Weir and Pereira to lead from front again

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS boss Craig Levein is set to name the same team for the fourth week running for tomorrow’s trip to Motherwell.

Strikers Graham Weir and Ramon Pereira, who grabbed their first goals of the season in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Tynecastle, will again lead the attack at Fir Park with Mark de Vries still sidelined by injury.

The giant Dutchman hasn’t figured in the first team since suffering a tear to his hamstring in the pre-season friendly against Fulham. And while Levein was hoping to see him back in training today, a comeback at some stage of next week’s Bank of Scotland Festival Cup clash with Hibs is a more likely scenario.

In his continued absence, Weir and Pereira will again be asked to lead the line in Lanarkshire having struck up a promising understanding in front of goal in the opening games against Dundee, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.

"We are not getting carried away but they didn’t do themselves any harm against Kilmarnock and will have taken confidence from scoring their first goals of the season," said Levein, whose defence will go into the clash having failed to concede a goal in the opening three games.

"Mark de Vries has been doing some running. The guys know that when he’s fit, he’ll be a real threat to their places.

"For the time being, though, I think we will be along similar lines for tomorrow as in previous weeks. I don’t see any reason to tamper with things after last week’s performance - there’s no reason to leave anybody out."

Acknowledging it was something of a bonus to have the luxury of fielding the same team for four weeks in succession, the Gorgie boss added: "We have been fortunate that the players have stayed free of injury.

"De Vries and Jamie McAllister might have started the season but circumstances dictated otherwise and those who have come in have done a good job."

Levein’s No.2 Peter Houston saw Motherwell defeat Morton 3-0 in the CIS Cup in midweek and reported a Fir Park unit once again functioning well under Terry Butcher.

"They did quite well by all accounts," added Levein. "Fir Park is always a tough place to go as we have discovered in the past and we enjoyed some close games against Motherwell last season.

"I don’t anticipate tomorrow being any different."

Levein, meanwhile, expressed his disappointment at last night’s failure of Dunfermline to progress in the UEFA Cup.

The Pars appeared on course to join the Jambos in the hat for this afternoon’s first-round draw in Monaco when they lead Hafnarfjordur 1-0 with seven minutes remaining at McDiarmid Park. However, the visitors smashed two goals in the closing seven minutes to stun the Fifers and Levein said: "It must have been devastating for them to lose in such a manner.

"But they have had a taste of it now and like us last season, will now want more."

Taken from the Scotsman