29th January 2020 Hearts 2 Motherwell 0
Saturday and an unusual football day with both Hearts and Hibs playing at home. However Tynecastle was the only choice for me. I left home after lunch and instead of going direct to Tynecastle I went for a theee mile walk and arrived at the ground around 14.30. The weather this morning had been awful with high winds but they had now died done and the game was on. I showed my Covid passport then my season ticket for entry. As I entered the stadium I thought about getting a pie and a coffee but decided that after my exercise this would be counter productive.
Hearts made six changes to the starting line-up against Celtic in midweek. The injure Michael Smith and Craig Halkett were out along with Alex Cochrane , Barrie McKay, Peer Haring and Josh Ginnelly who dropped to the bench. Into the side came Nate Atkinson, Taylor Moore, Andy Halliday, Gary Mackay-Steven (GMS) and Ellis Simms. New signing Toby Sibbick, who was with Hearts in 2019 on loan, was included in the substitutes. Motherwell have lost former Hearts loanee who has now moved to Dundee United. While he has scored a few goals the season I always think he is living on scoring a winning goal for Celtic against Barcelona a number of years ago. Other than Liam Kelly, Jordan Roberts, who left Hearts recently to join Motherwell on a full contract having previously been on loan, and Scotland full-back Steven O'Donnell I knew little of the rest of the side. Manager Graham Alexander has used his English contacts to recruit number of players from their lower division.
Hearts had an early chance when Simms and a Motherwell defender challenged for the ball in midfield . The ball ended back with keeper Kelly who picked it up but the referee awarded an indirect free-kick for a pass-back. Kelly was not happy with the decision and kicked the ball away and was then yellow carded. Steven Kingsley took the kick but his attempt was locked by the Motherwell defensive wall. After this Motherell seemed to be the dominant side although not really threatening Craig Gordon in the Hearts goal. Kevin van Veen was closest to scoring with a shot of the edge of the penalty area which went narrowly past the post. Hearts took the lead in thirty-eight minutes when Simms burst in the Motherwell penalty box. He attempted to back heel the ball to Liam Boyce but found a Motherwell defender. Boyce however nipped in to win the ball and sent it to Cammy Devlin in the centre of the box. Devlin sent a pass to Halliday on the left of the box and he shot into the far corner of the net from about fifteen yards. As the half moved into injury time a cross from Roberts found van Veen unmarked about six yards out. but he headed the ball wide when it seemed easier to score.
Hearts brought on Sibbick for Souttar for the start of the second half. Souttar had been involved in a challenge with a Motherwell player in the first half as he attempted to clear the ball from the Hearts penalty area. Both players required treatment and it appeared that Souttar had the worst of the collision. Baseless rumours were flying round the ground that Rangers, having drawn at Ross County 3-3 earlier, had asked Hearts to send Souttar to complete a transfer ahead of his pre-contract move in the summer. Devlin had a good run from midfield and played the ball through to GMS in the penalty area. The wingers shot was comfortably held by Kelly. Hearts went further ahead in fifty-eight minutes when Devlin won the ball from Motherwell’s Liam Shaw in his own half. He broke down the centre of the field with Boyce on his right and Simms on his left. Devlin passed to Boyce who sent a low ball across goal for Simms to tap home from six yards. Minutes later Devlin and GMS were replaced by Haring and Ben Woodurn, presumably to give then a rest before the Edinburgh day next week. Woodburn almost set up a third goal when he won the ball in midfield and set Boyce free on the right. The striker took the ball round Kelly but his shot was blocked on the goal-line. Gordon then had a moment of madness when he raced thirty yards from his goal to attempt to clear a through ball. He seemed to scuff his kick direct to a Motherwell player but Motherwell were unable to take advantage as Gordon scrambled back to his goal. i thought Hearts should have had a penalty late on when Halliday was bundled over in the penalty area but referee Craig Napier waved play on. The final whistle blew with Hearts winning another three points to consolidate their third place in the SPL.
I thought this was a good victory for Hearts against a good Motherwell side. Although Hearts had not been at their best, maybe due to the absence of Barrie McKay for most of the game, they had taken their chances well. I walked home arriving about 17.15 and settled down for a quiet night in.
Teams
Hearts: Gordon, Kingsley, Souttar, Baningime, Boyce, Mackay-Steven, Atkinson, Devlin, Moore, Halliday, Simms.
Subs: Sibbick, Woodburn, Haring, McKay, Cochrane.Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, Carroll, Maguire, Van Veen, Shaw, Slattery, McGinley, Johansen, Tierney, Roberts.
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