Motherwell hold up title charge as Hearts miss chance to close in on historic triumph

Motherwell 1 Hearts 1   

The anger over referee Steven McLean’s refusal to give a second-half penalty for a Tawanda Maswanhise trip on substitute Alexandros Kyziridis after going to the VAR monitor is likely to take some time to subside.

Ominous-looking injuries to Marc Leonard and Craig Halkett may also constitute an even longer-lasting hangover from this pulsating draw at Fir Park.

Hearts still have it all to play for, of course. It is all in their own hands. This hard-earned result — secured by a Lawrence Shankland equaliser after a Stephen Kingsley own goal — means they are four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table right now with it being anyone’s guess in this nutty campaign how things will stand after Sunday’s derby at Parkhead.

One thing looks certain, though. The Jam Tarts are going to have to prove boss Derek McInnes right in backing their bottle and their appetite for the big occasions to force it across the line from here.

With figures as influential as Halkett and Leonard looking as though they are heading for the treatment table, even Wednesday’s must-win visit of Falkirk becomes an exercise in anxiety.

Certainly, McInnes will hope for more incisive, penetrating forward play than witnessed from his players in the second period of this match after getting themselves back into it.

Hearts are still favourites for a first crown since 1960. They have to be. However, there’s no denying that dropping these points to a Motherwell side still battling hard to hold on to fourth place has only heightened what was already quite suffocating degrees of pressure as well as adding to the casualty list.

Emmanuel Longelo celebrates after putting Motherwell ahead against Hearts

They need to rediscover the killer instinct against the Bairns and sharpen their teeth should it all boil down to a final-day decider at Celtic Park.

The build-up to the action was just terrific. So fitting for a match of such magnitude, with Hearts scarves twirling in the away end as the teams took the field and the other three stands decorated with a striking tifo in honour of 140 years of the home side.

As for the noise levels? Delightfully deafening — with an Alexander Schwolow save from a Callum Slattery header after 40 seconds keeping the cauldron bubbling.

McInnes dropped Alexandros Kyziridis and Islam Chesnokov from the side that started the 2-1 home win over Rangers, with Blair Spittal and Jordi Altena coming in, but he opted to go with a flat back four rather than stick with the three that saw out last Monday’s crucial triumph.

Within five minutes, it looked like his men were about to grab a priceless lead. A nice move involving Kingsley and Spittal saw Altena pick up on the right of the area and release a powerful low shot.

Goalkeeper Calum Ward could only palm the ball into the path of Shankland and the travelling fans at the other end of the park prepared to explode in ecstasy. That’s when home full-back Stephen O’Donnell intervened.

Stephen O’Donnell blocks Lawrence Shankland’s goal-bound effort in the first half

His last-gasp block to divert Shankland’s goal-bound effort wide was a fantastic piece of defending. Why the Hearts skipper didn’t blast it home, though, remains a mystery.

Neither manager would have been happy with the number of turnovers in those early stages, but it set the scene for a captivating, nerve-jangling watch — with the stakes being raised even higher on 26 minutes with Motherwell’s opening goal.

Fair play to Maswanhise in the first instance. Elliot Watt played a clever ball behind the Hearts backline and the Zimbabwean delivered a super backheel out on the far-left touchline that put Emmanuel Longelo in a promising position.

With Hearts chasing back desperately and trying to reorganise, he cut inside past Michael Steinwender and fired a dangerous low ball into the six-yard box that Kingsley simply couldn’t prevent cannoning into his own net off the lower part of the leg under pressure from Ibrahim Said.

The goal seemed to take the wind from Hearts’ sails. Motherwell had been allowing them to keep the ball, dropping deep and making it tough to create. It took the Jam Tarts time to recover and reset.

Manager Derek McInnes salutes the travelling Hearts fans at full-time at Fir Park

However, Shankland is their real go-to guy and he got them back level two minutes before the break.

A promising move looked like breaking down inside the area amid a ruck of claret-and-amber shirts, but Beni Baningime managed to force the ball out left to Kingsley and his deep cross found Steinwender on the far side, who let it take a bounce before rifling in a terrific drive.

Ward parried the ball straight to Shankland in front of the target and he made no mistake this time with a good touch to control the ball and an emphatic finish.

There was a check by VAR Greg Aitken for a Shankland dunt on Stephen Welsh, who went to ground, but the goal was given by Steven McLean after a short delay and the away end was rocking again.

Hearts then screamed for a spot-kick in time added-on at the end of the first 45 when the ball appeared to strike Longelo’s outstretched arm inside the area, but they got no joy and suffered a further blow just before the whistle when midfielder Leonard limped off after a challenge with Elijah Just.

That paved the way for Kyziridis to enter the fray for the second period with Altena moving into a more central position as the Jam Tarts fired towards their 4500-strong following, but it took an offside flag to save their bacon eight minutes in when O’Donnell was adjudged to have stepped into an illegal position ahead of forcing home a sclaffed shot from Said.

Lawrence Shankland celebrates after equalising against Motherwell at Fir Park

With tensions rising, Hearts centre-back Halkett went down midway inside the home just after the hour mark after playing a pass — appearing to hold his calf — and was taken off on a stretcher to be replaced by Frankie Kent.

Kyziridis then went down under a challenge in the area from Maswanhise, lying flat on the ground for some moments as play raged on, but referee McLean went to the monitor to review the VAR footage and opted not to give a penalty despite it looking as though the Greek winger was clipped.

McInnes was booked in the aftermath. Pierre Landry Kabore came on for the off-form Claudio Braga and forced a save from Ward before Kyziridis put a header wide from a great position.

In a frantic finish, Motherwell felt they should have had a penalty when Maswanhise went down in the area. The officials weren’t interested, though.

Hearts got something from the game in the end. And they’re still in the box seat.