Hearts won 3-0 against Motherwell as they mathematically secured their place in the Premiership.
Callum Slattery hit the bar in one opening for the visitors but it was Lawrence Shankland who would end away advances with a low finish. Slattery thought he had levelled but VAR intervened to rule out his low effort, as Hearts took control. Shankland got his second and Forrest fired in a couple minutes later to end the game as a contest. The Jambos sit seventh in the table and face St Johnstone midweek before ending the season away to Kilmarnock.
A win would secure safety for good but with an eight point gap over Ross County in 11th, it was all but in the bag. There was a shock in the line-up with back-up goalkeeper Ryan Fulton debuting, Craig Gordon dropping out of the team with a nerve injury affecting his shoulder and neck.
They were up against a side with little to lose in Motherwell, who had secured safety last weekend and also denied them a top six spot with a stuffy 0-0 draw last time out. It was much the same in this opening quarter and while both teams looked to have more intent about them, they kept bumping into each other all the same. Slattery almost provided the needed moment of quality as he rifled a shot off the bar from around 30 yards out.
Motherwell would have felt they had a level of control in the game but one long ball and Stephen O’Donnell misjudging it allowed Shankland to take a touch and bury past Aston Oxborough. Performance levels in a maroon capacity didn’t exactly surge after this and the Steelmen drew level at the break when a free kick wasn’t cleared and Slattery blasted home.
Dan Casey, however, was deemed to be interfering with play and the leveller was cut out. There was a nervy spilled shot to deal with but outside that, Hearts had full control of the second half, making it count with Penrice’s brilliant cross headed by Shankland beyond Oxborough. Deployed in the number nine role instead of number 10, it was a tour de force statement that said starting him as the main striker will unlock a barrell load of goals.
Forrest made sure of the points when he followed up Dhanda’s curling effort that Oxborough couldn’t parry far enough from danger. It was a professional performance from there and now in a competitive sense this season, finishing top of the bottom six will be the aim. Here’s how we rated the Hearts players.
1. Ryan Fulton - 7/10
Shock start for the keeper brought in as number three. Made an assists before he appeared to make a save, remarkably. Couple of good saves and outside one nervy moment, did very well considering lack of minutes. | SNS Group
2. Adam Forrester - 7/10
Motherwell's play largerly filtered through the middle as they were getting little joy out wide. That was in part thanks to Forrester's shrewd defensive work against Thompson and Seddon. | SNS Group
4. Craig Halkett - 7/10
Pacey Maswanhise was up against him but used experience well to keep the forward quiet. | SNS Group