Robbie Neilson expresses sympathy for Mark McGhee after 6-0 defeat

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson expressed some sympathy for Motherwell boss Mark McGhee after the 6-0 Premiership win over the disjointed Steelmen at Tynecastle.

The Fir Park side were without suspended skipper Keith Lasley and fellow midfielder Liam Grimshaw who departed following his loan spell from Manchester United.

McGhee moved defender Josh Law into midfield and left-back Steven Hammell to right-back to bring in left-back Joe Chalmers and midfielder Lionel Ainsworth but after 22 minutes they were 3-0 down to goals from Igor Rossi, Osman Sow and a Gavin Reilly penalty.

Right-back Callum Paterson made it four with a drive in the 77th minute before substitute Juanma Delgado, on for Sow in the second-half, made it 5-0 with four minutes remaining and Arnaud Djoum hammered in number six from the spot in added time to take the home side to within three points of second-placed Aberdeen, who play at Ross County on Sunday.

Neilson was pleased with the application of his side following the 1-0 home William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round win over the Dons last week but spared a thought for McGhee.

He said: I felt a wee bit for Mark as he lost Lasley to suspension and Grimshaw, one of their best players this season, got sent back so they had a void that they had to try to fill and we managed to expose it a wee bit.

Coming off the Aberdeen game, such a high-profile game, there was a worry that we wouldn't start the same way as we left off last week.

The players did. We started the first 10 or 15 minutes positive, getting in behind people and causing them problems and that won us the game.

After 22 minutes we were 3-0 up but you are always worried if they get a goal.

I heard Mark saying that if they can get a goal then it gives them something to chase in the second-half but we managed to be the ones who scored in the second-half and it was a convincing win.''

McGhee insists the disruption to his selection was part of the reason for his side's defeat - their first in seven matches - but was impressed by Hearts.

He said: It (reshuffle) was part of it. I didn't really have any choice. We asked Josh Law to play in the middle of the park, and Pearo (Stephen Pearson) was asked to play almost as a sitting playmaker and he is not that but we had no choice so that possibly affected us.

I was disappointed obviously, I think we were a pale imitation of what we have been.

I don't think we were at it anywhere, all over the park they were quicker to the ball, better in possession and obviously in finishing, everything about them was better than us.

It wasn't us at our best playing Hearts at their best, it was Hearts at their best playing us who were a poor imitation of what we were capable of. But Hearts were excellent.''