Graham Alexander addresses Rickie Lamie's Motherwell future after Dundee pre-contract

Graham Alexander has rued his own side’s part in both Hearts’ goals as the Motherwell manager reflected on a 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle.

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander after the 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

The visitors were robbed of possession on each occasion. The strikes came in either half from Andy Halliday and Ellis Simms though Motherwell were more competitive than the scoreline suggests.

Alexander felt his side had been the better side in the opening half and had played worse and won.

“The clinical side of Hearts, particularly in those two attacks, was the difference in the result,” he said. “I thought over the whole game we played some really good stuff.

"I thought we played really well today. I thought we passed the ball really well and purposefully. We pressed them, turned the ball over lots of times and the first goal is against the run of play, but we had a hand in it.

“I thought we should have dealt with it better - and we were severely punished. But we had a couple of great opportunities before half-time to get the equaliser, which would have been our just rewards, but we couldn't find that finishing touch.

“I thought the second goal was similar: we give it away when we should have made a better decision. We've been punished for it again.”

Alexander confirmed Ricki Lamie has signed a pre-contract deal with Dundee. He stressed that he wants to keep the defender, who was not involved against Hearts, for the remainder of the season.

“I think that might have happened on Friday night, I spoke to Ricki on Friday afternoon," he explained. “But I still see Ricki as an important player for us for the rest of the season.

“He's a great character, he's a good player and he's part of our squad, so I don't see any reason why we need to lose him before the end of the season.”

Don't miss out on a 30 per cent discount on an annual sports subscription. We have a special offer throughout January where you can get a reduced package. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions/sports for more details