Kingston sets Hearts racing to victory

Ewan Murray at Fir Park
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

In displaying the team spirit and togetherness which have been so sadly lacking in recent weeks, Hearts last night recorded their first league win of the new season.

It was far from pretty - Hearts adopted a siege mentality in their own penalty area for long spells - but the Edinburgh side will be grateful for small mercies.

Hearts were buoyed by last week's League Cup victory over Stirling Albion. Yet even then, the Tynecastle team had been largely unconvincing and it would have been a pleasant surprise to their fans that the 4-5-1 formation, with which Hearts have struggled so badly, was replaced by 4-4-2 here.

The switch brought early success, the visiting debutant Christian Nadé flicking into the path of Laryea Kingston, who fired Hearts in front halfway through the opening period. The low finish provided Kingston's second goal in as many games and a further illustration of why the diminutive Ghanaian midfielder has attracted admiring glances from England.

Motherwell could consider themselves unfortunate to be behind at the interval, Ibrahim Tall having desperately blocked shots from Steven McGarry and Keith Lasley, while Phil O'Donnell had stumbled over the ball when it appeared easier to score from close range. Hearts, in turn, had an apparently reasonable penalty claim denied as David Clarkson was bundled over by Andrius Ksanivicius.

The visitors had an even stronger spotkick appeal denied seconds into the second half as Phil O'Donnell was late with his tackle on Calum Elliot.

Motherwell pressed for an equaliser thereafter, but the Hearts defence, superbly marshalled by Christophe Berra, were diligent. Ross McCormack came closest for Mark McGhee's men, his 25-yard free-kick sliding inches wide.

Andrius Velicka showed no mercy, clipping the ball beyond Graham Smith after a pass from the outstanding Kingston in stoppage time.