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Motherwell extended their points lead over a disappointing Hearts side to 11 points and continued on their quest for a European place. A goal up in two minutes they were never really threatened by the visitors from Edinburgh. Mark Reynolds headed home for the host inside two minutes and John Sutton finished off a smart move for a second before a quarter of an hour had passed as Craig Brown's side threatened every time they went forward. The home side finished off their scoring in the 69th minutes when Jim O'Brien lashed home a third. Hearts finally got a goal with a quickfire response straight from the re-start as substitute David Templeton prevented Motherwell leapfrogging third-placed Dundee United on goal difference.
Craig Brown brought back strikers Jamie Murphy and Lukas Jutkiewicz and midfielder Keith Lasley as Motherwell returned to a 4-4-2 formation following Tuesday's goalless draw at St Mirren, and they immediately swept back to top form as an impressive display extended their unbeaten run to 12 SPL games. Hearts, today without striker Christian Nade after he was handed a final warning for the infamous bust-up with team-mate Ian Black, had no cutting edge up front. It was the defence, which again featured contract rebel Jose Goncalves even though Dawid Kucharski was fit, which came under the spotlight first as they were punished for slack marking at a corner less than 75 seconds after kick-off. Nobody player followed O'Brien as he collected Tom Hateley's short pass and the winger hung the ball up to the far post where Reynolds nodded home from close range.
Motherwell were hemming Hearts inside their own half and Jutkiewicz shot over from 16 yards after Murphy's clever reverse pass. Motherwell doubled their lead in the 13th minute when more bright play cut the Hearts defence open again. Lasley ran on to Hateley's lofted pass down the right channel where he controlled the ball well before hooking it beyond the far post where the unmarked Sutton stroked home. Sutton was soon inches off target with a header after Hearts again allowed Hateley to find O'Brien, this time from a quickly-taken free-kick, and Janos Balogh then got down to hold Lasley's effort after O'Brien had just missed Murphy's low cross on the counter-attack.
Hearts finally appeared to wake up midway through the half and stemmed the Motherwell tide but never looked like capitalising on several long throws and free-kicks. The home side still finished the half the stronger with Murphy and O'Brien bringing a real fluidity to their play.
Jim Jeffries made all of his changes within six minutes with Gary Glen on for Calum Elliot, wingers Suso Santana and David Templeton replacing Ryan Stevenson and Paul Mulrooney. Well continued to look comfortable, though, and Balogh pushed Murphy's shot past his near post following an O'Brien cross. Hearts were effectively playing four up front and they began to push Motherwell back but Glen and Eggert Jonsson were off target from long range. It could have been a lot worse just over the hour mark as Jutkiewicz slotted home the rebound after Murphy's strike from Stevie Hammell's low cross was parried. Thankfully the offside flag was raised. However the relief was short-lived as just three minutes later O'Brien lashed high into the net after Jutkiewicz had just missed Murphy's driven cross at the near post. Templeton scored what turned out to be a consolation goal 60 seconds later with the first shot on target when he collected Suso's cross before spinning and firing the ball into the top corner. Motherwell had the chance to move above Dundee United but Sutton blazed over after Stephen Craigan's header found him in space eight yards out and the game fizzled out in the final 15 minutes.
Motherwell: Ruddy, Hateley, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Murphy, Lasley, Jennings, O'Brien, Sutton, Jutkiewicz. Subs: Fraser, Coke, Humphrey, McGlinchey, Forbes, McHugh, Saunders.
Hearts: Balogh, Jason Thomson, Kucharski, Goncalves, Lee Wallace, Stevenson, Jonsson, Kingston, Mulrooney, Elliot, Obua. Subs: MacDonald, Santana, Novikovas, Templeton, Glen, Smith, McGowan.
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