8pm

Last night's result: Motherwell 0, Hearts 2.

Hearts picked up their first win of the season last night at Fir Park, with Motherwell once again left to rue a whole host of missed opportunities.  With Stephen Hughes making his debut, Motherwell had by far the best of the first half and spurned chance after chance, only for Hearts to hit us with a sucker punch when Kingston took advantage of poor defending by Paterson to slot beyond Smith.  Motherwell started the second half in a similar fashion, but as the game wore on we began to run of ideas and allowed the visitors to come into the game more and more.  Hearts, who it has to be said were denied a stonewall penalty, wrapped up the three points in injury time when Velicka chipped Smith, although there was still time for Lewis Grabban, our debutant substitute, to force the Tynecastle goalkeeper into another impressive stop.

All in all a very frustrating night at Fir Park, especially given Hearts' ridiculous timewasting tactics and blatant diving.  Although we are clearly moving in the right direction under McGhee, we've got to stop letting teams off the hook as already it is costing us dear.

Team (4-3-3): Graeme Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Paterson, Lasley (Porter 56), O'Donnell (Grabban 90), Hughes, McGarry, Clarkson, McCormack.
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Brian McLean, Mensing, Fitzpatrick, Corrigan.

Booked: Paterson.

Attendance: 5,081

Mark McGhee's post-match comments were as follows:
"We had chance after chance and opportunities to make better chances but didn't do it.  Our general play was excellent. I think it is a great style of football we are playing but we have got to turn it into goals.  We will look at where we could have turned those good passing movements into clearer-cut chances.  But the fact is we are playing well and one day we are going to give someone a real doing."

McGhee was disappointed with the defending for Hearts' opening goal, and added:
"They had a mediocre shot and it ended up in the bottom corner," the Well boss said. "The defender has allowed the boy to some inside and shoot. It was a bad goal to lose."

Sadly, the action on the pitch was only half the story of last night's match.  After the game, the BBC reported that Motherwell supporters had racially abused Hearts' Laryea Kingston, a claim which was picked up by some of this morning's papers.  Indeed, the first I heard of the incident was when I read about it in the paper today, as I heard nothing untoward from my seat in the East Stand.  I have since spoken to mates who sit in various areas of the ground, but not one of them heard any racist abuse at all last night.  It seems that the culprit might have been a fan in the disabled section, although no-one seems to know for sure.  What IS certain is that the police are taking no action and Hearts have made no complaint, although the BBC seem to reckon it will be mentioned in match observer Allan Preston's report and the SPL may investigate further.

Read the club's reaction to the "incident" on the Official Site. 

It DOES appear though that the club could be in trouble after a 12-year-old ned ran onto the pitch from the East Stand near the end of the match, after apparently being "dared" to by his equally intellectual mates who sit in the section two down from the South Stand.  I despair sometimes, I really do...

We've been drawn away to Hibs in the 3rd round of the CIS Cup, with the match taking place on Wednesday 26th September at 7.45pm.