Hearts put in a superb battling performance to win 2-0 at Motherwell on Sunday.
The Jambos beat both the Steelmen and the elements to pick up all three points at Fir Park thanks to goals from Claudio Braga and Calvin Miller.
Head Coach Wouter Vrancken made three changes from the side that ran Trabzonspor close in midweek UEFA Conference League action. Stephen Kingsley, Josh McPake and Saba Kerjota all came in, with Miller and Sabri Guendouz moving to the bench while Christian Borchgrevink missed out through injury.
There was a hairy moment only four minutes in when Jordi Altena hammered a backpass towards Beau Reus who was unbale to get it under control and Seb palmer-Houlden burst through to get a shot away but could only find the side net.
Hearts looked to get forward early on but it was the hosts who got another sight of goal, with Emanuel Longelo tearing down the flank to get into the box before firing straight at Reus.
Moments later a neat passing move saw Jordan McGhee sneaking round the back and into the six-yard box before seeing his effort pushed round the post by Reus.
The Jambos made their first real attack of the half count by taking the lead on the half hour mark. Kingsley lifted a ball into the box which Braga did well to take down before feeding Kerjota on the right, and he returned the favour by placing an inch perfect cross on the Portuguese’s head, and he expertly looped the ball over the keeper and into the opposite corner of the net.
Reus had to be alert soon after to maintain Hearts’ lead. Dylan Levitt carried the ball to the edge of the box before pulling off a left-foot shot but the Dutchman tipped it around the post.
Palmer-Houlden wasn’t far away from restoring parity with seven minutes of the half remaining, getting on the end of a corner to hook a shot back across himself and narrowly over the bar.
McPake’s low effort on target and Longelo’s corner directly hitting the outside of the post were the closest either side got in the opening stages of the second half, as both teams searched for the game’s crucial second goal.
Just after the hour mark Palmer-Houlden bound into the Hearts box before sending a shot across Reus but the big keeper got down to make a good block before diving to smother the loose ball.
Reus was then at his best to deny Motherwell an equaliser when substitute Eythor Bjørgolfsson met a hanging ball inside the Hearts box to nod goalwards, but the Jambos’ no.1 pulled off a great reaction save to push it away on his line.
With three minutes remaining the points were sealed. Stephen O’Donnell’s clearance went right to substitute Miller, who rifled a low effort from 18-yards bang into the bottom corner.
Kingsley nearly added the icing on the cake with moments remaining when he forced paulsen to tip a ferocious left-foot drive over the bar.
A fantastic three points following a testing week and the big games keep on coming, with Rangers next up at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday evening.
Motherwell: Paulsen, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann (Knight-Lebel, 60’), McGhee (Kanga, 64’), Sparrow (O’Donnell, 82’), Maswanhise, Said, Longelo, Palmer-Houlden (Bjørgolfsson, 64’), Levitt, Hodge.
Subs: Connelly, Wilson, Booth, Vogt.
Hearts: Reus, Kingsley, McCart, Braga (Williams, 88’), McPake, Wilson (Dhanda, 87’), Magnusson (Mendy, 64’), Altena, Kerjota (Miller, 64’), Fagan-Walcott, Mato.
Subs: Fulton, Kabore, Guendouz, Benjaminsen, Ba-Sy.
