Stuart McCall remains reluctant to dream of Motherwell leapfrogging Rangers in the SPL despite them closing the gap with a 3-0 win over Hearts.

Motherwell are now six points behind the beleaguered champions with a game in hand.

Rangers, who lost 10 points after entering administration on Tuesday, lost 1-0 at home to Kilmarnock and they could be weakened going into the final stages of the season if players are released for cost-cutting measures.

However, when asked if he was allowing himself to look at a Champions League place, McCall said: "On Friday we were looking at the two home games against the Edinburgh clubs.

"Hibs come here fighting for their lives on Wednesday for our game in hand.

"If - and it's a big if - we can win that, then we will go 12 points clear of Hearts and that will be a huge gap at this stage of the season.

"So we will concentrate on each game.

"We can't get carried away because we lost three games on the bounce not so long ago and it looked as if the wheels came off.

"But the way we have turned the home form around and the goals we are scoring, the confidence we are playing with, we just have to look to each game.

"All a manager can ask is to keep playing like that and if it brings us the points to edge close to Rangers then great."

It certainly was an impressive afternoon's work for the in-form Steelmen.

Keith Lasley's deflected shot off Andy Webster and a Jamie Murphy header gave them the interval advantage.

Captain Lasley was sent off five minutes after the break for picking up a second yellow card, both having come his way for fouls on midfielder Ian Black.

It was Motherwell who responded better to the sending-off and midfielder Nicky Law finished off a fine move in the 65th minute by driving past Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald to seal the win.

"It was the difference between going nine points clear (of Hearts) or three points," said McCall.

"The players were outstanding, it was a massive result."

The former Bradford boss, though, was unconvinced by referee Alan Muir's decision to award Lasley his second yellow card.

"The first one was without a doubt a booking," he said.

"The second booking? I thought it was a foul, I don't think there is a doubt it was a foul but from where I was it was an incorrect decision.

"I don't think it was a booking and speaking to Keith he is of the same mind, it was a free-kick but not a sending-off."

Asked if he believed Black's reaction to the challenge helped the referee make his decision, McCall paused then said: "Well, I will leave that down to you, I'm not going to comment on other people's players."

Hearts boss Paulo Sergio insists his side's hectic recent schedule has left the squad with nothing in the tank.

"I am very happy that we will have seven days before our next game, we really need that," he said.

"In the second half there was a lack of explosion, of speed and aggression.

"We need to recover, we have been playing a game every three days and we are feeling that because we don't have the squad to do that.

"You shouldn't forget that three important players left in January (Ryan Stevenson, Eggert Jonsson and John Sutton) and we have been affected."

Nevertheless, Sergio was unhappy with the first two goals his side lost.

He said: "For the first goal, I was not happy with lack of decision.

"We had three chances to get the ball out the box but couldn't do it and that is the easiest thing to do in football.

"For the second goal, Lasley was all alone with the ball with a player three metres from him.

"It wasn't a dangerous cross but it was an easy goal for Motherwell. That made it very hard for us.

"We were playing against 10 men for a lot of the second half, but they did their job very well, closing the space, so congratulations to them."