Dazzling attacking display thrills the Gorgie faithful

John Robertson seals first home win as new-style Jambos go all out for goals to leave onlookers mightily impressed

PAUL KIDDIE AT TYNECASTLE

HEARTS 3-0 DUNFERMLINE

JOHN ROBERTSON’S first victory at Tynecastle as Hearts boss could not have been more impressive.

Craig Levein’s successor broke his Gorgie duck at the second attempt following the disappointing loss to Motherwell a fortnight earlier and while the Jambos were delighted with the 3-0 outcome, it was the manner in which the home side swept aside the Fifers which left the biggest impression.

It was three and easy for the Gorgie outfit whose dazzling display simply blew away the injury-hit Pars.

And if this is a sign of what is to come during Robbo’s reign, then more power to the wee man’s elbow.

His footballing philosophy is based on a refreshing attacking policy, an approach which, as has already been demonstrated, sometimes doesn’t bring the deserved reward.

Such was the case last weekend at Ibrox when the men in maroon more than matched their opponents for chunks of the game only to return to the Capital empty-handed after a five-goal thriller.

From the first minute on Saturday, though, when Mark de Vries set up Dennis Wyness for a shooting chance which he executed superbly only for Derek Stillie to move smartly to keep out, the warning signs were already posted for Davie Hay’s team.

With third-placed Aberdeen having opened up an eight-point gap over Hearts, Robertson demanded nothing less than maximum points from a fixture which hadn’t seen Dunfermline emerge victorious in 15 years.

The Jambos were like bees around a honey pot as they swarmed all over the East End Park side in the early exchanges and when the deadlock was broken with just 11 minutes on the clock, it was apparent it was going to be a long afternoon for the visitors.

The opener arrived after Dunfermline failed to clear their lines after another sweeping Hearts attack, two of the Jambos’ most improved players since the arrival of Robbo combining to provide the foundation for a comfortable win.

Joe Hamill appears to be relishing the responsibility given to him by his new boss and the exciting young winger provided an inch-perfect cross from the left to pick out the equally rejuvenated Wyness, who bulleted home a header.

The former Inverness goal machine has had to wait a long time to hear his name chanted from the stands by the Gorgie faithful and the much-criticised front man could at least see the funny side of the supporters’ little ditty: "There’s only one Dennis Wyness, he used to be s**** but now he’s alright, walking in a Wyness wonderland."

Dunfermline’s response was a deflected free-kick from Scott Thomson, Craig Gordon flopping on it at the second attempt.

However, the one-way traffic towards Stillie soon resumed, Mark de Vries wasting a great chance just after the half-hour mark when he blazed over from excellent position having been played in by Hamill.

Stillie then did well to deny Andy Webster. The Scotland star was a tower of strength at the back but always dangerous at set pieces and the Fifers’ keeper got down bravely at his feet to turn the ball out for a corner.

Such was Hearts’ dominance, the home side should have been out of sight by the arrival the half-time whistle. However, any concerns there may have been of paying the price for failing to make the most of their superiority evaporated two minutes after the restart with one mighty swing of Ramon Pereira’s boot.

Played in by De Vries, the former Raith star smashed an unstoppable angled effort past the helpless Stillie to double the hosts’ advantage.

Eight minutes later and it was 3-0. Wyness was fouled by Greg Ross in the area and a clean-shaven Paul Hartley celebrated his call-up to the Scotland Future squad - he is in the group for tomorrow night’s clash against Germany in Mannheim - by burying his spot-kick behind Stillie in emphatic fashion.

De Vries then scorned another fine opening when he shot wide of target following good build-up play by Hartley and Robbie Neilson.

"We are trying to pass the ball about and create chances and if we’d been a bit more clinical we could have scored a few more," said Robertson. "It was important to get back on track and the quality of football which we produced was a delight. It was a good day’s work.

"Dennis knows he is winning the fans over and the players are aware what a good footballer he is when the ball is played into his feet and we are getting more and more out of him."

Ex-Livingston boss Hay was impressed by the performance of his former apprentice’s side and admitted he feared a much heavier defeat.

"I thought Hearts played particularly well and the game was gone when they scored their second so early in the second half. I feared the worst at times, even after their third one went in," he said.

One concern for Hearts on an otherwise highly successful afternoon was an injury picked up by midfielder Phil Stamp.

