IN what has been the week of all weeks to remember for Motherwell, this was an ending to not just forget, but shoot and bury under the patio to not be spoken about again.

Euphoric Hampden moments, swashbuckling goals against Rangers and dancing in the streets of Dundee offered a pre-cursor to the arrival of Hibernian for one of the SPFL Premiership’s surprise packages this season. In the end, the biggest shock was the way they were rolled over in a 1-0 defeat.

Fresh from their Edinburgh derby victory over Hearts at Easter Road, Hibs were well worth their latest three points, earned by Martin Boyle’s opportunistic strike, that takes them level on points with the side they out fought and out played during a windswept 90 minutes at Fir Park.

“We got what we deserved. We lacked a spark today. Hibs did to us what we did to other teams, we lost the physical battle and they came out with every second ball,” said Stephen Robinson, the Motherwell manager. “People talk about what a good football team Hibs are but they did all the graft today too. They won every tackle and header and I thought they deserved their win.

“Perhaps it is just the culmination of a very tough week for us. We came out with two wins and that took a lot out of the boys but it is not the end of the world. We are disappointed but the good thing is we know we can be much better than that.”

It is maybe a mark of just how far Motherwell have come in such a short space of time that Robinson was so critical of a team that, on the face of it, were beaten narrowly. Looking a bit deeper though, and the truth is Hibs bossed Motherwell. Particularly in a first half which forced the home team to go direct without even registering a shot on target.

In the middle of the park, the normally industrious team of Carl McHugh and Allan Campbell couldn’t handle the dynamism and fervour of John McGinn and Dylan McGeouch who spun, turned and drove Hibs forward. That ultimately was where this game was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and hauled back along the M8.

What will upset the Northern Irishman is the calamitous way the winning goal blew the way of his visitors on 27 minutes. A long punt up the park from Simon Murray was shelled over the top of the Motherwell defence with centre-half Cedric Kipre ready to clear. Instead, the Frenchman misjudged the flight of the ball – he looked vulnerable here in last weekend’s semi-final win over Rangers – watching it float over his head and into the path of Boyle. The Hibs man then nicked it away of outrushing keeper Trevor Carson to have the easy task of rolling the ball into the net.

Most chances of notes fell to Hibs. Boyle had earlier hit straight at Carson, while McGinn – who was man of the match in the middle of the park battle with Campbell – shot down the throat of the keeper.

Things did improve in the second half for Motherwell as Robinson threw caution to that blustery wind with two half-time subs in Gael Bigirimana and Craig Tanner. Lithuanian internationalist Deimantas Petravicius soon followed.

The former Nottingham Forest forward thought he had got the leveller Motherwell were searching for with 20 minutes to go. A scudding Chris Cadden cross from the right whistled across goal but even though Petravicius connected at the back post, Steven Whittaker somehow managed to block on the line.

Charles Dunne would also have the ball in the net only to be flagged offside – Murray was denied by a flag also earlier in the game – but both decisions looked to be right.

While Motherwell may wonder what if, Hibs can content themselves with what has been a prosperous couple of days, and the platform it could provide in the games to come.

Now fifth in the table, a trip to Rugby Park on Tuesday night presents the opportunity to reach the heady heights of third.

“It’s a brilliant win and I’m very pleased. It’s been a good day,” said Hibs manager Neil Lennon, who joined the bandwagon of managers to complain about Motherwell's physicality.

“I don’t want to berate referees but there was a lot going on out there that he could have stamped down on. I don’t know what the foul count was [12 for Motherwell, 11 for Hibs] but my players need better protection at times. There were 21 fouls against us on Tuesday night."