20th November 2021. Motherwell 2 Hearts 0

 

With the international break over I decided to head to Motherwell today to watch Hearts in their first match since the 5-3 demolition of Dundee United a fortnight ago. Hearts received over 3000 tickets from Motherwell and they went straight on a general sale. I managed to get a concession ticket in the lower part of the South Stand for £17.50. My next decision was how to get to Motherwell. Going by train involves at least one change so I checked to see if I could find any buses running where I could get a seat. On the Orwell Hearts site I found that there was a bus running from Benson’s Bar in Dalry Road. I managed to book a seat for £13 which was £5.20 cheaper than the train. Left home at 11.00 to walk to Benson’s for 11.30 departure. After a Heineken 0 I went outside at 11.30 to find the bus had been delayed by traffic due to the rugby international at.Murrayfield. Eventually arrived after a fifteen minute delay and headed to Motherwell. We arrived in Motherwell around 13.10 and the bus stopped outside a pub near the ground.I did not fancy spending the time until the match in a crowded pub so I checked with the driver where the bus would be parked and headed off for a walk. I had a wander around Motherwell for an hour, not that there is much to see, and then headed back towards the ground. Away fans were housed in the South Stand which is behind the goal at the end of the ground furthest from the main road. I bought a coffee and a pie after entering the ground as I had had nothing to eat since breakfast. Not exactly 'haute cuisine' but filled a gap. I took my seat around 14.15 on the left hand side looking at the pitch just as the team started to warm up.

For Hearts both Craig Gordon and Johnsouttar returned from Scotland duty without injury and were include in the starting eleven. The only change to the starting line-up against Dundee United was the return of Michael Smith to replace the injured Craig Halkett. Smith lined up at right wing-back with Taylor Moore moving into Halkett's position in the back three. Motherwell are a stuffy side built in the image of their manager, Former Scotland full-back Graham Alexander. He has used to contacts in England to bring a number of players the club and while not an attractive side to watch are physical and difficult to beat. It was surprising the full-back Steven O'Donnell, who featured for Scotland against Denmark did not start on his return from suspension. Up front Motherwell paired former Queen of the South striker Connor Shields with ex-Celtic player, and former Hearts loanee, Tony Watt.

Even from the start of the game it seemed Motherwell were more ‘up for it” than Hearts as they were pressing up and preventing Hearts playing the ball as they preferred and being forced into a pass. Surprisingly the first clear chance of the game fell to Hearts in ten minutes. Barrie McKay had a run down the right and sent a cross field pass towards Ben Woodburn. The Liverpool loanee took an awful first touch which allowed the ball to run through to Motherwell keeper Liam Kelly. Motherwell took the lead in twenty-three minutes. Kaiyne Woolery had a run down the right and sent a low cross into the penalty box. Sean Goss had a shot which deflected of a defender to Connor Shields about ten yard from goal. His low shot gave Craig Gordon no chance of making a save. Minutes later Gordon sprung across his goal to deflect away a shot from Barry Maguire from going into the top corner of his net. As the match moved towards halftime another good pass from McKay found Josh Ginnelly racing into the Motherwell penalty box. Richie Lamie stopped the move with a hard challenge, which some referees would have deemed a penalty, however Willie Collum waved play on. 

If I was Robbie Neilson I would have made changes at halftime. Playing 3-4-3 Hearts were outnumbered in central midfield with Motherwell playing 4-3-3 and Hearts having two wing-backs. A switch to 4-3-3 and an additional central midfielder would have evened up the midfield but no changes were made. The second half continued much as the first and Steen Kingsley did well to clear a Watt cross over his own cross-bar with Shields waiting to knock the into the net. Hearts finally managed a shot on target just before the hour mark but Woodburn's effort from the edge of the box was almost a chip into the arms of Motherwell keeper Kelly. Woodburn was then replaced by Boyce before things went completely downhill for Hearts. Moore had been booked previously and then challenged Shields as he raced towards goal. A few years ago this may have been overlooked as a shoulder charge but referee Callum had no hesitation in awarding a free-kick. He then produced a second yellow card followed by a red and Moore was sent off. Things got even worse as Goss’ free-kick was floated to the far post for Lamie to head in Motherwell’s second goal. The game was beyond Hearts now and Gordon made a fantastic double save in seventy-two minutes. He dived to knock away a Wooley header with his leg then got back to eh centre of his goal to block Shields’ shot from the rebound. Hearts then had an opportunity when substitute Gnanduilllet headed on a Gordon clearance to Boyce. The strikers shot was straight at Kelly who blocked the attempt. Referee Collum was not helping the tempo of the game but stopping play for every minor instance. Towards the end of the game Watt went down on the halfway line holding his head. Gordon was incensed by the blatant time wasting and raced to the halfway line to complain to the referee who waved away his protests. 

After the game I walked back to the bus which was half full when I arrived at 17.00 reflecting the disappointment among Hearts fans. Unfortunately some people on the bus had returned to the pub where it originally park and we did not leave until they returned around 17.30. The journey back home was not too bad and after being dropped off at Bensons I was home around 18.40.  Reflecting in the game I am not sure that 3-4-3 is the best formation for Hearts. Having two wingers up front allows chances to be created but only two in central midfield means that a team which pressses hard can shut down the midfield. I would go for a straight 5-3-2 formation with the two wing-backs providing width however an additional midfield player could provide a more attacking option. Either Jamie Walker or Aaron McEneff could provide support to an attacking duo up front. 

Teams

Motherwell: Kelly, Mugabi, Johansen, Lamie, McGinley, Maguire, Goss, Slattery, Woolery, Shields, Watt.

Subs: O'Donnell, Alamuzor, Grimshow. 

Hearts: Gordon, Moore, Souttar, Kingsley, Smith, Baningime, Devlin, Cochrane, McKay, Woodburn, Ginnelly. 

Subs: Boyce, Gnanduillet, McEneff.