The former Middlesbrough star, a second-half substitute, was making his return from a calf injury when he sustained a painful ankle twist trying to burst forward late in the game.

Despite physio Alan Rae quickly signalling he wanted a stretcher for the player grounded behind Stillie’s goal in front of the Gorgie Stand, the attending ambulance crews took an eternity to notice. They apparently were too interested in the game, the action having moved to the opposite end of the park.

It remains to be seen just how serious the injury is, with Robertson hoping he will at least have Stamp available for the forthcoming UEFA Cup showdown with Ferencvaros at Murrayfield a week on Thursday with a place in the last 32 of the competition at stake.

It has to be said that another down side to the afternoon was the size of the crowd, the game having been watched by the Jambos’ lowest league attendance of the season.

Christmas shopping may well have been a necessary alternative for many but for whatever reason, barely 10,000 turned up for Hearts’ final home game before Celtic’s Boxing Day visit.

Considering the attractive football Robertson now has the team playing, it was a disappointing attendance.

And it perhaps illustrates better than anything the enormity of the task facing new owner-in-waiting Vladimir Romanov if the Lithuanian, who is set to buy out chief executive Chris Robinson this week, is to live up to his bold, if not naive, pledge to attract bigger crowds than the Old Firm.

Ref watch
A STRAIGHTFORWARD afternoon for whistler JOHN UNDERHILL, with little of note to concern the man in the middle.

Top shot
IT’S debatable if Derek Stillie even saw the ball flash past him as RAMON PEREIRA put Hearts 2-0 up with a 47th-minute thunderbolt.

Top save
THE Pars’ DEREK STILLIE had to be brave to dive at the feet of Andy Webster on the line to prevent a certain goal.

The supporters' view

Brian Reynolds, Longstone: "We were excellent in the first half and even better in the second. We were brilliant."

Robert Overs, Dalry: "A very strong first half display set us on our way, our best performance of the season so far."

Joe Hansen, Balgreen: "It’s good to see Dennis Wyness in such top form at last. We completely outclassed them."

Keith Berry, Haymarket: "An attacking exciting performance from Hearts, Hamill, McCallister and Wyness were immense."

Michael Cole, Meadowbank: "We played some very good football for the whole game, a superb performance."

Callum Warne, Murrayfield: "A magnificent performance from Hearts. If it had been a boxing match it would have been stopped."

Team line-ups

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, McAllister, Kisnorbo, Pereira, Hartley (Stewart, 71), Wyness (Weir, 75), Hamill (Stamp, 65), De Vries. Subs not used: Moilanen, MacFarlane, Sloan, Berra.

Dunfermline: Stillie, Wilson, Darren Young, Thomson, Nicholson, Mason, Bradley (Hunt, 45), Dempsey, Butler, Tod, Ross. Subs not used: Langfield, Greenhill, McKeown, Campbell, Wilson, Scullion.

FAN'S VERDICT

Craig Gordon: 6
Robbie Neilson: 7
Jamie McAllister: 8
Steven Pressley: 8
Andy Webster: 8
Paul Hartley: 8
Joe Hamill: 8
Patrick Kisnorbo: 7
Dennis Wyness: 8
Mark de Vries: 6
Ramon Pereira: 7

SUBS
Graham Weir: 4
Michael Stewart: 3
Phil Stamp: 3

PAUL KIDDIE'S STAR MAN
IN similar fashion to team-mate Dennis Wyness, JOE HAMILL demonstrated just what a difference confidence makes. The winger is enjoying a new lease of life under John Robertson and was in the mood from the first whistle. Set up the opener with an inch-perfect cross and pulled many of the Hearts strings with his vision and touch.

THE FACTS

GOALS
Hearts: Wyness (11), Pereira (47), Hartley (pen, 55)

SHOTS ON TARGET
Hearts: 7
Dunfermline: 3

SHOTS OFF TARGET
Hearts: 3
Dunfermline: 4

CORNERS
Hearts: 6
Dunfermline: 2

OFFSIDES
Hearts: 2
Dunfermline: 4

FOULS AGAINST
Hearts: 8
Dunfermline: 15

BOOKINGS
Dunfermline: Dempsey

ATTENDANCE
10,084

Taken from the Scotsman