Hearts dig in for lucky seven

INVERNESS 0-1 HEARTS

PAUL KIDDIE
AT THE CALEDONIAN STADIUM

MORE than two thousand Hearts fans made the long trek home from Inverness having witnessed their team's worst performance of the season - and cared not a jot. Even Vladimir Romanov, whose appearance at matches is becoming a regular occurrence, thought his journey was worthwhile.

The clash against Craig Brewster's Highlanders looked, on paper at least, to provide one of the sternest tests to date for George Burley's side, the free- flowing Jambos having headed north as SPL leaders with six wins out of six. And so it proved.

The Gorgie outfit won't be the only team to find the somewhat depressing surroundings of the Caledonian Stadium and the accompanying icy wind sweeping in from the Moray Firth less than welcoming. So the fact that the visitors managed to keep their 100 per cent opening to the campaign intact spoke volumes for the character of this Hearts side, the 1-0 victory at the SPL outpost making it seven up for the men in maroon who were well below their best on Saturday.

In all likelihood Burley will see his men play better this season and fail to take maximum points, so there was an understandable feeling of satisfaction at a job well done when the Tynecastle boss emerged at full-time.

"We knew it was going to be tough as Inverness are solid, well organised and hard to break down," he said. "It was wet and windy and there wasn't a great atmosphere with one side of the ground open so it was a test of character.

"It wasn't a classic and there are areas we have to work at. Over a season you are going to get games like that and if you can come out on top with three points, it is encouraging.

"Overall you would maybe say it was our worst attacking performance of the season, but football is very much a team game and our workrate was there and we were organised and defended very well, and that is what won us the game. The lads' commitment can't be faulted."

This was the first time this season that Hearts had failed to score more than once in a game and for league leaders more used to more comprehensive victories it must have been pleasing for Burley to see that his players were willing to roll up their sleeves and dig in for the cause when the need arose.

With rain sweeping down the pitch at kick-off, the visitors started off in menacing fashion, Paul Hartley testing Mark Brown with a free-kick within the first minute and Rudi Skacel blasting a 30-yarder narrowly wide.

Brown then just beat Roman Bednar to a weak back pass as the hosts weathered the early storm from Hearts.

Julien Brellier proved a prime example of the commitment which so impressed Burley, the Frenchman enjoying his best game since coming to the club as the key defensive midfielder.

He made a great block to clear the danger posed by Ross Tokely and moments later Hearts were in front. And it was that man Skacel again.

With six goals in six successive league matches this season, you'd have thought Inverness would have been well warned about his threat in and around the box.

However, the home side allowed him to pick up a throw from Takis Fyssas in the 28th minute and make space for himself. He controlled the ball well before slamming a shot into the left-hand corner of the net.

Perhaps unfamiliar with the rules governing goal celebrations in this country, the midfielder was promptly booked by referee Mike McCurry for understandably overdoing things in front of the home support as he continued his amazing form.

Shortly after skipper Steven Pressley headed a corner from the goal-a-game Czech just wide of the target as the visitors looked to turn the screw.

Inverness, though, are nothing if not battlers and they came close to levelling things three minutes from the break. Former Hibee Darren Dods saw a header come back to him off Craig Gordon's left-hand post and just as his follow-up shot appeared destined to cross the line, the lurking Craig Dargo showed a typical striker's instinct to stab the ball home.

Home celebrations were quickly curtailed, though, when an offside flag against the former Raith Rovers attacker was spotted.

"I am not sure if Dods' effort would have hit the back of the net but it was certainly going to cross the line," said a rueful Brewster afterwards. "I think Craig had come back from an offside position and it was pretty annoying. He was desperate to score and maybe thought it was going past the post. It would have been a nice time to get back in it."

Chances were few and far between in the second period, which was most noticeable for the debut of Burley's boy from Brazil, Samuel Camazzola, replacing Jamie McAllister after 55 minutes. The midfielder actually came closest to scoring for the visitors when Brown was forced to tip over his dangerous inswinging corner.

The fact that Gordon didn't have a save of note to make was evidence of the sterling work done by the men in front of him and Burley said: "You have got to have players who are prepared to work hard and you have to be strong and defend correctly, which we did. It wasn't easy with the long throws and free-kicks which they put into the box, but all credit to the guys for they way they defended them."

Seven games, seven wins and a five-point lead over nearest challengers Celtic.

Things don't get much better if you're a Hearts fan at the moment.

Providing Burley's side can continue to show the same kind of resolute defending which strangled the life out of the Caley Thistle attack, Brewster believes it will take a mighty effort to shift them from the pinnacle of the SPL.

"We needed more creativity when we had the ball, but Hearts don't allow that very easily and that's why they are up there," he said.

"They are defensively very strong and have a great engine in the midfield. I don't see them being easily dislodged from top of the table, absolutely not.

"If they can keep Pressley and Webster on the park, and Brellier does his job well in the middle alongside Paul Hartley and Skacel then they'll be a handful for anyone."

Hearts' start to the season is their best for 91 years when eight victories were strung together in 1914-15.

If they can add Rangers to their list of victims this weekend, the all-time club record for consecutive wins at the start of a league campaign dating back to the 19th century will be in their sights.

In 1894-95 the Jambos won 11 matches in a row - en route to their first league championship. May dreams of a fifth continue.

Taken from the Scotsman