Hearts refuse to be moved as gusty Motherwell comeback proves one thing about title bid for the ages

Hearts launched a dramatic comeback to defeat Motherwell 3-1 during the pair’s latest Premiership clash, as they head into the post-split fixtures in first.

Oisin McEntee was denied a certain opener for Derek McInnes’ side in the first half by a stunning save from goalkeeper Calum Ward. Emmanuel Longelo opened the scoring after half-time as he ended a swift Motherwell counter-attack by knocking the ball into an empty Hearts net. Claudio Braga levelled the game up after an hour played and Maswanhise missed a golden chance to put his team back in front.

Lawrence Shankland’s 88th minute penalty and Pierre Landry Kabore’s stoppage time strike completed the maroon comeback, leaving them three points clear at the summit, with Hibs at Easter Road up next. Motherwell are winless in five and sit fourth heading into the split, where they’ll go to Rangers in their first match.

What is the history between Hearts and Motherwell?

After a slip at Livingston, Hearts could ill afford more dropped points before the dog eat dog nature of the top half. Drawing in West Lothian had allowed Rangers to come within a point of them, but crucially, they played a day before their clash at Falkirk. A chance to pile pressure on presented itself. Celtic were three behind and a close eye would be kept on events at Parkhead against St Mirren but focus would be needed in Gorgie against the only side they hadn’t beaten this term.

Motherwell have impressed under Askou and showed what they were all about last August as they raced into a 3-0 lead in front of a stunned Tynecastle crowd. That game ended 3-3, and were McInnes’ hosts to go a game or more clear of second, they’d need an improved performance from what they put on at Almondvale.

Fans in maroon were pumped up as Colin Chisholm belted out his 1986 version of the Hearts Song but for the atmospheric nature off it, on the pitch, a chess match looked to be playing out. McInnes had changed from his natural 4-4-2 to three at the back while Askou shifted left-back Longelo into a more advanced role, attackers like Elijah Just, Ibrahim Said and Maswanhise interchanging depending on the situation.

Both teams were looking for an added edge over each other as Hearts appeared happy for the Steelmen to play their possession-heavy brand of football up until the halfway line Host pressure was growing and Ward slipping as he back-pedalded to collect the ball in his box brought gasps inside the stadium as he saved his skin. Blair Spittal’s free-kick routine would see him more than make up for it as he somehow clawed a goal-bound McEntee header from behind him out of danger. Said and Elliot Watt made Schwolow work with Motherwell’s first real chances as the game started to open up, with a dose of needle too, amid tempers simmering between players and the benches.

How did Hearts 3-1 Motherwell play out?

Cool heads were needed and the away team had plenty as they caught the league leaders napping a few minutes after the restart. Maswanhise found himself in plenty of space and his cross eventually found its way to Longelo, who had the easy task of netting, as nerves already present in the home stand jolted up a gear. News of Celtic’s lead was only adding to that and Motherwell knew how important a lead was to them too, as with Hibs losing at Aberdeen and down to 10 men, they were six points clear in the final European spot.

Titles are often won via battling through times of adversity and mental strength was needed here. Maswanhise’s shot narrowly missing the bottom corner didn’t help matters as Motherwell up the ante in search of doubling their lead. Craig Halkett went agonisingly close for Hearts as his close-range effort went over the bar, but parity would be restored soon after, when Stuart Findlay’s header back across goal after a Spittal corner was put beyond Ward by Braga.

This game had come alive and Maswanhise was head in his hands, after the forward decked a couple Hearts defenders, but could only drag his resulting effort wide. That would come back to bite Motherwell as VAR picked up a Stephen Welsh kick in the back of Pierre Landry Kabore’s head, and Shankland stepped up and netted the vital spot kick. Kabore then got one on his own to spark Gorgie chants of we shall not be moved, and given their ability to grind out points, who can blame them for thinking of the impossible. They’ve shown the stuff of champions and proved they’re ready to go the distance with their rivals in Glasgow.