Substitute Claudio Braga scored a double as Hearts staged a dramatic comeback from three down to draw 3-3 at home to Motherwell in the William Hill Premiership.
Well dominated the first hour and Callum Slattery, Tawanda Maswanhise and Emmanuel Longelo all netted as they opened up a deserved three-goal lead to leave the Tynecastle crowd seething.
But Hearts, who had started the day top of the table after winning their opening two league matches, hit back through Harry Milne before Braga netted twice and then struck the woodwork in stoppage-time as Jens Berthel Askou’s Steelmen were held to a third-consecutive Premiership draw.
Hearts made three changes to the side that started the penalty shootout defeat at St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup as Michael Steinwender, James Wilson and Alan Forrest replaced Frankie Kent, Tomas Magnusson and Alexandros Kyziridis.
There were two changes to the Well side that started the League Cup victory at St Johnstone as Kofi Balmer and Slattery replaced Ibrahim Said and Tom Sparrow.
Callum Hendry was named on the bench for the first time but fellow new recruit Regan Charles-Cook was not deemed ready for involvement in the squad.
Well, with their unrelenting desire to play out from the back, controlled the early exchanges and took the lead in the 21st minutes when Slattery’s shot from the edge of the box – following a well-worked corner – took a big deflection off home defender Craig Halkett on its way into the net.
Hearts, who incurred the wrath of their supporters as the visitors dominated the ball, threatened a couple of times towards the end of the first half, with Milne’s strike blocked by Balmer before Kabore’s close-range effort from a Lawrence Shankland cross was turned behind by Well goalkeeper Calum Ward.
Jambos boss Derek McInnes responded to his side’s dismal first-half display by making two changes for the start of the second period, with Wilson and Kabore making way for Beni Baningime and Braga.
Things got worse for the hosts, however, when Well doubled their lead in the 49th minute as Elijah Just skinned Stuart Findlay in the box and set up Maswanhise, who drove a low angled shot beyond Zander Clark from just outside the six-yard box.
Hearts were in disarray and they conceded a third in the 61st minute when O’Donnell’s through ball released Just, who drew Clark and laid it on a plate for Longelo to roll into the empty net.
The shell-shocked hosts pulled one back four minutes later when Milne drilled home an angled strike from just inside the box after Braga’s shot deflected into his path.
They got themselves right back in the match in the 74th minute when Braga ran on to a pass from fellow substitute Blair Spittal’s ball and drove it underneath Ward.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside but then allowed to stand following a VAR check.
With the wind in their sails, Hearts equalised in the 84th minute when Braga followed up to tap home after Milne’s shot was parried by Ward.
