempting to avert a third straight defeat at home as well as having lost four of the last five games.

It was Well who were first to threaten as Jamie Murphy sauntered through the middle before being allowed to unleash a low shot that had Jamie MacDonald scraping the ball past his right hand post.

Ryan McGowan’s defence splitter seconds later released Andy Driver down the right but the final ball was lacking.

The sense of adventure being shown by Hearts was underlined in the ninth minute with an attacking move involving two unlikely creative sparks.

Motherwell's Chris Humphrey is tackled by Hearts' Arvydas Novikovas Motherwell's Chris Humphrey is tackled by Hearts' Arvydas Novikovas

Andy Webster’s perfectly weighted through ball found Darren Barr who had thrown caution to the wind by making a deep run forward and the defender fed Driver who’s strike curled inches past Darren Randolph’s post.

The opener arrived in 14 minutes and it was a strike of stunning quality from Grainger.

He enjoyed the luxury of striding forward unchallenged before exploding a strike high past Randolph that flew into the top right corner from 25-yards.

Rampant Arvydas Novikovas then delivered from the left and Ryan Stevenson couldn’t get enough purchase on his header after meeting the cross. Motherwell’s inability to stem the drive and ambition of the home side was temporarily relieved as Chris Humphrey cut in from the right before dragging a shot wide.

It may be a stretch to suggest the tempo and quality of Hearts build-up play was a throwback to the exhilarating days of George Burley but it was a step in the right direction.

McGlynn’s system is based on quick breaks and width as both Novikovas and Driver performed the task with increasing menace. But a rare Motherwell attack produced a major first-half controversy.

Webster climbed through the back of Michael Higdon inside the area in 34 minutes and Stuart McCall’s side demanded a penalty but referee Willie Collum rightly waved play-on. The whistler did take action seconds later as Driver’s crude lunge on Nicky Law earned the game’s first booking.

Hearts should have doubled their advantage three minutes later as Grainger’s deep cross was met by Webster who couldn’t adjust his feet in time to direct an effort on goal.

Another Driver surge down the right left Shaun Hutchinson exposed for pace but again the Jambos winger failed to pick out a team-mate.

The Fir Park side’s problems were compounded by the loss of Hutchinson at half-time as the defender succumbed to a leg knock to be replaced by Stuart Carswell.

Stern words from McCall triggered an urgency after the break and Higdon swivelled inside the area to crack a shot past MacDonald’s post.

Stevenson then drilled a shot just wide in 58 minutes as Hearts searched for the killer second goal. But the tide had started to turn and Higdon again found space inside the box with his low shot gathered by MacDonald.

Marius Zaliukas was next in the book for a cynical block on Keith Lasley. McGlynn attempted to beef up the attack as John Sutton came on for Novikovas and the ex-Fir Park hitman flashed a 67th-minute header wide of target.

Scott Robinson was booked for hurtling into Lasley as Hearts struggled to regain a foothold.

It took Webster’s goal-line clearance from Law’s header in 73 minutes to preserve their lead. But hang on they did and the Jambos now share seventh place.

Taken from the Daily Record