Neilson still wants more from Hearts
2 0
HEARTS extended their lead in third place of the cinch Premiership table with a 2-0 victory over Motherwell.
The comfortable win came thanks to a first-half strike from Andy Halliday and a tapin on 57 minutes from Everton loanee Ellis Simms, his first for the club. The defeat leaves the Steelmen without a win in four.
Despite the result, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson wasn’t exactly overwhelmed with the performance.
“We still have to play better,” said Neilson. “We didn’t control the game that well.
“Credit to Motherwell, they make it like that. They get bodies around the ball, they play direct knock-downs, but we need to show a bit more composure.”
Within two minutes off kickoff referee Craig Napier was reaching into his pocket to book Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly for throwing the ball away after disagreeing with a passback decision. Hearts failed to take any advantage from the subsequent indirect free-kick.
The away side edged the early stages in terms of chances, with Kevin van Veen shooting low and just wide on 11 minutes after Cammy Devlin was robbed in the centre of the park.
Hearts began to settle in possession and it wasn’t long until the chances followed, with Halliday heading a Nathan Atkinson cross straight at Kelly and Ellis Simms failing to make the most of two chances after being sent down the channel.
By this point Motherwell boss Alexander had lost Barry Maguire to injury and replaced him with Sean Goss but within a few minutes of his introduction his side were behind. A Hearts attack broke down but Liam Boyce applied pressure in the opposition box and the ball spun to Devlin. The Australian remained calm to bide his time before feeding Halliday for a low finish.
On the stroke of half-time Mothwerwell spurned an excellent opportunity to level when Van Veen put a free header wide when he, again, should have at least worked the goalkeeper.
Hearts made a change of their own at half-time when Toby Sibbick – returning for a second spell at the club – replaced John Souttar. Neilson confirmed after the match that the defender had taken a knock in the first half.
It did nothing to disrupt the backline as the former Barnsley man slipped in seamlessly and Motherwell were kept at bay. At the other end there were chances wasted by Gary MackaySteven and Halliday before Simms popped up to score his first goal for Hearts.
Motherwell’s Shaw was dispossessed in midfield before Devlin slipped in Boyce down the right – he fired low across the goal for the big striker to tap in.
With Boyce struggling for fitness at points this season, Hearts have lacked an adequate replacement. On this evidence, the towering 21-year-old is exactly what they’ve been missing – a goal threat who is also a physical presence.
“The clinical side of Hearts, particularly in those two attacks, was the difference in the result,” said Alexander. “I thought over the whole game we played some really good stuff.”