3rd September 2023 Hearts 0 Motherwell 1

After another European match on a Thursday I was going to yet another SPL match on a Sunday. I did not watch the midweek game on Viaplay as I refuse to oay for another sports channel with only limited coverage of games which interest me. I had been out at Kingsknowe watching Harper play for Eastside Rapids against Currie Star. Rapids won 3-1 and I was hoping for a similar result for Hearts today. I left home just after 14.00 and walked down to Tynecastle.  I had my ticket scanned and was in my seat by around 14.20 as the teams warmed up. There was apparently a problems at the turnstiles after I got in and a number of people had problems scanning their tickets and were delayed in entering the ground. 

Hearts made three changes to the starting lineup from the defeat in Greece against PAOK. Into the side came Peter Haring, Yutaro Oda and Alex Lowry. Kenneth Vargas and Toby Sibbick dropped to the bench while Stephen Kingsley was omitted from the squad. Motherwell under manager Steven Kettlewell are not what can be called a ‘silky football’ side however like Kilmarnock who were ar Tynecastle a couple of weeks ago they set up in a good system and are difficult to break down. They lost last years top scorer Kevin van Veen but have brought in Theo Baur as a replacement. The key area in their side is central defence with Bevis Mugabi. Paul McGinn and Paul Casey  making strong central lineup.

hearts saved off well and Lowry set up a chance for Lawrence Shankland. However the striker was unable to cutest well and fired wide. Motherwell came back into the match and Zander Clark made a couple of good saves from a Mugabi header and then a volley from Callum Slattery. Motherwell went ahead in twenty-eight minutes when Blair Spittal sent through ball for Slattery to shoot past Clark. The assistant referee initially ruled the goal offside but a VAR review awarded the goal. I know reviews should even up over the season but after two penalty reviews overturned last week and then this one Hearts need a number of important reviews n their favour. To be honest Hearts had probably around seventy percent of possession but were not creating chances. Oda was spending most of his time chasing back to win the ball rather than attacking the Motherwell back four. 

hearts made two halftime changes with Toby Sibbick and Kyosuke Tagawa replacing place of Lowry and Oda. the changes did not male much difference although Shankland latched on to a ball over the top but was crowded out before he could test Kelly. Then substitute Tagawa headed wide from close range after being picked out by Nathaniel Atkinson. Motherwell were wrong in defence aloud Liam Kelly was not really tested with Casey blowing couple of attempts from Boyce. Motherwell had McGinn red-carded after a second bookable offence wiyj twenty-two minutes to ago but again Hearts could not capitalise with too many square or back passes and a lack of positive forward balls. The game peered out and the final whistle was met with a series of boos from the stands.

I walked home disappointed after the result. Dundee last week was back bt today was even worse. There seemed to be a complete lack of composure in midfield and also no attempt to make clear chances for the front players. Shankland had Hears first clear attempt on goal in eighty-six minutes and that summed up the home performance. I got hone and put Arsenal v Man Utd on Sky and that game was almost as bad was Tynecastle.

 

 

Teams

Hearts: Clark, Kent, Haring, Shankland , Boyce, Oda, Atkinson, Devlin, Rowles, Cochrane, Lowry.

Subs: Forrest, Sibbick, Tagawa, Vargas

 

Motherwell: Kelly, O’Donnell, Mugabi, Spittal, Slattery, Paton, Bair, Casey, McGinn, Spencer, Miller

Subs:  Zdravkovski, Shaw, McGinley.