Jambos face test to be best of rest

PAUL KIDDIE

PATIENCE appears to be a virtue which Hearts players will have to rely on more than ever this season.

If the visit of Aberdeen for the Jambos’ first home game of the SPL campaign is anything to go by, then it could prove to be a testing year for Craig Levein and his men as they try to record a hat-trick of third-place finishes.

The Dons, resurgent following the arrival of new Pittodrie management team Jimmy Calderwood and Jimmy Nicholl, came to Gorgie with confidence levels high after a 0-0 draw at home to Rangers the previous weekend.

They certainly made their presence felt as they set out their stall not to lose the match, tactics which made for a frustrating afternoon for the Gorgie faithful.

The onus was therefore on Hearts to break down their visitors but with star striker Mark de Vries sidelined by injury and his natural replacement Kevin McKenna also struggling with a knee problem, it was a hurdle they found ultimately insurmountable.

They did have their chances, though, with Ramon Pereira working hard to create a couple of decent openings.

In the end, the Jambos had to settle for a share of the spoils, an outcome clearly much more satisfying for their opponents.

It was mission accomplished as far as Calderwood & Co were concerned, although home skipper Steven Pressley refused to be too despondent at the result, stressing that the Dons’ approach was evidence that Hearts are now victims of their own success over the last two seasons.

"Certainly in the first half we dominated but fair play to Aberdeen, they came here and were physical and at times they spoiled the game by giving away a lot of professional fouls which made it difficult for us to get into a rhythm," he said.

"But that is something we are going to face this season. We have had a couple of very successful seasons and teams now see us as a big scalp.

"You could see that by their players’ reaction to the draw - they were very satisfied with the point."

Pressley was a pillar of strength again at the centre of the Hearts back line, the second game in succession that the defence has looked impregnable.

Against Dundee in the SPL opener, the Dark Blues failed to create more than a single good chance against Hearts and it was the same story on Saturday with every Aberdeen attack repelled with comparative comfort.

The back four of Pressley, Andy Webster, Alan Maybury and Robbie Neilson have rightly earned the plaudits over the last two games but the captain insists the team as a whole deserves credit.

"Defensively we have looked very sound but that is testament not just to the back four but the team," he said.

"The manager has very definite opinions on the way he wants us to play. The way we do play makes it very difficult for opposing teams to get good possession and make the right types of passes.

"In the middle third of the park and also up front we have been working hard to deny teams good possession and I think we are seeing evidence of that."

With both De Vries and McKenna missing the opening two games, there has been a lack of cutting edge up front for Hearts, despite the commendable efforts of Graham Weir and Pereira.

But with both the Dutchman and Canadian showing signs of progress, it shouldn’t be long before normal service is resumed, according to Pressley.

"We are a team which has worked extremely hard on getting good possession in the wide areas and delivering for both Mark and Kevin," he said.

"Obviously with them both being out it left us facing a problem but to be fair to the players, four points from six is better than last season [they took three points from the first two games].

"We are desperate to win the majority of our home games and I think that is going to be very important in terms of our success this season.

"It’s not been a disastrous start by any stretch. It is a very solid opening from ourselves and a good platform to build on.

"Celtic are the only team with maximum points but we are nicely tucked in behind them and once things start to click in the forward department things will look even rosier.

"We have another home game coming up against Kilmarnock this weekend and a good opportunity to add to our points total."

Taken from the Scotsman