Porter breaks Hearts

Jan 14 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

IT just had to be Chris Porter who got the goal in last weeks re-arranged league match.

The striker, who was talked up as a possible signing target by Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo pre-match, proved last Wednesday just why he will be the Fir Parkers most sought after player during the January transfer window.

The Englishmans powerful header after 11 minutes was the difference between the sides although the margin of victory did not tell the whole story of a match dominated by the home side for long periods.

It they wanted him before tonight then I would expect they would want him after tonight although maybe the price has gone up, McGhee brazenly announced after the game.

This was not a classic by any means but the result was one of the most significant of the season for the Steelmen.

They can now confidently target a top-six finish, given they are only three points off Hibernian, who are currently occupying sixth spot.

A European place still seems an unrealistic proposition although no such utterances will be heard around Fir Park.

What the past few months have shown is that, with a full complement of players at his disposal, McGhee has a side who are a match for anyone. The last three SPL fixtures prove this point.

But when more than three of his first picks are unavailable his small squad struggle to cope which is what makes last seasons achievement all the more remarkable, although McGhee would be the first to admit that the ability of his squad to stay clear of the treatment table was a big factor in their success.

Inevitably this knack was not going to last into the new term.

Judging by the impotency of Hearts as an attacking threat in this game, You could see why Porter has turned heads down Gorgie way as he headed in his eighth goal of the campaign.

In sharp contrast, the Tynecastle club have now gone more than seven hours of SPL action without scoring.

Even their highly rated attacking midfielder Andy Driver rarely got a sniff up against the ever-dependable Paul Quinn.

However, it was when Quinn was heading in the other direction on Wednesday that he provided the silver lining.

His neatly threaded pass to Stephen Hughes allowed the influential midfielder to dink a teasing chip to the far post that was met by the head of Porter for the only goal of the game.

Last Wednesday also showed why Jim OBrien was brought to the club despite much scepticism among the Fir Park faithful.

In signing the former Celtic player, McGhee was buying into the belief that he could mould this enigma into someone who appreciates his responsibilities both in attack and in defence - and it seems to be paying off.

There were opportunities for Motherwell to win this one by two or three goals, most notably when Lasley decided to pass the ball into no mans land when in space to slot the ball home in the second half.

But in the end Porters solitary strike was all that was needed to see off the strangely lethargic Jambos.

Motherwell: Smith, Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell, Klimpl, O'Brien (Murphy 87), Lasley, Hughes, Porter (Darren Smith 86), Clarkson.

Booked: Craigan.

Hearts: Balogh, Neilson, Berra, Zaliukas, Lee Wallace (Cesnauskis 73), Jonsson, Stewart, Palazuelos, Driver, Nade (Elliot 63), Obua (Glen 68).

Attendance: 4928