Source: Team_Talk
Jefferies slams 'unacceptable' display
Jim Jefferies warned his players they have three games to prove they deserve to stay at Hearts following the 2-0 home defeat by Motherwell.[LNB] Two goals in the final four minutes of the first half gave Motherwell a deserved win to put them seven points above their hosts in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.[LNB]Teenage defender Steven Saunders scrambled his first career goal following Stevie Hammell's corner before John Sutton got ahead of Marius Zaliukas to help home Tom Hateley's free-kick.[LNB]Well created many more decent chances as they ended their four-match losing streak in style to boost their European hopes and all but end Hearts' prospects.[LNB]Jefferies declared himself "raging" after his side failed to match Motherwell in most departments and the Tynecastle boss, who arrived back at the club in January, warned there could be consequences for the team.[LNB]"I learned more about the players today than I have since I came back," said Jefferies.[LNB]"We were playing a team that's in the top half, who have not got the resources we have, and they outplayed us. That's twice they have done it to us in the last few weeks.[LNB]"I have told them what's expected here. If they want to be part of it, the games are running out. If they don't, then they will find themselves out of things."[LNB]Jefferies, who revealed the "outstanding" Lee Wallace was one of very few players to have done himself justice, added: "I've not made any decisions, but I learned a hell of a lot about certain individuals. In a big game like this we didn't perform.[LNB]"I said all last week this was a big game. We were playing a good side who didn't deserve to be on a losing run of four games.[LNB]"They came here and applied themselves the right way and played some good stuff and got a little help from our defending and they deserved their win because they wanted it more than us, and that's the bit that's not acceptable."[LNB]Captain Michael Stewart, one of several players who are out of contract in the summer, was taken off at half-time in his first start in almost two months following a hamstring injury.[LNB]"He has been out with injury and he came back and trained well this week, but he looked like he couldn't get near people, so whether or not he was still feeling the effects I don't know," Jefferies said.[LNB]Motherwell could have added to their lead in the second half and referee Brian Winters is understood to have apologised after the match for wrongly penalising Jim O'Brien for handball as the winger bore down on goal after the ball hit his face when Marius Zaliukas tried to clear.[LNB]The visiting players enjoyed lengthy celebrations in front of their fans and Sutton is desperate to give them another season of European football.[LNB]The striker, who insisted the second goal was his and not a Zaliukas own goal, said: "We know it's going to be difficult, we have got Hibs at Fir Park and that will be a make-or-break game for us.[LNB]"It would be nice for the fans because when you speak to them, they always talk about European football and trips to Bucharest or Nancy. So that would be fantastic."
