The 1-0 win wasn’t always bonnie but in ending the seven-game run without a victory, Cowie and Co are hoping that they have made a mini breakthrough and will be able to build on that success with another three points at home to Dundee tomorrow night.

The bad news is they will probably have to do so without Jamie Walker, who went off after just 20 minutes, calling time himself after he felt his hamstring tighten. That was a blow to Hearts, who were seeking their first victory since returning to the redeveloped Tynecastle.

More importantly, they were battling to stay in touch with the teams above them, including Motherwell, whose bright start to the season had been blighted by the recent League Cup final disappointment and then the injury to top scorer Louis Moult.

Hearts striker Kyle Lafferty lets fly with a left-foot shot for what turned out to be the only goal of the game. Picture: SNS

Until recently, their biggest concern was fending off offers for their main man. Having repelled advances in the summer, there is a fear that they may not have the financial mettle to do the same again in January. But they had expected to have the benefit of his services until then.

Whether it was his absence or the after effects of three tough tussles with Celtic, Stephen Robinson’s men looked blunt on Saturday. Enjoying their fair share of possession, they had a handful of shots on target but none of them were too troubling for Hearts keeper Jon McLaughlin.

But this was a match that either team could have won. With little between them, it was always going to come down to who was the more clinical in front of goal.

The home side are not a team, on current form, to be racking up eye-popping goals tallies. They have had chances in recent weeks but converting them has proved problematic and cost them points.

When Walker trudged off they were left with just one player on the park who had managed to get on the scoresheet this term. That was Kyle Lafferty. But, shouldering the weight of responsibility, the Northern Ireland international made that count for something as the contest headed towards half-time.

“I’m delighted for Kyle,” said Cowie, whose pass forward played him in. “It has been well documented that he has had a lot to deal with since he came here but he is a great person around the dressing room.

“Everyone is really pleased for him. He took this goal brilliantly. It looked like it had maybe got away from him but he showed brilliant desire and produced a great finish.”

As Lafferty latched on to the pass, Cedric Kipre got over to cover but, leaving his marker on his backside, Lafferty cut inside, evading the challenge of Carl McHugh, and drilled a low, angled left-foot shot into the net, with 38 minutes gone.

Both teams enjoyed spells on top and Motherwell, who had earlier lost Chris Cadden to injury, pressed for an equaliser right to the end, forcing their hosts to show stern resistance. But they safeguarded their lead to earn their first victory since October and give them confidence ahead of tomorrow’s visit from Dundee.

“It’s only natural that things are a lot happier in the changing room,” said Cowie. “It’s good to get that first win at home because it has been a tough few weeks. We have lost a few goals at times when I thought we were going to win games. The real positive  here was that even though Motherwell had a bit of pressure, they didn’t really create any chances and we defended really well. It’s a great clean sheet.

“It’s well documented the manager would like to get a bit more balance in the squad come January.

“So until then we need to work hard and grind those results out. But you could sense the relief in the stadium when we got that win.

“I thought the fans really helped us, especially in the last ten minutes, and hopefully we can dovetail together going forward and start to get three points more often here.”

Hearts hope win over Motherwell will act as springboard