MOTHERWELL, Scotland (Interstat) — Motherwell opened its Scottish Premiership campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Hibernian at Fir Park on Sunday, overcoming an early deficit in a match that defied pregame projections.

The visitors from Edinburgh stunned the home crowd in the 16th minute when Hibernian attacker Kevin Nisbet found the net to give his side an early lead. The Glasgow-born striker doubled the advantage in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on a Motherwell defensive lapse to seemingly put Hibernian in firm control.

Interstat’s pregame models had given Motherwell a 61.2 percent probability to win, but projected a 1-1 draw. After Nisbet’s second goal, those forecasts appeared increasingly accurate.

The match turned decisively in a seven-minute span midway through the second half. Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell’s substitutions proved immediately impactful. Introduced at halftime, substitute Stuart Adamson McKinstry, a local product from Wishaw, ignited the comeback in the 59th minute with a well-taken goal to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The goal shifted the momentum entirely to the home side. Motherwell’s pressure intensified, and Hibernian, which had looked comfortable, began to unravel. Nisbet completed his hat trick in the 74th minute, but crucially, it was an own goal, deflecting a dangerous Motherwell cross past his own goalkeeper to level the score at 2-2.

From that point, Motherwell dominated proceedings. The home side’s relentless attack was rewarded in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Another substitute, Ross Tierney, who had entered the match in the 82nd minute, sealed the three points with a clinical finish, making it 3-2.

Hibernian, desperate for an equalizer, was caught out once more in the dying moments as Motherwell added a fourth goal to complete the rout and secure a 4-1 victory. The final scoreline was a stark contrast to the narrow contest many had anticipated.

The physical nature of Motherwell’s comeback was reflected in the disciplinary record. Motherwell’s Callum Slattery received a yellow card in the 57th minute, just before his team’s first goal, and defender Sondre Solholm Johansen was booked in the 85th minute as the home side protected its lead. Hibernian’s Joseph Peter Newell was shown a yellow card in the 90th minute during a fractious close to the match.

Despite the lopsided loss, Kevin Nisbet was the clear standout for Hibernian, involved in all three of his team’s goals on the afternoon. For Motherwell, the contributions from the bench were defining, with McKinstry’s goal serving as the catalyst for the remarkable reversal.

With the Week 21 result, Motherwell begins its Premiership season with a win and a perfect record across all competitions. Hibernian starts its campaign with a loss in both the league and overall record. The performance provides a significant boost for Motherwell heading into the next fixture, while Hibernian will need to address a second-half collapse that turned a promising position into a heavy defeat.