Bookies way off mark as Hearts shine

IT IS not often that bookmakers get things wrong but the 11-10 odds being offered for a home victory at Tynecastle on Saturday must have been too generous to ignore for many of the Hearts supporters who fancy a flutter.

The Jambos, after all, were going into the game on a crest of a wave as the form team in the SPL having won five of their last six matches.

They were also facing a team which had not only failed to take a point in Gorgie under Ebbe Skovdahl’s guidance but had failed to net a single goal against the Jambos in the Capital since the Dane took over the Pittodrie hot seat.

In fact, the men from the Granite City had come out on top just once in their previous nine visits to Tynecastle.

Given that the aggregate score from the teams’ last four meetings in Edinburgh was 10-0 to Hearts it was obvious why many observers reckoned the bookies had indeed got their sums wrong.

And so it proved with Craig Levein’s side continuing their impressive climb up the table, their 3-1 triumph seeing Hearts leapfrog their opponents into fourth place.

The fact that the Dons managed to at last break their scoring their duck at the weekend will have mattered little to those of a maroon persuasion, Hearts once again beginning to look a real solid unit under Levein, despite the manager’s lack of funds.

The Gorgie boss has instilled a fighting spirit into the first-team ranks and that was emphasised by the way in which the players responded to the hammer blow of losing an equaliser with the last kick of the first half.

Tommi Gronlund’s 38th-minute strike after good build-up play from Ricardo Fuller looked to be enough to send the home side in for their half-time cuppa in the driving seat.

However, a brilliant overhead flick from Robbie Winters set up Roberto Bisconti for an excellent leveller to seemingly change the complexion of the game.

Lifted by the goal, it was thought Aberdeen would come out for the second period with their tails up as they searched for a rare Tynecastle triumph.

However, to their credit it was the Jambos who took the game by the scruff of the neck with a second-half display described by Levein as "our best of the season".

Aberdeen simply had no answer to the Jambos’ powerful performance - no doubt Levein had left some ears burning during the break.

And even although Bisconti was dismissed midway through the second period, the hosts were already well on their way to maintaining their 100 per cent start to the New Year.

"I would have to say that the second-half performance was our best display of the season so far," said Levein. "Aberdeen had a man sent off but even before that I thought we were well on top.

"I can’t praise the players highly enough for the way they responded to such a body blow so close to half-time."

To be fair to the Dons, Bisconti’s strike was no more than they deserved after an even opening half.

Being rocked back on their heels at such a crucial stage of the match could have had serious repercussions for Hearts earlier this season. But not now.

The tone was set for the second half almost immediately on the resumption as both Steve Fulton and Gronlund sent shots over the top as Hearts stamped their authority on proceedings, Kevin McKenna also seeing Ryan Esson produce a terrific point-blank save from his close-range effort.

Thomas Flogel was the key to the home side taking the lead with 56 minutes gone, the Austrian’s pass over the top of the Dons defence giving Fulton the chance to slot home from inside the box.

Seven minutes later and the points were safe. Fuller scampered down the right before sending in a cross which was cleared as far as Steven Pressley. What he was doing in support so far up the field probably he doesn’t even know but the skipper let fly from just inside the box only for the shot to come smashing back off the crossbar with Esson beaten.

Like any good striker, though, Gary Wales following up and nipped in front of Kevin McNaughton to steer the ball into the net.

Two minutes later and things went from bad to worse for Skovdahl with Bisconti’s needless sending off. The Belgian was already destined for a yellow card after a barge on Fuller when he lashed the ball into the advertising boards in frustration at John Rowbotham’s decision.

The whistler naturally took exception to his show of dissent, promptly flashing a second yellow.

"I can’t criticise the referee," said Skovdahl. "He gave a yellow for the challenge and a yellow for the reaction. We knew it was then going to be difficult."

Much has been made of the contribution which Fuller has made since his arrival at Tynecastle, and rightly so.

His goals have been a key factor in Hearts’ rejuvenation, although on Saturday’s he showed there is more to his game than just putting the ball in the back of the net.

Some observers have been hinting that Hearts have become a one-man team since the Jamaican’s arrival but the fact that two midfielders were on target against Aberdeen has helped dispel that notion as far as Levein is concerned.

"I don’t want to go down the road that if Fuller doesn’t score we don’t score," he said. "I am Ricardo’s biggest fan but he didn’t have one of his better games for us yet we still scored three goals.

"I was very pleased to see Tommi Gronlund cap an all-round impressive display with an excellent goal and as far as Steve Fulton is concerned, well, he just keeps confounding the critics.

"He was non-stop against Aberdeen and also scored a smashing goal. I was extremely pleased with the pair of them."

Unbeaten in seven matches, the Jambos bandwagon now rolls the short distance along the M8 to Livingston for Saturday’s showdown at Almondvale.

Just a matter of weeks ago, you wouldn’t have found many people putting money on this fixture presenting Levein with the chance to close the gap on third place to just three points.

Like the bookmakers, though, the Gorgie boss has refused to get carried away with his team’s improvement, preferring instead to focus on each game as it comes along.

But what odds, I wonder, on another Hearts success this weekend?

Taken from the Scotsman