Kettlewell is staking his claim
Interim boss does his prospects no harm as Hearts become latest team to fall at Fir Park
BEFORE kick-off, the latest demands of the Motherwell support were laid bare for all to see. ‘Fight for our pride, fight for claret and amber,’ urged the Well Bois group, via a banner hoisted in the noisiest corner of the East Stand at Fir Park.
A previous plea to ‘show some passion for the badge on your shirt’ had only resulted in a dismal Scottish Cup elimination at the hands of Championship side Raith Rovers which ended Steven Hammell’s time as manager.
Yesterday, however, the fans got all they asked — and more — amid a stirring, structured performance that will have done interim boss Stuart Kettlewell no harm at all as he bids to land the post on a permanent basis.
Grant McCann and Ian Holloway are also in the frame, but Kettlewell could have done little more to press his case during his short and successful spell in charge.
Before his temporary appointment, the Fir Park side hadn’t won at home in the Premiership since August.
After last Wednesday’s 2-1 win over St Mirren, this 2-0 triumph over third-placed Hearts sees the Steelmen six points clear of bottom place following a weekend when their three relegation rivals — Dundee United, Ross County and Kilmarnock — all lost. Crisis? What crisis?
Jon Obika was the man who set them on the road to these three precious points when he turned the ball home from close range before half-time.
Blair Spittal made certain of the win immediately after the break, reacting fastest to crack a loose ball into the empty Hearts net.
Throughout the match, Motherwell looked a different, more competitive animal than when Hammell was at the helm.
This was to prove a compelling contest but it began as a slow-burner.
Motherwell thought they should have had a penalty on the half- hour mark when Kevin van Veen tumbled under the close attentions of Robert Snodgrass. Referee Don Robertson disagreed and VAR backed the match official.
Hearts raced up the other end, with Snodgrass at the centre of a fine move.
The former Scotland star collected the ball on the left flank and looked up before sending a delicious delivery onto the head of skipper Lawrence Shankland. His header flew past Motherwell keeper Liam Kelly but struck a post before being booted to safety.
The match had finally burst into life, and Sean Goss thought he had broken the deadlock only for his 20-yard strike to be spectacularly saved by Zander Clark.
When the corner finally dropped back to Goss at the edge of the box, he tried his luck again. This time his shot found its way to Obika, who directed the ball home with his knees for his first Motherwell goal. Hearts claimed for offside but James Hill played him on.
Obika has a history of breaking Hearts. In 2020, his goal secured a 1-0 home win for St Mirren in the final match in the Premiership before the arrival of Covid.
That left the Tynecastle side bottom of the table and they were relegated — amid bitter acrimony — when the global pandemic duly curtailed the season.
As Robbie Neilson’s men tried to find parity here, Stephen Kingsley saw a 20-yard free-kick bounce off the top of the bar.
Motherwell were cheered off at half-time by fans — and their support would only get louder at the start of the second half.
Straight from kick-off, Obika played the ball to Van Veen on the left edge of the penalty box. The Dutchman’s cross was head-flicked by Spittal onto the post before the same man turned the loose ball into the net.
Had Spittal not put it away, Motherwell would surely have been awarded a penalty for Kingsley hauling down Dean Cornelius in the six-yard box.
Hearts tried to get back into the match but Kelly saved on the goal line after Toby Sibbick had met a flick-on by Hill.
By now, Neilson had seen enough and he made three changes. Off came Hill, Stephen Humphrys and Michael Smith and on went Nathaniel Atkinson, Alan Forrest and Garang Kuol.
Amid mildly farcical scenes, Alex Cochrane mistakenly thought he was being replaced as well and was saying his goodbyes to the fans until being informed otherwise by skipper Shankland.
It was just one of those days for a woefully off-form Tynecastle side, who are now just five points clear of fourth-placed Hibs.
A Hearts goal may well have tested the mettle of the Steelmen at that stage. The visitors claimed a penalty kick when Calum Butcher blocked a flick in the box by Shankland, but TV replays showed the ball had struck the Motherwell player on the chest.
Jorge Grant tried but failed to beat Kelly with his 20-yard effort.
Then Callum Slattery made a superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Hearts substitute Yutaro Oda pulling back a late goal.
It took a fine save from Clark to stop Dan Casey extending Motherwell’s lead as he followed in on a free-kick by Spittal.
The match ended with a series of standing ovations as a number of Motherwell players were replaced by Kettlewell as the game petered out.
By now, the corner housing the Well Bois was bouncing as the young ultras sang their club anthem Twist and Shout.
The roars became deafening when the final whistle called time on a welcome four-day period that has breathed new life into Motherwell’s relegation battle.
Whether it is enough to secure Kettlewell the manager’s post should become clear soon, despite the triumphant interim boss reporting no talks had been held post-match with the club’s hierarchy.
The verdict of long-suffering fans at full-time certainly suggested that the former Ross County boss would be a popular appointment in these parts right now.
MOTHERWELL (3-4-1-2): Kelly 7; McGinn 7, Butcher 7 (Mugabi 89), Casey 7; Johnston 7, Goss 7 (O’Donnell 83), Cornelius 7 (Crankshaw 80), Furlong 7; Spittal 7 (Danzaki 89); Obika 7, Van Veen 8. Subs not used: Oxborough, Aitchison, McKinstry, Tierney. Booked: Furlong.
HEARTS (3-4-2-1): Clark 7; Hill 5 (Atkinson 60), Sibbick 5, Cochrane 5 (Oda 78); Smith 5 (Forrest 60), Devlin 4 (Grant 46), Snodgrass 5, Kingsley 5; Humphrys 4 (Kuol 60), McKay 4; Shankland 5. Subs not used: Stewart, Kiomourtzoglou, Rowles, Halliday. Booked: Atkinson. Man of the match: Kevin van Veen. Referee: Don Robertson. Attendance: 6,450.