Maroon memories: Super subs make mark as Hearts do Well

It took a double substitution in the second half to put some fire into the Hearts at Tynecastle - and bring two goals in three minutes to send the fans home happy.

Motherwell fell behind to a John Colquhoun goal in just 19 minutes but then the action dried up .?.?. until the entrance of John Robertson and Andy Watson.

Hearts relied on the side which beat Dukla Prague in the UEFA Cup the previous midweek. Hearts forced the early pace and Colquhoun almost provided Wayne Foster with a good opening. In Motherwell's reply, Ian Jardine was fortunate that the referee didn't see him taking a kick at Henry Smith without making contact.

Sandy Clark's mastery in the air worried the Motherwell defenders but two free-kicks in quick succession did not benefit Hearts in any way.

Motherwell came more into the game thanks to mistakes at the back by Hearts but it was pretty poor entertainment for the fans, who made their feelings known.

Hearts hadn't settled at all but Colquhoun gave them the lead in 19 minutes with a goal which Motherwell protested bitterly about because they thought Clark was offside. Clark held the ball cleverly on the edge of the 18-yard line in yards of space until Colquhoun came up. His shot was cleared off the line by Kennedy but Colquhoun followed up to slot into the corner of the net.

It was certainly a controversial goal and Gardiner was lucky that his lengthy protests to the linesman did not attract the attention of the referee.

But going ahead put some life into Hearts, who might easily have added another goal or two in the succeeding play.

Motherwell were dangerous whenever they moved forward and they were always prepared to have a go.

Smith pulled off a fine save from Steve Kirk before Kennedy was booked for deliberate handling in 42 minutes.

Motherwell took up the running at the start of the second half without being able to bring Hearts keeper Smith into action. Both sides were guilty of too many blunders and neither team could hold the upper hand for any length of time.

Hearts had fallen away again, and once more the fans were unhappy at their failure to consolidate their position.

The supporters wanted Robertson on right away as a substitute - and that was not surprising considering how the game was going.

Motherwell had established some superiority in midfield, where Hearts could not get going at all.

But, in 58 minutes, Robertson and Watson came on for Kenny Black and Colquhoun - much to the delight of the home crowd.

Robertson quickly made his presence felt by earning a corner and Boyd cleared a Gary Mackay cross off the line with Gardiner beaten. Robertson hit the post before Motherwell substituted Murray for Reilly. The arrival of Hearts' two subs had certainly pepped the home team up, and it was Motherwell's turn to struggle.

Walker was booked for a foul on Craig Levein.

After Foster and Clark had shots blocked, Hearts increased their lead in 68 minutes when the ball bobbed up on the six-yard line from Foster's shot and Watson outjumped two defenders to beat Gardiner with a header.

And Hearts added a third goal in 73 minutes when Clark saw his mis-hit lob curl over Gardiner's head into the net. Two minutes later, Levein was booked for persistent fouling. Robertson then wrapped things up with Hearts' fourth two minutes from time.

Hearts: Smith, Kidd, Whittaker, S Jardine, Black, Levein, Colquhoun, I Jardine, Clark, Mackay, Foster. Subs: Watson, Robertson.

Motherwell: Gardiner, Wishart, Philliben, Kirk, Kennedy, Boyd, Farningham, Smith, Reilly, Wright, Walker. Subs: Murray, Gahagan.