Stewart captures Hearts on debut

MOIRA GORDON AT TYNECASTLE

HEARTS 0 FULHAM 2 Knight 3, Cole 76

IT’S not often cynical football fans bless new signings with a standing ovation before they have even kicked a ball, but it’s not every day a former Manchester United starlet knocks on the door asking for a game.

As Michael Stewart took to the pitch in the 47th minute, he also had the added attraction of being one of their own. And in his first outing he did enough to suggest he could be on the receiving end of a few more plaudits. Tackling like he cared, he adopted the easy passing style and directness of a side, who, despite losing out to Fulham, showed enough to suggest that they will remain the team the others have to beat to be crowned best of the rest.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman even suggested that they could give the Old Firm a few uncomfortable moments throughout the course of the season. Despite the fact his side had recorded their first clean sheet against Scottish opposition, following defeats at the hands of Celtic and Rangers, Coleman was still effusive in his praise for the Edinburgh side and maintained that on their day, the could be a match for either of the Glasgow giants.

"I think they’re a very, very good team," said the Premiership manager. "They are very organised and can play football and we couldn’t get the ball off them at times. It wouldn’t surprise me if they gave Celtic and Rangers a run for their money."

Even overcoming them in head-to-heads on a regular basis would constitute a massive improvement for this Hearts squad, who have struggled through another summer of cost cutting. Forced to part with a few more of his seasoned campaigners during the close season, Craig Levein had already tried to plug the gaps with the signings of Jamie McAllister, to occupy that troublesome left-back berth, and Ramon Pereira, who looks like he could prove a pesky nuisance to a number of SPL defenders. But it is the addition of Stewart which should transpire to be the biggest coup.

"He’s a very good player," said Fulham’s own new signing Andy Cole, who had been with Stewart at Old Trafford. "He links the midfield together with the forwards and brings everyone into play." Describing him as a very hungry player, he predicted he would do well on his return to his home town. Levein seemed to agree. "I thought that for 20 minutes he was different class and he controlled the midfield, but then we relinquished control a bit when he tired." How he must be salivating at the thought of a fit Stewart.

The directness and desire of Phil Stamp had already looked a positive on the right of midfield, with young Joe Hamill displaying growing confidence on the left, but the complimentary aspects of Paul Hartley and Stewart’s game will have given the home fans even more cause to welcome the onslaught of the new campaign. Especially as Pereira looks like he will thrive on the service offered by such a midfield.

A telepathic understanding has still to be honed between the former Raith Rovers striker and his goal-getting partner, De Vries, and it was a frustration that injury deprived them of more time to work on that. The Dutchman, with a history of hamstring injuries, pulled up, took a mini-temper tantrum then vacated the field ten minutes before the halfway mark.

It was a double blow as McAllister had already hobbled off with a thigh strain minutes earlier and their manager admitted they were both now doubts for the season opener at Dens Park next weekend.

But, with or without them, Hearts will go into the season with optimism, disappointed by this result, but buoyed by the performance and the gritty way they dominated periods of the game without getting the breakthrough their play deserved. Fulham had settled any nerves with a opening goal in the third minute of the game after some shoddy defending at the back post allowed beanpole Zat Knight the space to power a downward header past Craig Gordon from close range.

It was Hearts who enjoyed a lot of possession thereafter but the final ball or potency in the last third was what let them down. Fulham stretched their lead in the 76th minute when Cole received the ball on the edge of the box and side-footed it into the left-hand corner of the Hearts goal, which was by then being occupied by Tepi Moilanen. The deficit could have been reduced in the final minute, when the miniscule but feisty Graham Weir, who had replaced De Vries, was toppled in the box. Team captain Steven Pressley stepped up to take it but was foiled by Ed van der Sar.

It could have made for a downbeat end to a game Hearts could well have won had they been more clinical in front of goal or taken pot shots instead of attempting to walk the ball home. It could have done, but thankfully, for the home faithful, good news was imminent. Rivals Hibs had been beaten 3-1 by Leeds United. The cheers went up and if Stewart hadn’t realised it before, it was a timely reminder that he was home, sweet home.

Taken from the Scotsman