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At the start of the season, it would have seemed almost preposterous to suggest it. Motherwell are in the mix to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.

Whether manager Jens Berthel Askou wishes to acknowledge it or not, some things are undeniable for the team now within a point of third-placed Celtic in the league.

Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Dundee United marked their fourth clean sheet in a row as they moved a point behind the defending champions.

In attack, they have the league’s top scorer in Tawanda Maswanhise, and in Elijah Just arguably one of the country’s top performers this term.

However, their success is built around their defence.

They’ve conceded just 18 goals in 28 league games, fewer than any other team in the division and one of the best defensive records in Europe.

Only Italian side Roma (16), Portuguese outfits Porto (8), Sporting (12) and Benfica (13) and Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise (15) have conceded fewer goals across the continent’s top leagues.

During Saturday’s game at Fir Park, Dundee United had seven shots, three on target, but couldn’t score against a Motherwell defence who won 10 tackles and made six interceptions.

United opted for a man-marking approach in an effort to limit their hosts, and Askou was delighted with how his side were able to control the game in attack and defence.

“The defensive discipline gave us full control of the game that was, at times, quite lively,” he said.

“Big credit to the boys for going out and being extremely disciplined for one another.

Victory over Dundee United put Motherwell one point behind Celtic and three points off Rangers, before the Glasgow giants’ meeting at Ibrox on Sunday.

The Steelmen are 10 points off league leaders Hearts and have a game in hand.

Well have five games to play until the Scottish Premiership split. And that run is looking tricky.

They play their game in hand at Dundee next Saturday, before travelling to Celtic Park and then welcoming Hibernian. Their final two games before the split are a home game against Falkirk before a trip to Tynecastle to face Hearts.

Motherwell have already beaten Dundee, Celtic and Hibs this season but have also dropped points against all three. They’ve failed to beat Falkirk and Hearts but haven’t lost to either.

Celtic play their game in hand away to Aberdeen on Wednesday and travel to face Dundee United after their meeting with Motherwell. Martin O’Neill’s side also play Dundee away and St Mirren at home before the split.

After Sunday, Rangers are away to St Mirren, at home to Aberdeen and Dundee United and then on the road against Falkirk.

But Motherwell’s Askou has again played down any suggestion his side are in the mix for the Premiership trophy.

“What we are in the mix for is for you to discuss,” he said.

“We had a game today, we had to attack, we did that well and got a clean sheet and three points.

“It was a good game for us in terms of playing against man-for-man pressure and it didn’t stop us today.”

Betfred Super League

Warrington Wolves (14) 27

Tries: Sipley, Hopoate, Smith, King Goals: Sneyd 5 Drop goal: Sneyd

Wakefield Trinity (2) 16

Warrington survived a strong Wakefield fightback in the second half to make it two wins from two in Super League.

The Wolves, who were coming off the back of a blank weekend because of Hull Kingston Rovers’ involvement in the World Club Challenge, seemed to have taken a firm grip on the game in the first half.

Tries from Toafofoa Sipley and Albert Hopoate, along with the reliable kicking of Marc Sneyd, had them 14-2 up at the break.

Trinity, who chalked up their first win of the season at Huddersfield last week, came back well as Jake Trueman brilliantly created tries for Max Jowitt and Jayden Myers.

Wire gave further evidence that they could make a fist of challenging for honours this season as Sneyd gave a kicking masterclass and they had the defensive resilience to hold firm as Trinity came good.

Wakefield had won the previous three meetings of these two, but they were soon in trouble as Sneyd slotted over a penalty and then video referee Chris Kendall overturned an on-field verdict of “no try” to give Sipley four points.

A few minutes later, Hopoate supported Danny Walker’s break to streak away for another try for 14-0.

Wire seemed to have made a costly error as they responded to strong Wakefield pressure right at the end of the half by committing repeat offences which saw Sipley sin-binned and Jowitt kick the resulting penalty to give his side a toe-hold.

That became a firmer platform early in the second half as Trinity made use of the extra man, Trueman slinging a fine pass over the top for Jowitt to score in the corner.

Sipley’s first act on returning to the field was a ruck infringement which led to Trueman coming up with an even better looping cut-out pass and Myers finished to cut the lead to just four points.

