A Gavin Reilly penalty and a low drive from Billy King condemned Motherwell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat in the capital. It was the most disappointing performance of the season to date.
The game went from one end to another without either side having any real chance. But after about 25 minutes Hearts won a series of set plays about our box. The first was overhit, the'keeper failed to make it stick and almost led to a great goal for us. Law fed Ainsworth who started the break. He played a perfect ball to McDonald who glanced it to Johnson. His cross was too close to Alexander otherwise Moult or McDonald would have been left with a tap in.
The second free kick resulted in a booking for Louis Laing. This fan’s view was blocked by the frame of the goal but the sheepish look on Laing’s face revealed it was not an incorrect decision. A couple of corners followed and just when it looked like Motherwell were going to break out, Scott McDonald took a heavy touch and gave the ball away. Trying to make amends he bundled the striker down as he strode into the box leaving Brian Colvin little option but to point to the spot. Reilly despatched it with ease and we were one down.
From the restart we carved out an opening for Johnson but by the time the ball sat for him Alexander was set to gather with ease. Osman Sow had the only other chance of note with a header but it went just wide. Ripley looked like he would have probably got a hand to it had it been inside the post anyway.
The second half followed a similar pattern without much of note being created. Billy King doubled the Hearts lead with a low drive that Ripley looked like he should have held. Hearts by now were content to surrender possession as Motherwell tried to get Ainsworth and Johnson involved but the defensive shape of the opposition worked effectively.
New signing Jake Taylor looks like a steady Eddie sort of player with good passing and awareness without too much flair. But he did blot his copybook with a desperate lunge that saw Colvin reach for yellow again.
As the game wore on Lasley was replaced by Leitch, perhaps a sign Baraclough realised this one had passed us by, and Thomas replaced Moult which gave us a slightly different pronged attack. We still struggled to create anything tangible until the dying minutes when a Clarkson shot went just over.
And that was that, the Hearts tannoy man gleefully told the home faithful Celtic had slipped up and they were two points clear and the visiting fans skulked out the ground to head for cars, buses and trains to make the journey west.
Hearts 2 Motherwell 0
Attendance 16,645
Team; Ripley, Law, Laing, McManus, Hammell; Ainsworth, Lasley (Leitch 68), Taylor, Johnson, McDonald (Clarkson 85), Moult (Thomas 76)