Hearts 0, Motherwell 0

 

Match Date: Saturday, March 25 2000
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 13,102

 

Motherwell Team:

Woods, Corrigan, Kemble, Strong, McMillan, Twaddle (Nevin), Brannan , Valakari, Adams (Harvey), Goodman, McCulloch.

Subs not used: Brown, McGowan, Nicholas.

ENTERTAINING DRAW KEEPS WELL IN THE HUNT

MOTHERWELL SECURED A POINT IN A No-score draw at Tynecastle to keep themselves in with a shout of a UEFA Cup place next season. Despite the loss of several key players the Fir Park side performed well and deservedly took a point back to Fir Park.

Within the first minute a rash tackle by Adam on McMillan saw the Hearts striker lucky to escape without a caution. Debut man Greg Strong was alert to cut out a Jackson ball which looked set to send Wales clear on Stevie Woods, and from his clearance Ged Brannan raced forward to fire in a 25-yard shot which went inches past, though he may have been better served with a pass to Goodman clear on his right. Petric then headed towards the Motherwell goal where Strong partially cleared to Jackson who shot wildly past. The former Dundee United defender was putting himself about and his awkward challenge on McCulloch saw the Motherwell player needing treatment shortly afterwards. A Strong clearance then fell for McCulloch who was fouled by Pressley, though incredibly the Hearts defender was given the free-kick. The ball was sent forward in the direction of Wales but he was denied by a great piece of defending by Kemble who saw the ball out of play. A handball by Jackson then went unnoticed which denied the chance for McCulloch to race forward. Hearts attacked but McCulloch backtracked to clear from Adam. Motherwell in turn broke upfield with Goodman but he wasted his good run by crossing poorly. Great vision by Brannan saw him pick out Adams with a clever long ball, the striker stopped in his tracks by Cameron who conceded the corner. Don Goodman got on the end of the cross and his header bounced around until McCulloch connected but his shot went wide. Motherwell then came agonisingly close to scoring when Goodman dis-possessed Petric and allowed the ball to run to McCulloch. He cracked in a shot from 16 yards which smacked the crossbar and bounced away. Valakari picked the ball up and his net-bound effort from 25 yards was headed clear. An error by Benito Kemble then gave Wales the chance to break but a terrific tackle by Ged Brannan ended the danger for Motherwell. Woods cleared upfield and Don Goodman collected, he burst into the box and fired in a low shot which Pressley blocked with a last-ditch lunge. From the corner Twaddle rather poorly curled the ball out behind the goals. Greg Strong was commanding at the back for Motherwell, but he was over-exuberant with one challenge on Wales and conceded a free-kick 35 yards out. Fulton swung in the ball but Brannan headed behind for a corner which was cleared. Although Referee McCurry had a far from competent performance he was alert enough to book Naysmith for a late, late tackle on Twaddle, carding the defender after waving play on. Ged Brannan then fired wide from McMillan's cross, and seconds later Motherwell were denied a penalty when Makel deliberately obstructed McMillan's run into the box. Goodman forced Naysmith to knock the ball behind for a corner which Kemble headed in but the ball went wide. Hearts were given a free-kick when McCulloch, despite quite clearly winning the ball from Flogel, was penalised. The ball came to Wales and he worked his way to the box before falling under minimal pressure as Strong cleared. Adam was then booked for a bad tackle from behind on Adams as the Motherwell man tried to make his way forward. The long-ball from McMillan then picked out McCulloch but he was caught late by Pressley. Play was waved on by McCurry giving Hearts the chance to break. Fulton gathered theball in midfield but his shot from 40 yards was well taken by Woods. He cleared and it took a great interception by Pressley to cut out the ball to McCulloch in the clear. Derek Adams then forced a corner, and he had the last touch when the ball came in , though keeper Rousset was able to stop his 20 yarder. Some slack marking at the back by Motherwell allowed Adam to cross for Wales and his clever back-header was well held by Stevie Woods. Recently returned from suspension, Don Goodman was given a yellow card for an innocuous tap on Fulton who rolled about. A slip by McMillan then gave Cameron the chance to cross but there were no takers for his dangerous ball across the six-yard box. Motherwell broke and were denied a penalty once again when three Hearts defenders combined to halt his progress. Hearts were coming more and more into things and it took a great tackle by McMillan to prevent Cameron connecting with Fulton's pass. Hearts screamed for a penalty soon after when Kemble and Cameron clashed in the box, though any award would have been soft to say the least. The Tynecastle side attacked again with Fulton passing wide to Jackson. His cross was headed away by Strong. Adam then made the bye-line but Goodman was back to head away. Naysmith was fortunate not to be sent off for a clumsy challenge on Adams near the break. As time began to run out Hearts again were raging at a rejected penalty claim. After Fulton had a shot saved by Woods the ball was returned to Cameron and his run into he box saw him clash with McMillan. As he lost his balance Strong then slid in for the ball and with Cameron on his way down the Hearts midfielder fell, though there was little objection from Cameron when he did get up. 