That spurred Wire into action after a drop in tempo and Sneyd’s boot took control as he chipped the ball out to Smith, playing first-class rugby for the first time, to score his first try, which Sneyd converted and then added a penalty to give his side breathing space.

Pratt then got on the end of a fine kick by Jack Sinfield to score in the corner and when Jowitt brilliantly nailed the tough conversion, the game was back in the balance.

Wakefield seemed certain to score as Myers streaked for the corner but 20-year-old full-back Cai Taylor-Wray, who wowed the crowd with his attacking prowess against St Helens, produced a magnificent tackle to bundle him into touch and retain the lead.

Warrington Wolves: Taylor-Wray; Thewlis, King, Hopoate, Smith; Williams, Sneyd; Yates, Walker, Byrne, Stone, Harrison, Currie.

Replacements: Sipley, Crowther, Philbin, Tanginoa.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt; Pratt, Scott, Hall, Myers; Sinfield, Trueman; McMeeken, Smoothy, Hamlin-Uele, Nikotemo, Vagana, Tevaga.

Replacements: Storton, Pitts, Faatili, Smith.

If you’re aiming to become the first team other than Celtic and Rangers to win a Scottish top-flight title in 41 years, you can do worse than invite the last man to achieve such a feat to come and see how you’re getting on.

Sir Alex Ferguson was the guest of honour as Hearts saw off the challenge of Aberdeen and moved seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with nine games to play.

It was Ferguson’s Aberdeen side that, in 1985, won the Scottish Premier Division before 40 seasons of Glasgow dominance, which began with Hearts’ heart-breaking final-day loss of the league to Celtic in 1986.

Indeed Ferguson, 84, was a player in his native Scotland when Hearts last won the top flight in 1960.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes, formerly in charge at Aberdeen, has previously spoken about his discussions with Ferguson this season. Whatever remarks have been exchanged, they’ve clearly worked up until now.

“We got him a nice bottle to take home with him but he opened it already,” McInnes said of former Manchester United and Scotland boss Ferguson.

A 1-0 home win – their second on the bounce – may not look overly convincing but Hearts were good value for the three points and rarely looked in danger of conceding to Aberdeen.

Scorer Claudio Braga told BBC Scotland post-match: “With the stands behind us, the players gave everything and we just won.

“Now we’re getting to a point with maybe just a little bit more tension. We feel it from the stands a little bit. It’s normal.

“At the same time, we know we can do this. That goal probably gets the stands even more relieved of tension and behind us even more. They were amazing.”

Portuguese former Aalesunds forward Braga is emblematic of Hearts’ season – a relative unknown plucked from Norwegian football. He has scored 15 goals in 35 appearances.

Earlier in the season Greek Alexandros Kyziridis, signed from Slovakia’s Zemplin Michalovce, made headlines and, until recently, McInnes’ former Kilmarnock defender Stuart Findlay had been an ever present since his summer move.

McInnes singled Braga out for praise after the win against Aberdeen and also said “this week will good for him” as he the striker manages a groin issue and Hearts not in action again until 14 March.

Challenges remain. Hearts will play high-flying Motherwell twice before the season’s end. They will likely travel to Celtic Park and Edinburgh rivals Hibernian’s Easter Road after the split and host Rangers, who beat them at Ibrox earlier this month.

Former Hearts player Ryan Stevenson was on punditry duty as part of BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound commentary and echoed Braga and McInnes’ sentiments.

“The atmosphere is unbelievable,” he said. “What you would give to be a player on that pitch just now,” he said.

And, afterwards, he proclaimed: “I think Hearts will win the league. I genuinely do.

“I cannot see Hearts buckling. I cannot see Hearts losing three or four games.

“I just can’t see Hearts losing the title now.”

Rangers are second, two points above Celtic, who have a game in hand. Those two teams meet at Ibrox on Sunday so, one way or another, Hearts’ seven-point advantage will be reduced by weekends’ end.

And Celtic travel to Aberdeen on Wednesday to play their game in hand.

Studio pundit, former Hearts player Michael Stewart, is similarly minded to Stevenson.

“I do think with every game that’s ticked off, there’s an extra level of pressure but equally I think there’s an extra level of belief. They almost counter each other.