Hearts 6 Motherwell 0

Hearts moved to within three points of second-placed Aberdeen in impressive style with a 6-0 thrashing of Motherwell in their Premiership clash at Tynecastle. In a first half of power, pace and no little skill the Gorgie side took complete control through an Igor Rossi header, a strike from Osman Sow and a Gavin Reilly penalty. Right-back Callum Paterson made it 4-0 in the 77th minute before substitute Juanma Delgado added a fifth with four minutes remaining and Arnaud Djoum hammered in number six from the penalty spot in added time. Motherwell missed several chances in their first defeat in seven matches but ultimately had no answer to a superior and purposeful Hearts side who have lost only one of their last 11 matches as they chase down the Dons, who face Ross County in Dingwall on Sunday. Aside from a long-range drive in the third minute from Paterson which sped wide, there was little real action until the home side took the lead in the 11th minute. However, after Rossi headed in a Billy King corner - the linesman determining the ball had crossed the line before Well left-back Joe Chalmers managed to clear it - Hearts dominated. The Steelmen did have a chance to level when striker Louis Moult played in Lionel Ainsworth but his angled drive from 14 yards was saved by Jambos keeper Neil Alexander. In the 16th minute, as Hearts swept forward again, Sow picked up the ball 20 yards out and drilled a shot low past the flailing Well keeper Connor Ripley. The Fir Park men could not muster a response and Ripley escaped with only a yellow card from referee Kevin Clancy when he pulled down Reilly in the penalty to prevent the Gorgie striker rounding him to score. However, Reilly was happy enough to pick himself up and hammer the resultant spot-kick into the net. The hosts went looking for more and in the 34th minute Sow had the ball in the net but was ruled offside from Reilly's header, before Ripley made a fine save from Prince Buaben's 22-yard drive which was heading for the top corner. Understandably, the early stages of the second half saw a drop in tempo from Hearts as they soaked up some Motherwell pressure in which Moult and midfielder Stephen Pearson missed the target with efforts. In the 70th minute it looked like Hearts had another good penalty claim when a thunderous shot from King appeared to be blocked by the hand of Well skipper Stephen McManus, but it was ignored by Clancy. Motherwell striker Scott McDonald missed with a close-range header before Well substitute Wes Fletcher could only earn a corner when he ought to have scored with only Alexander to beat. Moments later Fletcher watched along with the rest of his team-mates when Paterson showed how it should be done when he took a pass from substitute Dario Zanatta and fired low past Ripley from 16 yards. The home side were not yet finished, though. Juanma took a pass from Djoum, turned and shot low past Ripley and then Djoum drove in number six from the spot after he had been tripped by Motherwell replacement David Clarkson. In the final seconds of three added minutes, Juanma had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside, saving the bedraggled visitors further embarrassment.