Clydesdale Bank SPL, Saturday 25 September 2010 - Tynecastle
After the disappointment of the CIS Insurance Cup defeat to Falkirk in midweek, this was an opportunity for Hearts to make amends to their hard-pressed fans by consolidating third place in the SPL. However, it was an opportunity missed as Hearts struggled to make any in-roads on a resolute Motherwell defence and Craig Brown's side left Gorgie with a thoroughly deserved victory.
The first half was decent enough and Hearts probably edged it without really troubling Randolph in the Motherwell goal. In fact it was the visitors who came closest to scoring when Murphy hit the post shortly before half-time. While Kevin Kyle made his presence felt as usual young David Templeton was earmarked by Motherwell as the main danger and was marked accordingly.
With Hearts struggling to make the breakthrough, Jim Jefferies made a double substitution early in the second half when he replaced Calum Elliot with Stephen Elliott and the struggling Templeton with the prodigal son Rudi Skacel but the pair were barely on the field when Motherwell took the lead. Humphrey had time and space to feed Blackman who steered the ball past Kello to open the scoring. Alarmingly, the Hearts heads appeared to go down at this point and Motherwell took charge of the game.
The pace of Humphrey troubled Hearts all afternoon and with the home side pressing for an equaliser, it was Motherwell who looked the more dangerous and likelier side to score. They did just this with twenty minutes left when Humphrey squared the ball to Sutton who slotted home to double the visitors lead - and end the game as a contest.
Hearts struggled with the pace of the Motherwell attack all afternoon and there's no doubt Craig Brown's team were worthy winners. In the end Hearts ran out of ideas and simply lumped the ball forward to Kyle - with no success. Well keeper Randolph could have sat next to me in the Wheatfield Stand for all he had to do - the fact Hearts had just one shot on target all afternoon (as opposed to Motherwell's eleven) spoke volumes.
Rudi Skacel did little on his brief return and for the home side only Jason Thomson and Adrian Mrowiec mustered passmarks. Rangers visit Tynecastle next weekend. As The Stranglers used to sing 'Something Better Change'...
It's only a game.......
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