Hearts weather Firhill storm

Partick (0) 0 Hearts (0) 0

Saturday's ill wind, which hurled icebergs of air around and shuddered stadiums and spectators alike, nearly blew Hearts out of the Tennent's Scottish Cup.

A goalless draw was predictable but provided small comfort to Tynecastle manager John Robertson. Before the game, Robertson declared that his side would have to show passion and fight to match Thistle, who would be sure to demonstrate the same qualities in their first outing under their new management team of Dick Campbell and Jimmy Bone.

In short, it was a day when the elements and context favoured Thistle in every respect save one, Hearts' superior quality.

By full-time Robertson was candid enough to admit that he was glad of the opportunity to have a second go in circumstances that should better suit his own players with home advantage and the likelihood of less capricious conditions.

"It was a horrible day, the pitch was soft, the wind was blowing down the park and they've got new management, so it was never going to be easy and that's exactly how it proved," said Robertson. "I think, for guts and effort, Partick deserved a draw and earned a replay."

Hearts may have been top of the heap of clubs outside the Old Firm for the past couple of years but they have never been a free-scoring side. Former manager Craig Levein arranged matters so that the side was strong on defence, diligent in midfield and deployed to play around a robust target man in Mark de Vries.

The Dutch forward has now departed to join Levein at Leicester, along with left back Alan Maybury, and Robertson chose to field Kevin McKenna, Hearts' defender cum striker, at the apex of an ornate 4-2-1-2-1 formation.

McKenna did trouble Thistle with a first half volley which swept narrowly past Kenny Arthur's goal but there was not much more to show for Hearts' efforts and Robertson stated what had been evident to the lively crowd of 5,666. He said: "We didn't have enough quality in the last third. I thought we dominated the second half, in particular, but we never really looked like cutting them open.

"If it was on to cross, we shot, and if it was on to shoot, we crossed. You have to have belief at the business end of the game, you have to go into places where it's going to hurt and our forwards didn't get into those areas, where they could have damaged Partick.

"The standard of our play and the standard of our finishing has to improve. Robbie Nielson had our three best chances and he's the right back. The problems have been there all season and they were there when Craig Levein first started. The team isn't scoring enough goals."

Off the field, Hearts are in limbo while the takeover by Lithuanian banker Vladimir Romanov trundles along and none of this is any help to Robertson as the transfer window moves on without the manager having any idea of what, if anything, he might be allowed to spend.

Thistle's fans spent much of the proceedings taunting their Edinburgh counterparts about lack of financial resources, like a tramp berating a beggar for being impecunious. The Jags are second bottom of the First Division only a few months after they were in the SPL and a further descent is unthinkable.

Campbell and Bone were comparatively pleased with the afternoon's work and a replay at Tynecastle will do neither Thistle nor Hearts any harm in the overdraft entries, but Thistle know that the game was there to be won – as it almost was when Juan Escala accepted a pass from Derek Fleming and smacked a shot off Craig Gordon's post shortly before the interval.

"Apart from the 30-yard shot from Phil Stamp with five minutes to go out keeper didn't have a save to make," Campbell said afterwards. "But in terms of possession Hearts were well on top especially in the second half and I'm annoyed about that".

Match details

Partick Thistle (4-4-2): Arthur; Anis, Murray, Madaschi, Milne; Gibson (B Gibson 60), Fleming, Mitchell (Dowie 68), Strachan (Fulton h-t); Escalas, One.
Subs: Pinkowski (g), Hinds.
Heart of Midlothian (4-2-1-2-1): Gordon; Neilson, Webster, Pressley, McAllister; McFarlane, Stamp; Wyness; Weir (Pereira 61), Hammill (Simmons 83); McKenna.
Subs: Moilanen (g), Berra.
Referee: C MacKay.

Taken telegraph.co.uk/sport