Alan says Hearts should be proud

MARK BONTHRONE

ALAN MAYBURY today conceded that Hearts’ chances of catching Rangers in the SPL have all but disappeared but insisted the Jambos should be proud of the strides they have made in the league this season.

Maybury had been one of a clutch of Hearts stars to have suggested they were capable of splitting the Old Firm earlier in the season.

However, after drawing 1-1 with Rangers on Saturday the former Leeds United defender now admits it is highly unlikely he and his team-mates will be able to make up the 12-point advantage the Glasgow giants hold.

Had the Jambos been able to turn their late pressure at Tynecastle at the weekend into more goals then Maybury insists his side may have been in with a chance, but rather than thinking about what may have been the Republic of Ireland internationalist prefers to focus on what Hearts have achieved this season.

"Our aim at the start of the season was to qualify for Europe again and it looks like we are on course to do that so we have to be pleased," said Maybury.

"We have closed the gap with Rangers compared to what it was last season and that’s another positive step although after the draw at the weekend I think it would be unrealistic to think we could now take second place. Obviously we are striving to do as well as we can and we are still looking to cut the gap but to catch them would be a really big task with the number of games remaining.

"What we should also be trying to do is extend the gap between ourselves and Dunfermline in fourth place but if the chance to claw Rangers in a bit comes along then we will look to take it.

"But certainly nobody is down about not closing the gap at the weekend because at the start of the season the aim was Europe and getting closer to the teams above us which we have so far managed to do."

And Maybury believes the main reason behind Hearts’ success in the league this season has been their form in front of their own fans.

"We feel that we are a decent side and at Tynecastle in particular we feel as though we can give most people a game.

"Teams know that when they come to Tynecastle they are going to get a tough game and not many people go there and pick up the points.

"If we can keep this side together, with the financial constraints that Rangers are experiencing then maybe it will be even more of a level playing field next season.

"We saw at the weekend that there wasn’t a great deal to choose between the teams and I think there were plenty of encouraging signs to be taken from the game."

Before then, however, Maybury and his team-mates travel to face a Motherwell side buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw with Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday.

Terry Butcher’s men shocked the runaway league leaders at the weekend who had to rely on Henrik Larsson to step off the bench 20 minutes from time to cancel out Derek Adams’ first-half opener for the visitors.

And 25-year-old Maybury knows it’s important his side reproduce the kind of performance that ensured Alex McLeish’s men had such a difficult afternoon in the Capital and do not let their standards slip.

"Drawing with Celtic was a massive result for them and reading the reports perhaps they were a bit unlucky not to win the game," said Maybury.

"I know Celtic made some changes but going through there at any time and picking up points is a great result regardless of the team.

"They will be flying high after that and will be full of confidence so it’s important that we don’t let up and try to play the way we did against Rangers.

"We drew through there earlier in the season and also drew at Tynecastle so there hasn’t been an awful lot between the teams so far this season.

"We know it’s going to be a tough game but we have to look to win if we are to try and increase our lead on Dunfermline.

"It will represent a different sort of test from the one we had on Saturday but one that we really have to be up for and I’m sure everyone will be."

Taken from the Scotsman