SPL wrap: Higdon hat-trick boosts Motherwell

A Michael Higdon hat-trick helped Motherwell go top of the table, as they accounted for Inverness 4-1 in the Scottish Premier League.

Goals a minute apart from Tom Hateley and Higdon had the home side in cruise control at Fir Park.

Hateley curled the opener in from a corner kick, before Higdon slammed home from cross range after a sublime Chris Humphrey cross.

Inverness pulled one back before the break through Richie Foran, as he netted a well-weighted header off an Owain Tudur-Jones cross.

But Higdon slammed home his second and third goals for the game in the 72nd and 79th minutes to steer Motherwell to first place in SPL, although second-placed Celtic have a game in hand.

In the day’s other clash, Dundee climbed off bottom with a 1-0 win away at Hearts – the latter’s first loss of the season.

A third-minute penalty to Ryan Conroy was all the visitors at Tynecastle required, as Dundee goalkeeper Rab Douglas was inspired to keep a clean sheet, which involved saving a John Sutton penalty in the first half.