Half-time     Hearts 0     Motherwell 0

The half-time entertainment saw a young Motherwell team run out three goals to one winners over their Tynecastle Hosts. Motherwell were first to show at the start of the second half and a deliberate body-check by Petric on Goodman gave Motherwell a free-kick some 40 yards from goal. Twaddle swung the ball in and as McCulloch looked to score Flogel cleared just in time. Martyn Corrigan then entered the book of Referee McCurry when he was carded for a late tackle on Fulton, though it was far from malicious. Petric was allowed room to get in a free header but Woods was able to gather. Great work by Don Goodman saw him play a clever one-two with McMillan though the move was broken up by the illegal use of an arm by Petric, and to make matters worse Hearts were given the free-kick for reasons known only to McCurry. The home side came close when Adam found space in the box to shoot towards goals. Woods blocked the effort brilliantly though the ball fell out to Cameron, but he shot well over the top from 16 yards. Motherwell retained possession for a short spell and a great Valakari pass to McCulloch then gave Twaddle the opportunity to cross, Roussett saving well from Brannan's eventual header. Ged Brannan, captain for the day, then led by example when bravely blocking a fierce Naysmith shot in the box. Hearts suddenly were finding some space with Adam again breaking in the box, Strong excellently stopping the shot with a terrific block. Motherwell made a double-substitution on the hour mark when Twaddle and Adams made way for Nevin and Harvey. The Fir Parkers then forced two corners in quick succession though from the second Brannan's header form McCulloch's flick on was well cleared by Adam on the line and he booted downfield. Lee McCulloch then became the latest player to be booked though quite why he was yellow-carded for a tangle with Flogel, who was tugging the Motherwell striker's jersey, is a mystery. Paul Harvey then saw a pass to send Goodman clear well cut-out by Petric, though seconds later Stevie McMillan made a terrific run to the edge of the box but his trusty left foot deserted him and the shot was wide. A slip by Simo Valakari then almost gave Hearts the lead, Cameron smacking the ball off the upright from 25 yards out. Another frustrating decision by McCurry then saw McCulloch penalised agaisnst after Petric had body-checked the striker. Paul Harvey was hacked down by a poor Pressley challenge and fro the free-kick McCulloch crossed deep forcing Naysmith to give a way a corner. Petric half-cleared the ball to Valakari whose cushioned header fell for Nevi though from 8 yards out he turned and fired over the bar. Hearts had brought on McSwegan and his first taste of the action saw him give a free-kick away for a late lunge on Corrigan. The free-kick was met by McCulloch but he headed past. Hesitancy by Ged Brannan almost gave Adam the cahnce to break into the box; another great clearance by Strong ended the danger. A blatant dive by Jackson in the middle of the park went unpunished though his second fall seconds later after Valakari had challenged gave the Hearts player the free-kick he sought. Paul Harvey then conceded the corner and from the flag-kick Flogel drove towards goal from 20 yards through a crowd of players but Woods was on hand to save well. Ged Brannan then had to head behind Flogel's dangerous cross and it took another piece of precise defending by Kemble to deny Fulton. Some great passing by Motherwell the opened up the park but it took a close call by the linesman to flag Goodman or he was clear on McCulloch's pass. Hearts broke upfield and just as It looked as if Jackson was about to pull the trigger good work by Kemble did enough to put the striker off balance. Stevie McMilan forced a corner for Motherwell which, when swung in, was met by Brannan but his over-head kick drifted inches the wrong side of the post with Rousset struggling. In the last minute Hearts again screamed for a penalty though there was little doubt this time that Naysmith made the most of his fall and indeed could count himself lucky not to have received another card.

Full-Time     Hearts 0     Motherwell 0

Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)