Motherwell Under 20s edged out Hearts 3-2 in a barnstorming encounter at the Excelsior Stadium this evening.
In what was their first match back in action of the winter break, goals from Dale Shirkie and a Craig Moore double secured all three points.
But that only tells half the story in what was an end-to-end encounter, with both teams taking credit for what was an excellent game of football.
Jonatan Johansson made two changes to the side that drew with Hamilton Accies back on December 17th at New Douglas Park.
Adam Cummins, who will spend the rest of the season on loan at Dundee, and Jack Leitch missed out, replaced in the starting eleven by David Ferguson and Craig McCall, making his first start at Under 20s.
In contrast to the rest of the evening, it was a fairly slow start to proceedings; a Euan Murray header flashed wide following a Craig Moore corner was the only noteworthy action in the first part of the match.
The match finally exploded to life on fifteen minutes when Moore raced clear on goal only to smash a half volley inches wide of the post.
However, he wouldn’t be denied two minutes later when he put ‘Well ahead. Lovely interplay between Ferguson, Shirkie and Dom Thomas presented the chance for Steelmen’s top scorer, and he finished off neatly with a curling effort high into the top corner.
Hearts wasted little time in the search for an equaliser, and could and perhaps should have had it within sixty seconds, but Buchanan failed to capitalize on some indecision in the home defence when he dragged his shot wide.
It was real end-to-end stuff by this point, Paul McCafferty forced a good one-handed save from Mark Ridgers and Liam Gordon came close with a shot that dropped just wide from a corner.
Hearts’ Robbie Buchanan and Sam Nicholson followed those chances with shots saved by Ross Stewart.
In reply, Moore got in behind the visitors backline again but the stubborn Ridgers turned his left-footed effort out for a corner.
With nine minutes left of the half, Hearts got themselves level. They won a corner after Stewart had again saved well at the feet of Buchanan. When it was eventually taken, Nicholson picked out Gordon at the far post and he rose unopposed to head home from eight yards.
Before the interval, Dom Thomas fired a shot straight at Ridgers and, for Hearts, Nicholson drilled a low shot inches wide of the right hand upright.
The Jambos started the second half on the front foot and Billy King fired a shot over the bar inside three minutes.
Gary Oliver had a low bouncing effort held by Stewart before the ‘Well stopper again had to look smart to save from the striker after an excellent turn in the box.
From the resulting corner, Hearts came within an inch of taking the lead, but could only watch on as Nicholson’s drilled effort cannoned off the crossbar.
It was to prove a vital break as Motherwell raced into a 3-1 lead with two goals in two minutes.
Dale Shirkie got the first, pouncing on slack defending from a corner kick to drill home from close range before Moore, almost immediately from the restart, found himself in again to coolly slot high past Ridgers for his fourteenth goal of the campaign.
Incredibly, Hearts reduced the arrears almost straight away, hitting back within 45 seconds.
Oliver’s shot was deflected into the path of Nicholson. He cut inside two markers before curling a terrific effort into the top right hand corner with Stewart at full stretch.
You barely had time to draw breath before Hearts had another chance to level. Nicholson again was the man causing problems, but his shot hit the side netting much to the relief of everyone in Claret and Amber.
Two minutes later, Billy King brought out another good stop from Stewart with a curling free kick that had to be tipped around the post for a corner.
‘Well managed to weather the maroon storm and gradually settled things down.
Thomas could have made it 4-2, but blazed high over the bar, before a super one-touch passing move almost had Shirkie in but Ridgers was out quickly to make the stop.
It would be Shirkie’s last action of the match though. A sickening clash of heads with Billy King would end his evening; a trip to the hospital would confirm a fractured cheekbone.
His replacement, Dylan Mackin, was in the thick of it almost straight away and he almost teed up Moore for his hat trick with a neat cutback, only for the striker’s turn-and-shot to be brilliantly saved by Ridgers.
Hearts chased a late leveler, but the best they could muster was a low shot from Oliver that was comfortably held by Stewart at his near post.
After six minutes of stoppage time, the game finally ended with ‘Well kicking off the second half of the campaign with a good win.
Motherwell: Cadden, Ferguson, Murray, Neill, McCall (Anderson – 69mins), McCafferty, Shirkie (Mackin – 75mins), Moore, Thomas, Higgins
Subs Not Used: Currie, Hall
