Musa Drammeh’s first half strike ensured Hearts kicked off 2025 with three points as the Jambos defeated Motherwell at Tynecastle Park.
Head coach Neil Critchley made two changes from the side that faced Ross County in Dingwall last time out as Cammy Devlin and Craig Halkett replaced Beni Baningime and Daniel Oyegoke.
It was a positive start from the men in maroon and they almost opened the scoring inside 60 seconds as James Penrice got to the byline down the left wing and delivered an inviting cross for Liam Boyce, but the striker couldn’t keep his header down.
It was one-way traffic in the early stages and after Spittal had a powerful, goal-bound effort blocked by a Well defender, the opening goal arrived in bizarre fashion on seven minutes.
Blair Spittal’s in-swinging corner from the left was missed by Aston Oxborough and after Musa Drammeh had forced the ball over the line, the goal was ruled out by referee Calum Scott for a foul on the Well stopper in the build-up. There didn’t appear to be much contact and after an on field review, the goal was awarded.
Drammeh was linking up well down the right with Adam Forrester and after the winger rolled his man, he was in on goal, but from an acute angle, saw his effort saved by Oxborough on 28 minutes.
The visitors were really struggling to offer anything in an attacking sense and after a good interception in the middle of the park, Devlin was next to sting the palms of Oxborough shortly after the half hour mark.
Half-time: Hearts 1-0 Motherwell
There was a triple change at the interval for the visitors as Stuart Kettlewell switched to a back four and introduced Sam Nicholson, Moses Ebiye and Davor Zdravkovski in an attempt to get back into the game.
It was the men in maroon who continued to create the better openings and the second goal was inches away from arriving seven minutes after the break when Spittal’s deep corner was kept alive by Craig Halkett, Oxborough could only palm the ball into the path of Kye Rowles, but the Aussie’s effort was blocked by a goal-saving intervention from Liam Gordon.
The crossbar denied Hearts just a minute later when Jorge Grant lined one up from distance and with Oxborough beaten, the crossbar came to the visitors’ rescue, with Boyce unfortunate on the rebound.
The chances kept coming for the Jambos to put the game to bed and Boyce came closest on the hour mark but he turned Penrice’s cross wide when on the stretch.
With Hearts’ lead remaining a slender one, Motherwell were always going to provide some nervy moments, the closest they came was when Andy Halliday curled a free kick into the arms of Craig Gordon on 67 minutes.
Wilson and Boyce continued to search for the goal that would’ve sealed the three points, but Oxborough continued to frustrate the men in maroon.
As the clock entered the final five minutes, Motherwell were pushing numbers forward, which left them exposed at the back and as substitute Kenneth Vargas broke upfield and when he teed up Grant, his effort was comfortable for Oxborough.
Hearts were almost punished for all those missed chances as Motherwell launched crosses into the box in the final stages and after denying Ebiye, Gordon pulled off a magnificent save to deny Jack Vale’s point blank header in stoppage time to ensure the three points stayed in Gorgie.
Hearts: Gordon (C), Halkett, Grant (Dhanda, 89), Devlin, Rowles, Spittal, Wilson (Vargas, 77), Boyce (Baningime, 77), Penrice, Forrester, Drammeh (Forrest, 88)
Subs: Clark, Oyegoke, Baningime, Forrest, Boateng, Dhanda, Neilson, Tait, Vargas
Motherwell: Oxborough, O’Donnell (C), Gordon, Sparrow (Zdravkovski, 46), Halliday (Kaleta, 75), Paton (Moses, 46), Casey, Blaney (Nicholson, 46), Wilson, Watt, Maswanhise (Vale, 74)
Subs: Hegyi, Balmer, Zdravkovski, McGinn, Nicholson, Kaleta, Koutroumbis, Moses, Vale
