Well, well: Hearts draw with ‘Well

By: Graham | January 13th, 2008

I felt we were on a bit of a hiding to nothing with this game: nobody in the world but Hearts fans wanted Motherwell to lose. And for most of us it was more a case of wanting to see a Hearts victory after so long than wishing any ill on the Steelmen. In the end, of course, sentiment got the best result.

At the start of the season, many would have felt a home tie against Motherwell as our first cup game a fairly tough but less than problematic fixture. Only a few weeks ago, we would have taken a 2-2 draw as a sign that we were getting back to where we should be. And that is how it turned out. Hearts definitely played with some of the pace and passion and - believe it or not - flowing skilful football that often seems to have been left behind at Riccarton come match days. Not that Motherwell held back on the skill front either. They just took a little longer to get going and Hearts took that opportunity to grab the lead through a neat Cesnauskis volley. It’s been a long while since his name has been announced as a scorer at Tynecastle. (No, I’m not going to look it up!) A half-time lead of 1-0 was probably fair.

The second half was more even right from the go and Hearts survived a couple of scares before Andrius Velicka rounded Smith to put us 2-0 up. It looked like the sequence of non-victories was coming to an end. But this Motherwell side have confidence and the skills to back it up. Ross McCormack, in particular, was giving the Hearts defence more and more bother as the game hit the hour mark. Whether it was fatigue or just nerves, Hearts began to look frail at the back when they had been solid for most of the game. Two goals from Porter in the next fourteen minutes and it was 2-2.

The last ten minutes saw both teams go all out for a winner and there were chances at both ends. The crowd was actually at its quietest now, with the tension palpable. The final whistle brought was greeted by noise that was probably a great release of held breath. A fair result? Yes. Disappointing to see Hearts play so well for most of the game and not snatch that elusive victory but Motherwell are a quality side. If we beat them down at Fir Park that will be a real achievement but if we can maintain this level for the next series of league games - and where better to start than against a faltering Hibs next week? - then we should start moving quickly back up the table.

It ‘s hard to see how the replay will be able to match this for skill and intensity. The special circumstances, the contribution from the fans - especially the 3,500 who came through to support Motherwell - and pitch conditions made for a one-off atmosphere. The next game will be a more tense affair, I think. Like two teams playing with hangovers, perhaps. But hey, I’ve been wrong before. No, really.