Hearts 1 Motherwell 0

The Scottish Premier League game between Hearts and Motherwell at Tynecastle Stadium on Wednesday Dec 30.

Hearts moved into fifth place in the Scottish Premier League with this narrow and hard-fought victory, leapfrogging Motherwellin the process.

Motherwell's stop-gap managerial pairing of Craig Brown and Archie Knox made it known they would like to be appointed on a full-time basis before they took their place alongside youth team coach Gordon Young in the technical area.

It was the first time that Brown had experienced hands-on involvement since his Preston North End side lost at Brighton on August 28, 2004, yet the trademark passion and enthusiasm were evident as he coaxed and cajoled the visitors.

The travelling support appeared to be coping with their grief over the departure of their previous manager, as chants of "Who the **** is Jim Gannon?" would suggest.

Motherwell should have been ahead in the third minute when, with goalkeeper Marian Kello inexplicably coming for a cross which was never his, Marius Zaliukas headed weakly to Jim O'Brien.

The winger, a target for former manager Mark McGhee at Aberdeen, had the goal at his mercy but failed to gain full purchase on his shot from 18 yards and Kello was able to race back and claw the ball off his goal-line.

O'Brien almost made amends shortly afterwards with an inviting cross which the inrushing Lukas Jutkiewicz was a fraction of a second away from converting.

It took Hearts a while to gain a foothold in the match, although their attempts to stablish a rhythm weren't helped by the early withdrawal of Jamie Mole with a calf injury.

However, it was his replacement, Christian Nade, who helped engineer the opening which led to the breakthrough six minutes from the interval.

More renowned for his strength than his mobility, the Frenchman utilised his impressive physique to hold off two Motherwell defenders and draw John Ruddy from his line before cutting the ball back for Michael Stewart to sidefoot home his sixth goal of the season from 12 yards.

The visitors haven't found goals easy to come by in recent weeks and they squandered another glorious opportunity two minutes after the restart.

Kello unaccountably elected to dribble the ball outside his penalty area and was robbed by Jamie Murphy. His cross found Ross Forbes unmarked and 18 yards out but, with time to take a touch, he rushed his shot and sent the ball over the gaping goal.

It was Nade who was proving to exert the biggest influence on proceedings, though, and Suso Santana ought to have done better than volley wildly over from three yards after being picked out by the striker's pinpoint delivery.

Motherwell's profligacy continued in the 62nd minute when substitute John Sutton laid one on a plate for Jutkiewicz eight yards out. Unfortunately for the Everton forward, whose loan period expires next week, he scuffed his shot and Kello turned it behind for a corner.

The visitors continued to press but Hearts held on for a vital victory ahead of Sunday's Edinburgh derby.