Hearts' drab domestic form came to an abrupt end on Sunday afternoon with a captivating 3-0 win at Motherwell on an impressive day for Robbie Neilson and his resurgent side.
Having won 2-0 against Latvian outfit RFS in the Europa Conference League in midweek, the Edinburgh-based outfit travelled to Fir Park in the hope of banishing their poor form in the homeland. Three losses in their previous four games including being knocked out of the League Cup gave fans something to worry about, especially against a Motherwell side who had lost just one of their last four.
But a strike from Lawrence Shankland and a double from Alan Forrest - who has three in his last two - either side of half-time were enough to give them a much-needed boost in the Premiership which mirrored their strong start. Having won seven points from a possible nine at the beginning of the campaign, a slump was the last thing they needed. And with Motherwell wasteful in front of goal, a win catapulted the visitors to third in the league and just five points from the summit as we head into an international break.
