Webster insists Hearts' job only half done

GRAEME CROSER
AT MURRAYFIELD

ANDY WEBSTER today insisted the memory of last year’s French lesson will ensure Hearts do not approach their return tie with SC Braga in complacent mood.

With a simple nod of his head Webster made history by scoring the club’s first-ever goal at Murrayfield and launched the Jambos on their way to a 3-1 first-leg victory over the Portuguese.

Hearts are now hot favourites to advance to the group stages of the UEFA Cup but the defender is all too aware the Jambos were stung in not dissimilar circumstances last season.

Then, Craig Levein’s men earned an impressive 1-0 away victory against Bordeaux but came undone in the second leg as the Frenchmen triumphed by two goals at Tynecastle to go through on aggregate.

Webster admits that humbling experience still hangs over the players and will ensure that, while they will travel to Braga full of confidence, they will also be fully focused on securing the necessary result.

He said: "We have to be confident for the second leg because we are a good team and we played very well last night.

"We know we’ll face a different sort of challenge in Portugal and I’m sure the pattern of the game will be very different. They are chasing the tie now and they’ll need to come out and attack which might work to our advantage. We’re in a very good position but we won’t get carried away. It’s nice to have the two-goal cushion but the job’s only half done.

"We know from bitter experience that these ties can change in the second leg. Everyone’s well aware of what happened against Bordeaux last year so whatever we do we have to concentrate and be focused on the second leg."

Webster was joined on the scoresheet by Paul Hartley and Patrick Kisnorbo, whose late strike has put the Gorgie club in such a good position.

However, the Scotland internationalist is all too aware that the goal Braga scored just after Hartley had put Hearts two up could yet prove costly.

Paulo Sergio rose unmarked to head home from inside the six-yard box and Webster admitted it was one which should have been prevented.

He said: "The player who scored was one of the smaller boys on their team and, as a defender, it’s disappointing to see that sort of thing happen.

"We mark zonally at set-pieces, but as a general rule the bigger guys like myself and Mark de Vries will pick up the taller players in the opposing side.

"I’m not sure who should have been on the lad but it was a great ball in from the free-kick.

"We were a bit wary after they scored. We weren’t sure whether to go straight on the attack in case we lost another but after a while we found our rhythm and got the late goal from Paddy. It was a great strike from him and you don’t need to be a mathematician to see that’s given us a much greater chance of progressing."

Webster’s goal was a near carbon copy of the header he scored in last season’s first-round tie against FK Zeljeznicar at Tynecastle.

The 22-year-old celebrated then, as he did last night, by acknowledging his parents in the crowd and revealed their backing has been a constant inspiration since he moved from Arbroath three and a half years ago.

He added: "It was a wonderful feeling to score and it’s nice to have done it on another European night. The goal I got against Zeljeznicar was pretty much the same. Scott Severin nodded the ball back to me last season and I had quite a simple task to score and last night it was Mark de Vries.

"Dennis Wyness said to me I’ve got good movement in the box, and I suppose that’s a couple of times I’ve found myself in the right place.

"When the ball went in it was a great feeling. I made sure I acknowledged my parents because, although they still stay in Arbroath, they come to watch me in every game.

"Not many players can say their parents are there to see them play every week and I wanted them, and my girlfriend, to know I appreciated their support."

All the pre-match hype had surrounded the fact the game was to be played at Murrayfield, and not the club’s spiritual home at Tynecastle.

Despite talk of a boycott the fans turned out in their droves, and although some were doubtless there out of sheer curiosity at seeing the odd spectacle of a football match being staged at the home of Scottish rugby, Webster admitted the players had been impressed by the atmosphere generated by the 18,769 crowd.

He added: "I think all the players were impressed with Murrayfield. We got a good crowd and when you get that sort of backing from the Hearts fans it makes it so much easier - no matter where you’re playing.

"The atmosphere was good and it was god to run out and see so many fans.

"The game was a bit of history and it was nice to add to that by scoring the first goal."

Taken from the Scotsman