Motherwell 0, Hearts 2

Match Date: Monday, September 3 2007
Competition: Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 5,081
Motherwell 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.

VISITORS SIMULATE THEIR WAY TO VICTORY

Motherwell  0     Hearts  2

THERE Was much in the way of diving about at Fir Park this evening, though the visitors might well not want to watch some of their antics again as the manner of their win was less than admirable. Motherwell could have, and should have, taken something from a game they contributed so much too, but in the end, took nothing from.

Debutant Hughes made an early burst forward for Motherwell though his cross in was cleared by the foot of Tall. For the first of many times during the evening, Kingston took the quick route to ground without contact as O’Donnell challenged for the ball. The free kick was swung in by Berra though Tall was guilty of a foul. The visitors claimed a penalty when Elliott saw a shot blocked and, as the ball spun up, Ksanavicius took a tumble as he and Craigan challenged for the ball. It would have been soft to say the least, and Referee Richmond correctly dismissed the claims. Ksanavicius took exception and clashed with Clarkson, but the Referee chose to issue only stern words. Good work between Hughes and Lasley saw a deep cross cause problems at the back for Hearts, though Berra cleared. Motherwell won a corner though Clarkson saw his attempt charged down at the edge of the box. Hearts had a clear chance to open the scoring when Elliott met a Neilson cross from the wing but he found Smith in good form and the keeper parried the shot away. Neilson returned the ball but was well over. Craigan then cleanly won the ball from Nade in midfield but the convincing nature of the Hearts player’s fall saw a free kick awarded. Motherwell cleared, and attacked with Clarkson being pushed over by Tall. Play continued with McGarry gaining a corner. The ball broke out to Hughes some 25 yards out but he was wide with his effort. A fantastic through ball from Quinn then presented McGarry with a clear opportunity though a last-ditch block from Tall denied the shot on target. Seconds later Clarkson fired over the top, but just as it looked likely Motherwell would score first, they fell behind. Kingston was allowed to progress unchallenged towards the box and, as Paterson slipped, shot low in to the corner. Immediately, Motherwell attempted to hit back. Hughes turned to fire low towards goal though Banks smothered the ball. Then Paterson and Hughes exchanged passes before a cross was headed wide, McGarry sending the ball past. McCormack attempted to push forward but was clearly pulled back by Neilson, though not in the eyes of the Referee for reasons known only to him. A rather unnecessary dive from Kingston went without a card as he crashed to the ground with Reynolds making no contact. The ball went forward where Tall went right through McGarry, and was rightly booked for a shocker of a tackle. Motherwell should have levelled when McGarry set up Lasley but his side-footer was blocked near the line by Tall. Clarkson gathered the corner and turned to fire in a low cross, O’Donnell unable to react and the ball rebounded off him and past. Motherwell continued to press, and forced successive corners, though the latter saw a McGarry shot held. Not seen much in attack, Hearts did break forward and Ksanavicius raced into the box to hit a drive into the side netting. Clarkson then had a good chance from a forward ball from O’Donnell but, with the visiting defence claming offside, he rushed a shot wide. Berra rushed to the Linesman to complain but, despite the clear dissent, Referee Richmond decided to lecture instead of an obvious yellow. Both sides had late opportunities, but neither efforts from Hughes for Motherwell, nor Salukis, changed the score line.

Half time     Motherwell  0     Hearts  1

Within seconds of the restart the visiting fans were demanding a penalty. Elliott went to meet a throw-in and, as O’Donnell challenged, crumpled in a heap. It looked like a penalty, but the Referee waved play on, perhaps only to aware of the visitors tendency to collapse at the slightest breath of wind. Keith Lasley forced a corner for Motherwell, but McCormack saw his shot blocked almost on the line by Kingston and cleared by his fellow defenders. Hughes then did well to lay the ball off for McGarry but his low shot was again well held by Banks in the visiting goal. Good defending saw Craigan deny Elliott a chance on goal, the Motherwell man alert and clearing downfield. Another corner was won by Clarkson, but again the delivery was not the best. Elliott was then guilty of two quick, late challenges but despite a lecture there was no card produced. Motherwell made a change, replacing Lasley with Porter in an attempt to add more in attack. Hearts also made a substitution, Nade off in place of Velicka. A clear handball by Tall went unnoticed by the officials, though with the Linesman having a great view it’s mystifying how he failed to spot. Paterson made space out on the flank to set up Clarkson but he couldn’t direct a header on target. A slip from Paterson then allowed Elliott to find Kingston though he shot past. And to tie up a busy few minutes for Paterson, he saw yellow for a late tackle on Neilson who seemed to make more of the challenge than there actually was. Neilson then made a remarkable recovery and decided to enter the field of play without permission. Rightly, he was yellow carded, though quite why Referee Richmond apologised is unknown. As well as this, Frail, the Hearts Coach, was warned for his reaction to what is a well-known and established rule of the game. Another change for the visitors had Stewart making way for Palazuelos. Play resumed and Porter flicked on a ball for McCormack but he saw his shot charged away with Tall doing the clearing up. Elliott eventually saw that yellow card he had been seemingly aiming for. After Craigan had conceded a foul on Elliott, the Hearts player jumped to his feet, demanding a card be produced for Craigan. Much to his disgust, it went to him instead. Motherwell almost got what would have been a deserved equaliser when, following a foul by Palazuelos on McCormack, the Motherwell striker fired in a low free kick which finished mere centimetres past the far post with Banks well beaten. Palazuelos then saw a yellow card when he was booked for diving in the box, not the first Hearts player to do so though the first to be cautioned for it. Hearts almost stole a second when Velicka found Ksanavicius and, driving a shot in, saw Smith parry superbly before the Lithuanian fired the rebound well over. An Elliott back heel set up Ksanavicius shortly afterwards but this shot was well wide of the mark. Ksanavicius was causing some problems with his pace, though Quinn stood up well at the expense of a corner soon afterwards. Motherwell broke up field, Quinn and Hughes combined, though McCormack saw a shot deflected behind. Porter got space inside the box and really should have netted, heading wide instead under no pressure. Motherwell claimed a penalty and it looked as clear-cut as the one Hearts had denied earlier. McCormack raced onto a through ball and was bundled to the ground, but there was no penalty awarded. Banks produced a fantastic save to deny a deserved leveller when he somehow got down to flick a Porter effort wide. Zaliukas was then booked for a late challenge on McCormack. The Motherwell man took the free kick himself but drove wide. Hearts took off Ksanavicius to replace him with Ivaskevicius, with Motherwell giving a debut to Lewis Grabban, on in place of O’Donnell. Another dive from Kingston went without a card as he dropped to the ground under no pressure whatsoever, poor fare from a flair player. Given that he should have seen two yellow cards by now, it became even more important when he played a part in the goal, which won the game for the visitors. Flicking a ball into Velicka, he was able to steer a shot over Smith and into the net. Motherwell almost pulled a goal back from kick-off when Grabban fired in a superb 25-yard shot, which Banks managed to fingertip to the side. Ivaskevicius then deliberately kicked the ball away after conceding a free kick but he was allowed to escape a booking, and his side with the points.

Full time     Motherwell  0     Hearts  2

Match Report by Ricky Mullen

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