Motherwell furthered their quest for a European place after a whirlwind start at Fir Park took them to a 3-1 win and moved them 11 points ahead of Hearts in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
Mark Reynolds nodded home inside two minutes and John Sutton finished off a smart move as the hosts threatened every time they went forward in the first quarter.
Jim O'Brien lashed home a third in the 69th minute and only a quickfire response from Hearts substitute David Templeton prevented Motherwell leapfrogging third-placed Dundee United on goal difference.
Hearts' defence, which again featured contract rebel Jose Goncalves, was punished for slack marking at a corner less than 75 seconds after kick-off. No Hearts player followed O'Brien as he collected Tom Hateley's short pass and the winger hung the ball up to the far post where Reynolds nodded home from close range.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 13th minute when more bright play cut Hearts open. Keith Lasley ran on to Hateley's lofted pass down the right channel and controlled the ball well before hooking it beyond the far post where the unmarked Sutton stroked home.
Sutton was soon inches off target with a header after Hearts again allowed Hateley to find O'Brien, this time from a quickly-taken free-kick, and Janos Balogh then got down to hold Lasley's effort after O'Brien had just missed Jamie Murphy's low cross on the counter-attack.
Hearts stemmed the tide but then made a poor start to the second half. Well continued to look comfortable, though, and Balogh pushed Murphy's shot past his near post following an O'Brien cross.
Hearts push up but were grateful for an offside flag in the 65th minute when Lukas Jutkiewicz slotted home the rebound after Murphy's strike from Stevie Hammell's low cross was parried.
There was no such reprieve three minutes later when O'Brien lashed high into the net after Jutkiewicz had just missed Murphy's driven cross at the near post.
Hearts replied 60 seconds later with their first shot on target when Templeton collected Suso Santana's cross before spinning and firing the ball into the top corner.
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