Revived Hearts dream of Europe

ANYONE who was at Tynecastle around the beginning of November and watched Hearts plumb the depths against Livingston would barely have recognised the ebullient football team that made light of a dismal playing surface on Saturday by dismantling a spirited Aberdeen outfit.

This latest success, which extended their unbeaten run in the league to six games, highlighted a change in Hearts’ fortunes that is nothing short of extraordinary.

Where just a couple of months ago they lacked all conviction in their ability and looked destined to spend the season toiling in the relegation zone, the team is now suffused with so much confidence that the possibility of a place in Europe no longer seems fanciful.

Rightly, much has been made of Ricardo Fuller’s contribution to the cause. The centre-forward has added sparkle to Hearts’ play as well as goals.

Any notion, though, that the team is dependent on the services of a single individual was blown away by this outstanding collective effort.

Brilliantly marshalled at the back by Steven Pressley and anchored in midfield by the seasoned trio of Steve Fulton, Thomas Flogel and Tommi Gronlund, Hearts showed resolve and courage to match Aberdeen’s battling qualities in the first-half before producing the skill and invention needed to win the game after the interval.

Aberdeen are much improved in their own right and edged a tightly-contested opening 45 minutes on points. Hearts had taken the lead against the run of play when Fuller held off four defenders before slipping a pass to Gronlund whose shot with the outside of his right boot from the edge of the box spun into the corner of the net.

The visitors didn’t deserve to trail and an error by Flogel allowed Aberdeen to mount a counter-attack which ended with Roberto Bisconti capping an excellent 45 minutes with a well-struck equaliser.

But Aberdeen lost their way after the break and Bisconti lost the plot when he was sent off for kicking the ball away after fouling Fuller.

By then Hearts had taken a two-goal lead thanks to Flogel’s daring pass to Fulton and Gary Wales’ close range finish after Pressley struck the bar.

Ebbe Skovdahl, the Aberdeen manager, was concerned his side had rediscovered a few bad habits and abandoned their game plan after falling behind while captain Derek Whyte felt Hearts had to be applauded for moving up a gear.

"I felt we played well in the first-half and scored a goal at a crucial time," the centre-back said. "What happened in the second-half was really disappointing. After Roberto was sent off the game was lost. He’s an experienced pro and knows that was silly.

"But you’ve got to give credit to Hearts. They scored a really good second goal. That gave them a lift and then they got a third. My concern after the ordering-off was that our young side would push on in an effort to make it 3-2. I’m more of a realist and didn’t want us to get a doing and maybe lose four, five or six, which could have happened."

But for a couple of fine saves from Ryan Esson, Hearts would have won more convincingly. According to Flogel, it was the players’ determination to make passes and make light of the porridge-like playing surface which settled the outcome.

"I felt we played a lot of football after the interval and that’s what we’ve been after for a long time," remarked the Austrian.

"If you just kick the ball forward to the strikers then you hang yourself. We tried to keep possession and pass the ball, even though the pitch is difficult.

"Stevie and I were together a lot in midfield but I saw him running away from me as I broke from the right. I made a good pass, Stevie was onside and scored a fine goal."

Having played in almost every outfield position for the club, the versatile Flogel is relishing his latest brief as the link man between midfield and attack.

"I played my whole youth career in this position as well as on a few occasions for Austria Vienna," he said.

"This is the role I want to play. I’m really glad that the gaffer has given me this chance as well as believing that I can do it.

"I think our target now must be to look at the possibility of qualifying for Europe. Every footballer is searching for something to win. Our aim as players should be to win the league championship but in Scotland we know that’s not realistic because of the Old Firm.

"I was part of the Hearts team which won the Scottish Cup and if you’re asking me how far away this team is from that one then I would say the difference is experience.

"We have a younger team now, but that isn’t to say we won’t do well in that competition. The cup is the cup and anyone can win. "

After this morale-boosting win over Aberdeen moved Hearts up to fourth place in the SPL and a trip to Almondvale on Saturday presents the club with an opportunity to reduce the gap between themselves and Livingston to just three points.

There’s also a chance to make amends for that miserable display against Jim Leishman’s men in November.

But on Saturday evening Levein was entitled to be more interested in enjoying his side’s best performance of the season than fretting over where Hearts go next.

"There’s a bottle of Chardonnay at home with my name on it," he grinned, "And right now that’s about as far ahead as I plan to look."

Taken from the Scotsman