Team news

McCall plays down Champions League `nonsense' Motherwell manager Stuart McCall has played down the possibility of Champions League football at Fir Park for the first time next season.

The Lanarkshire club are third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League behind Celtic and Rangers and harbouring hopes of a Europa League spot.

However, the Ibrox club went into administration on Tuesday and they face a race to meet certain financial criteria by March 31 in order to gain a European licence.

Failure to do so is likely to mean that a third-place finish in the SPL would bring with it a Champions League qualifying place.

However, ahead of tomorrow's home clash with fourth-placed Hearts, who trail Well by six points, McCall said: "If it did, it did. We don't think too much on that.

"We can only do what we can on the park.

"We could be 12 points clear of Hearts next Thursday morning or three points clear, following our game in hand over Hibs next Wednesday night.

"If we could take maximum points in the next two games, we would be looking strong in third.

"What finishing third brings at the end of the season, we would have to wait and see.

"But we are not getting carried away with all this Champions League nonsense, if you like, because nobody knows what is going to happen.

"All we have to focus on is what is happening on the park and we have a huge game on Saturday, the biggest of our season.

"If we can manage to win that would put us nine points clear of them." Asked if the automatic 10-point deduction suffered by Rangers, which leaves Ally McCoist's men trailing Celtic by 14 points, has ruined the traditional two-horse title race in Scotland, the former Rangers midfielder said: "I think so.

"Many people outside Ibrox would have said Celtic were looking strong favourites albeit there was only four points in it.

"Celtic have an outstanding winning run of 14, 15, 16 games or whatever it is now, which is a great credit to the manager and players who turned it round remarkably.

"But when there is four points in it you never know.

"Now there is 14 and without a doubt the title is over with, Celtic have wrapped that up, obviously their aim will be to go on and win the treble." Well have no fresh injury worries. Defender Steven Saunders remains out with an Achilles injury while reserve goalkeeper Lee Hollis is still sidelined with a hip injury.

Hearts manager Paulo Sergio insists that a top-four finish would be a great result for the club.

After fighting financial problems for the majority of the campaign, Sergio believes competing in the upper reaches of the table is an achievement.

"We have fought our problems and did what we have to do, nobody can ask for Hearts to be second or third place this season after what has gone on this season," said Sergio.

"I think if we achieve third or fourth place this season, it will have been a great result after a hard season.

"During the transfer window we lost three big players in Ryan Stevenson, John Sutton and Eggert Jonsson, so it has been difficult.

"We recognise the good job that Stuart McCall is doing at Motherwell, they are a very strong side with good organisation, but I believe we can beat them on Saturday." In the week Rangers entered administration, there have also been financial developments at Hearts.

The club settled their outstanding tax bill and all players received their February salaries on time.

Sergio admits while the news has come as a lift, he takes no pleasure in seeing a rival club experience difficulties.

"I always said that I trusted the board was working hard to resolve the very hard period that the club are now leaving," said Sergio.

"We have been paid on time and are all very happy about that.

"I believe that Scottish football needs a strong Rangers. In football as in life sometimes people are in trouble, but a big institution like Rangers will solve their problems.

"I am not going to be happy because there is a problem in the houses of other teams. If I have problems, I will take them on fighting and I am sure that's what everyone there will do." David Templeton could return to the Hearts starting 11 to face Motherwell after recovering from a groin injury, however Suso Santana is a doubt after sustaining a knock in training.

Sergio refused to be drawn on the addition of Craig Beattie to the Hearts squad, although the free agent has turned down a move to Kilmarnock and is believed to be heading to Tynecastle for talks.

"Craig Beattie is not my player, if he was to join then we will talk about it then," Sergio said.

Motherwell vs Hearts

Last modified 17:32 18/02/12

Well close gap on Gers Motherwell closed the gap on second-placed Rangers in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with a convincing 3-0 win over Hearts at Fir Park.

Keith Lasley's deflected shot off Hearts defender Andy Webster and a Jamie Murphy header gave the Steelmen the interval advantage.

Home skipper Lasley was sent off five minutes after the break for a second yellow card, both of which were for fouls on midfielder Ian Black.

Motherwell shrugged off the numerical disadvantage and midfielder Nicky Law finished off a fine move in the 65th minute by driving past Jamie MacDonald to seal the win which became more significant with the news from Ibrox.

Rangers' 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock means Motherwell moved to six points behind the champions - this week deducted 10 points for entering administration - with a game in hand which promises an interesting battle ahead.

Defender Tom Hateley shrugged off an illness to take his place in an unchanged home side.

Hearts made four changes, with Ryan McGowan, Ian Black, David Templeton and Andrew Driver coming in for suspended Jamie Hamill and Mehdi Taouil, Scott Robinson, and Rudi Skacel, who all dropped to the bench.

Motherwell took the early initiative but Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald put his own side under pressure in the fourth minute when he spilled a rather ordinary-looking Hateley cross from the right.

However, MacDonald made amends instantly by saving Henrik Ojamaa's low drive from the loose ball before making another block from Steve Jennings' effort.

The visitors edged their way back into a game but it turned into a scrappy midfield battle with neither goalkeeper seeing much action in the opening quarter.

In the 24th minute Lasley was booked for a heavy challenge on Black which gave both sets of fans something to shout about.

Templeton fired over the bar from 25 yards in the 31st minute, seconds before Ojamaa drove a great ball across the Hearts goal at the other end from the right side of the box, only to find no takers.

The match was warming up, though.

McGowan went close four minutes later when he forced his way past Tim Clancy and into the Motherwell box but his angled drive sped past the far post.

The game sparked into life in the 37th minute when Motherwell made the breakthrough.

The Hearts defence failed to properly clear Hateley's corner from the left and MacDonald was forced to make a good save from Murphy's close-range drive after the ball fell to his feet.

However, the ball rebounded out to Lasley and he fired it straight back in at goal where it appeared to come off Webster before hitting the back of the net.

In the 41st minute, following a good passage of play by the home side, Murphy headed Lasley's cross in off the crossbar and a game that was going nowhere at one point was firmly in the hands of the Steelmen.

Robinson replaced Driver for the start of the second half which began with Webster making a mistake inside his own box, allowing Ojamaa a chance to make it 3-0, but again MacDonald came to the rescue with a good block before Law knocked the rebound over the bar.

The match took another twist in the 51st minute when Lasley was shown a second yellow card and dismissed by referee Alan Muir for another foul on Black, leaving the home side down to 10 men and their supporters incensed.

However, it was the home side who threatened a few minutes later when Law chipped just over the bar from 25 yards after MacDonald was forced out to the left-hand side of his box to thwart Murphy, who had raced clear.

In the 55th minute Law went even closer with a fine strike from a similar position which crashed off the crossbar.

Black was then booked for a foul on Ojamaa which delighted the home fans who had more to celebrate moments later, in the 65th minute, when Law made it 3-0 with a well-worked goal.

Ojamaa went past several Hearts defenders before laying the ball off to Murphy who helped it on to the on-rushing Law and he cracked a low drive past MacDonald and in off a post.

Black was replaced by Taouil to the delight of the home fans who watched their side play at times as if they had the man advantage.

Hateley fired a free-kick from wide on the left inches over the bar in the 78th minute as the visitors slowly ran out of steam and belief.

In the 86th minute more good work from Ojamaa on the left ended when he fired the ball to the back post where striker Michael Higdon allowed it go under his foot with the goal gaping, although the flag might have been raised had he put the ball in the net.