Levein content with a point as Hearts show stomach for fight

GRAEME CROSER AT FIR PARK

AFTER a week of intense domestic and European action, it’s safe to assume a trip to face a Motherwell side brimful of youth and energy would not have been top of Hearts boss Craig Levein’s wish-list.

Throw in a pre-match downpour and an overly-officious referee and the assignment was made all the harder. However, the Jambos stuck to their task to grind out a 1-1 draw from an unspectacular contest at Fir Park.

Levein declared himself satisfied with his lot afterwards, taking into account the testing clashes with Rangers and NK Zeljeznicar which had stretched his players’ energy levels to the full in the preceding days.

Those two home games - a hefty 4-0 defeat at the hands of the champions last Sunday and an efficient 2-0 victory over the Bosnians in midweek - had asked differing questions of the Capital side and Saturday’s task was equally distinct.

A cursory pre-match glance at Fir Park’s sodden turf suggested that the goalkeepers of both sides might be in for a tricky afternoon and so it proved as both goals came via low driven free-kicks which skidded off the surface on their way to the net.

Hearts keeper Tepi Moilanen could not be blamed for Derek Adams’ opener as the ball deflected decisively off Patrick Kisnorbo, but Well shotstopper Gordon Marshall was entirely culpable at Paul Hartley’s equaliser.

The winger’s shot was powerful and true but the former Celtic man got two full hands on the ball, only for it to squirm its way through his grip and find its way over the line. With a constant drizzle ensuring the surface remained greasy throughout the match it wasn’t ideal for the outfield players either, with little margin for error in judging the weight of passes and timing of tackles.

Hearts started stronger with Hartley, Neil MacFarlane, Scott Severin and Phil Stamp imposing themselves across midfield without creating much in the way of goalscoring opportunities.

The Steelmen were first to threaten with Steven Hammell forcing a competent save from Moilanen via a free-kick on the quarter-hour mark.

The full-back tried again from the same spot a few minutes later and drew a more impressive save from the Finn, who was forced to dive his not inconsiderable length to the left to keep the ball out.

It was becoming increasingly evident that set-pieces would hold the key to the game and referee Charlie Richmond provoked some controversy with the award which led to the first goal of the game.

That Kisnorbo had fouled David Clarkson was not in doubt but the well players were convinced that the offence had happened inside the box.

They appeared to have a point but Richmond deemed that the free-kick be taken on the line on the left-hand edge of the area. The merits of his decision became irrelevant when Adams fired in his fizzing effort.

Route one nearly yielded a goal for the visitors when Moilanen’s long punt was knocked on by Mark de Vries to Stamp who cleverly flicked the ball inside Martyn Corrigan before shooting wide.

Richmond’s decision to award the Jambos a free-kick 25 yards out on the stroke of half-time provoked more protests from the home players. Scott Leitch was adamant that he hadn’t fouled Stamp and was booked for his troubles before Hartley stepped forward to drill home his first goal for the club - via the gloves of Marshall. Leitch’s yellow card was one of six flashed by Richmond, who was overly-intent on cautioning players who in many cases were entitled to expect a little more leeway given the conditions underfoot.

Dennis Wyness struck a post for the Tynecastle outfit soon after the break and Stamp almost struck a spectacular winner in stoppage-time, unleashing a 25-yard shot with his left foot which Marshall tipped over in some style.

That Hearts finished the match looking the more likely to score was impressive given their hefty workload over the previous week and the fact Stamp was leading the charge was a testament to the midfielder’s own natural fitness.

Having missed out in midweek with what was at one stage suspected to be a fracture of the foot, the former Middlesbrough man returned to the starting line-up on Saturday and seemed totally unaffected by the injury. Levein’s initial reaction was that his side had dropped a point but after considering the various mitigating circumstances he was more philosophical.

He said: "The points all add up and points away from home aren’t bad at all. I’m a little bit disappointed, I suppose, but given the fact we’ve played two extremely high-tempo matches over the past few days I don’t think I can complain too much.

"I said to the players beforehand that the pitch was going to make things a bit difficult. We’ve never trained, never mind played on such a slick surface this season so we were always going to have to adjust to that.

"I didn’t expect the two goals to come from mistakes - theirs took a deflection off Patrick as he tried to clear it and then Marsh made a mistake at our equaliser which he more than made up for later.

"The rain meant it was difficult a difficult day for defenders in particular and we also have to realise that we’ve had a hard week.

"Any problems I had with the referee during the game were just the usual manager’s frustrations. I thought he did okay and he was fair.

"If it was a hard day for the players it was also a hard day for him because the conditions made it hard to judge whether tackles were being mistimed or if there were intentional fouls."

‘Well might have finished bottom of the pile last term, but they appear a much more organised and coherent side this time round.

Far from being a hindrance, the loss of star player James McFadden seems, if anything, to have galvanised Terry Butcher’s charges with others such as Stephen Pearson and David Clarkson stepping up to the plate and assuming greater responsibility.

The manager hinted as much afterwards when he said: "A year ago we’d have lost that game but we had the belief to hold on and try and push forward in search of a winner. If anything we were a bit disappointed not to win at the end but the game wasn’t pretty - it was typical Scottish football really.

"We’ve taken a point from a team which is in Europe and will again be in the top three this season so on that basis we have to be satisfied."

That was ringing endorsement for Levein and his players, who are out to replicate last season’s achievements and cement their position as Scotland’s third force.

To do that will require resolve and stamina, especially with their UEFA Cup adventure - which looks likely to extend for another round at least - placing an extra strain on their resources.

That strain is one the club will be happy to bear and on Saturday they proved they have the stomach for the fight, even if on this occasion victory eluded them in the end.

Taken from the Scotsman