Hearts ride out early storm to get back on track

THANKS to goals from their impressive strike force of Gary Wales and Ricardo Fuller - his fifth in five games - Hearts returned to winning ways against St Johnstone yesterday.

Although short of their best, the Edinburgh side recovered from a shaky start to dominate the game and maintain an impressive sequence that has seen them collect 13 points out of a possible 15.

While there were chants from the club’s travelling support demanding that Fuller stay beyond his contract until the end of the season, Hearts must be delighted that they have unearthed a match-winner who is also a personality player, even if it is just for one season. As gangly as a new-born foal, Fuller’s ungainly stride is deceptively effective. Once he gains speed, the Jamaican is all but impossible to stop. As he also set up Wales’ first-half goal, there wasn’t much doubt about Fuller’s contribution on a day when Thomas Flogel and Steve Fulton also made their mark in midfield against a lacklustre St Johnstone, who failed to make the best of their early chances.

On a bitterly cold afternoon, a modest gathering in Perth witnessed a more encouraging start to the new year for Hearts than the SPL’s backmarkers. Atmosphere wasn’t a strong point though both teams worked hard in difficult circumstances to raise the temperature.

As areas of the pitch were still frosty, it was no surprise that measured passing was in short supply. St Johnstone, though, made a direct start to the game, twice catching out the visitors with brisk counter-attacks. Manager Billy Stark made four changes to the side who lost narrowly at Ibrox. Goalkeeper Alan Miller, defender Ross Forsyth, midfielder Paul Kane and striker Peter MacDonald all figured in a starting line-up that should have seized the lead after 16 minutes.

Tommy Lovenkrands supplied the through ball that caught Hearts napping and Paul Hartley cleverly made space for MacDonald in the old inside-left position. Clear of the last defender, MacDonald took fright with only Roddy McKenzie to beat and failed to hit the target from 16 yards.

Hearts should have learnt from that let-off but were badly caught out again two minutes later when Paddy Connolly was the creator with another accurate pass to MacDonald. The 21-year-old looked eager on the ball in deeper positions, but tended to rush things in front of goal. On this occasion he was easily beaten by Alan Maybury before Tommi Gronlund booted away the danger.

What with Steve Pressley doing well to block Hartley’s snap-shot after Lovenkrand’s cross from the left and MacDonald, in a separate incident, unfortunate to be deemed offside when he’d broken clear, it was clear that Hearts were still trying to brush away the disappointment of losing a late goal to Hibs in the Edinburgh derby. To their credit, though, Hearts were the more effective side in midfield where Fulton and Flogel were eager to support the front men.

Wales should have taken advantage of the Austrian’s crisp through-pass after 30 minutes. In fairness to the striker, he made good contact, but didn’t angle the ball away from Miller, who made a fine save with an outstretched foot.

Any frustration the 22-year-old felt at missing the game’s best scoring opportunity was soon overcome when he gave Hearts the lead eight minutes before the interval. Fulton was the architect with a break from midfield and an intelligent lob into the path of Fuller.

The big striker isn’t the most selfless of players, but his attempt to finish the job single-handedly worked to Hearts advantage as he drove the ball across goal. It fell nicely for Wales, who drove a low shot from eight yards over the line.

Taking the lead restored a measure of confidence to Hearts’ play and they were in command during the second-half. Lovenkrands almost conceded an own goal, which sneaked over the bar, and an inswinging corner from Fulton caused havoc before Fuller set off on a speciality solo run.

Flogel made the opening down the left for the Jamaican, who showed both pace and determination to get away from McCluskey before barging towards goal and firing a powerful shot from a tight angle, which hit the underside of the crossbar before it was cleared.

There were no-takers when Fuller moved on to Flogel’s 69th-minute pass and delivered an inviting cut-back. Not surprisingly, the centre-forward decided to take things into his own hands two minutes later, when he hammered a ferocious shot under Miller’s body from an acute angle to secure the points under lock and key.

St Johnstone: Miller, Murray, Forsyth, Dods, McCluskey, Dasovic (Djebaili 58), Kane (McBride 83), Hartley, Lovenkrands, Connolly, Macdonald (Falconer 83). Subs not used: Cuthbert, Russell. Hearts: McKenzie, Maybury, Mahe, Pressley, McKenna, Flogel, Gronlund (Severin 87), Fulton, Webster, Wales, Fuller (Kirk 90). Subs not used: Gordon, Boyack, Simmons.

Taken from the Scotsman