MAN BY MAN

Nov 26 2004

Compiled By Gary Ralston

Craig Gordon 7

Set the tone for the night with a couple of crucial early stops to deny Basel the confidence that comes from a goal.

Super second-half save but poor kick-out led to goal.

Robbie Neilson 8

Exposed once early on but not again as his forward runs down the right helped keep the Swiss side pegged in their own half. Then capped a fine performancewith the late winner.

Steven Pressley 9

Big Elvis climbed out of his sick bed to play the captain's role to the full, blocking, building and bullying from the centre of defence.

Andy Webster 7

Worked tirelessly beside Pressley to blunt goal threat of Gimenez and Rossi in particular and a menace in opposition box too.

Alan Maybury 7

Coped well with early onslaught as Basel went for broke down left hand side of Hearts defence. Became increasingly effective in forward areas and in right place to head off the line.

Joe Hamill 7

He started right, then drifted left and all the time proved difficult for the Basel midfield to pin down with some clever link play.

Michael Stewart 7

The on-loan midfielder's appearances for Hearts have been too fleeting but he showed gritty determination with offensive assists from midfield.

Jamie McAllister 7

Asked to perform in an unfamiliar central midfield role and although looked over-run at first he soon got to grips with dangerman Delgado.

Dennis Wyness 8

A striker whose confidence was as low as a snake's belly a few months ago is now re-born. Terrific goal and forward assists as well as being defensively diligent too.

Mark de Vries 7

Towering striker was well marshalled but worked so hard to draw others into the game around him, creating good space for Wyness to flourish.

Ramon Peirera 7

Grew in confidence as Maybury began to push forward and offer him support on left. A creative influence in offence before tiring.

Substitutes: Phil Stamp

6 Replaced Pereira midway through second half and bolstered midfield on right-hand side.

Neil MacFarlane 6 On for tiring Stewart and added engine-room vroom in final 20 minutes.

Graham Weir 3 Took de Vries' place in closing stages to run down clock.

Not used - Moilanen, Janczyk, Sloan, Berra. Basel - Zuberbuhler, Zwyssig, Huggel, Sterjovski, Chipperfield, Gimenez, Kleber, Delgado, P Degen, Smiljanic, Rossi. Subs: Quennoz, Mandl, Carignano, Barberis, D Degen. Referee - K Jakobsson, Iceland.

Taken from the Scotsman