Webster insists Hearts ready for any Thistle sting

Centre-half Andy agrees with new boss Robertson that a stiff test awaits when they meet Partick at Firhill in Scottish Cup

PAUL KIDDIE

IF the old adage of once bitten twice shy is true then Hearts should be well aware of the dangers facing them when they take on Partick Thistle in the third round of the Tennent’s Scottish Cup at Firhill tomorrow.

The SPL side are strong odds-on favourites to dispose of the side currently struggling to avoid the ignominy of successive relegations, the Jags currently lying perilously close to the foot of the First Division having dropped out of the top flight last season.

On paper, at least, all indications would appear to suggest an away win. However, the last time the teams met in Glasgow with the odds similarly stacked in favour of the Jambos, the Gorgie outfit was left suitably embarrassed following a shock defeat.

The surprise reverse came in April last year as Hearts surged towards third place and UEFA Cup qualification for the second consecutive season. The visitors had marched into Firhill on the back of an impressive 11-game unbeaten run, confident of another three points against a team already resigned to relinquishing their SPL status.

But Andy Thomson’s second-half strike upset the form book against opponents who finished the game with ten men following Paul Hartley’s dismissal and took from the game what they deserved.

The weight of expectancy will again fall on the men from Tynecastle as they head along the M8 tomorrow on a journey which will hopefully lead all the way to Hampden Park.

While the management pairing in the team bus may have changed from nine months ago following Craig Levein and Peter Houston’s departure to Leicester City, the personnel remains pretty much the same so complacency for John Robertson’s side will not be an option.

"I am sure Partick will be looking at tomorrow as an opportunity to prove themselves having already been in the top division," said centre-half Andy Webster.

"We are well aware how difficult it is going to be as the last time we played Thistle we lost at Firhill.

"We had been on a good run going into that game but lost 1-0 and that showed that nothing can be taken for granted. You just can’t afford to turn up and expect to win matches.

"They have a new manager and will be up for it and we have to ensure we match them."

With the Jags’ appointment this week of Dick Campbell and Jimmy Bone, the home side are sure to go into the game with renewed vigour.

Circumstances are therefore not ideal for Hearts as they look to improve a disappointing Scottish Cup record in recent seasons, a fact not missed by Robertson.

"Firhill is a very difficult place to go at the best of times but our task hasn’t been made any easier by the arrival of Dick Campbell and Jimmy Bone as the new management team at the club.

"Dick is a hugely respected figure in the game and Donald Park and I love him to death following our various jousts throughout the leagues.

"He has of course brought former Hearts favourite Jimmy Bone with him and knowing their characters it will be a very aggressive and determined Partick Thistle side we will be facing.

"A new manager coming in more often than not lifts a team.

You just have to look at what happened after John Lambie took over recently.

"They may have lost their first game against in-form Ross County but then had a great win over Falkirk and a good draw against St Mirren at Paisley.

"There is no doubt they will be feeling a lot better about themselves."

Thistle may be languishing in second bottom place in the First Division but Robbo knows that won’t count for anything once Campbell has his men wound up and ready for action.

"We cannot afford to be fooled by Partick’s league position," said the Hearts boss.

"They can put their league woes behind them tomorrow and will be treating us as a big scalp.

"We will have to be prepared and the players know how we will be going about our business."

Webster, meanwhile, today insisted the news that skipper Steven Pressley is set to sign a new long-term deal with the club is the perfect pick-me-up after a week which saw Alan Maybury and Mark de Vries head to Leicester and Stevie Crawford snub Hearts for Dundee United.

The club has tabled a three-and-a-half year deal for the captain and it appears his signature on the dotted line is a formality.

"In any kind of uncertainty you look for some sort of stability and if Elvis is going to sign a new contract then that is good news for us," he said.

"With him being the captain it is important to hang on to him as he is a big player for us.

"It’s a good positive note for the fans as there has been a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the club with lots of talk about all the guys out of contract and who may or may not be staying.

"In January you are always going to get a lot of speculation as there are now only certain periods of time when clubs can transfer players out or bring others in.

"But if Elvis is ready to sign a new deal it’s a good lift for the squad ahead of what will be a tough Scottish Cup tie."

Taken from the Scotsman