Motherwell and Hearts will both play out the remainder of the season in the bottom six of the William Hill Premiership after cancelling each other out in a tense 0-0 draw at Fir Park.
That result would have been enough for the Tynecastle side – who started the day in sixth place – to have remained in the top half until St Mirren’s 86th-minute winner against Ross County saw the Paisley side climb above them.
Hearts stepped things up a notch in the closing stages as they chased the winner they required, but the closest they went was an effort in the seventh minute of stoppage time from substitute Lawrence Shankland that ran agonisingly wide of the far post.
Neil Critchley and his players were jeered at full-time by a furious travelling supporters when their fate was confirmed.
Well – who had spent the majority of the season in the top six – also had a chance of scrambling back into it if they had beaten Hearts, although they would also have required St Mirren to slip up.
Fir Park boss Michael Wimmer made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Kilmarnock as Tawanda Maswanhise and Tony Watt replaced Kai Andrews and Luke Armstrong.
For Hearts, Musa Drammeh took over from the suspended James Wilson in an otherwise unchanged starting XI, although experienced defenders Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent were on the bench for the first time since recovering from injuries sustained in December.
The visitors had the first chance in the seventh minute when Elton Kabangu found himself clean through on goal after Drammeh had been tackled while driving into the Well half, but goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe raced out to save bravely at the feet of the Belgian.
Hearts should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Kofi Balmer lost possession just outside his own box and Kabangu was able to deliver a cutback from the left, but Sander Kartum took a touch to set himself and then blasted over from a central position 15 yards out.
Shortly afterwards, Balmer limped off to be replaced by Australian defender Johnny Koutroumbis.
Midway through the half, news arrived of Ross County taking the lead against St Mirren and this temporarily roused both sets of supporters amid what was proving a predictably nervy encounter.
Well’s first notable attempt came in the 36th minute when Callum Slattery’s free-kick from just outside the box was deflected just wide, and seconds later Tony Watt fired an angled shot just beyond the far post from 16 yards out.
Hearts boss Critchley made two subs for the start of the second half as Cammy Devlin and captain Shankland were sent on in place of Kartum and Drammeh.
Events in Paisley ultimately meant the Edinburgh side needed a winner to get into the top six but although they seemed to be in the ascendancy in the closing stages, they were unable to muster the quality in the final third to get over the line.
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