'Worst' still enough as Hearts pass test of character

INVERNESS CT 0
HEARTS 1

AS HE watched Rocky Marciano pound his way through yet another successful defence of his world heavyweight title, a veteran American sportswriter was once moved to comment that "it ain't pretty, but it's pretty damn effective". While it would be unfair to compare the aesthetic qualities of Hearts with those of the man who held the most famous 100 per cent record in sporting history, there is no doubt that George Burley's SPL leaders currently share the Brockton Blockbuster's knack of always finding a way to win.

With the wind and rain whipping in off the Moray Firth, the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium was certainly no place for pretty football on Saturday. Instead, this tremendously resilient and focused Hearts team were required to graft and grapple their way to the three points which maintained their remarkable start to the Bank of Scotland Premierleague campaign and ensured they will still hold pole position next weekend whatever the outcome of the eagerly anticipated visit of reigning champions Rangers to Tynecastle.

Any team which has ever sustained a title challenge successfully has been able to earn victories of the kind Hearts achieved in Inverness to make it seven out of seven in the SPL this season. It was, by Burley's own admission, their "worst attacking performance" under his guidance so far but they possessed other qualities in abundance which will be just as crucial to their prospects of going the distance in this championship.

Against an Inverness side which never fails to pose serious questions to their visitors, Hearts defended in exemplary fashion and more than held their own in a physical midfield battle on their first competitive outing at a venue where, as Rangers discovered before them this season, nothing comes easily.

Craig Brewster, the Inverness manager, added his weight to the ever-increasing body of opinion that the challenge from the Gorgie men to the stranglehold exerted on Scottish football by the Old Firm for the last 20 years is much more than a flash in the pan.

"Hearts won't be dislodged easily from the top of the table," observed Brewster, "especially if they can keep that base together of Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley and Andy Webster at the back. They knew they were in a game today, we made them work for everything, but they defended very well and don't allow you to have any creativity when you are on the ball."

On an afternoon when creativity was indeed at a premium, Hearts were once again indebted to Rudi Skacel's precious ability to sniff out a glimpse of goal and make the most of it. The Czech international midfielder can already consider himself a marked man in Scottish football, but his phenomenal goal-a-game scoring streak continued here with the 28th-minute strike which proved the difference between the teams and took the heat off strikers Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar who both appeared off the pace.

Skacel, who had earlier tested Inverness goalkeeper Mark Brown with a sweetly-struck shot from all of 30 yards, showed neat skills wide on the left to wrong-foot two opponents and force the throw-in which Takis Fyssas launched into the home penalty area. Brewster later bemoaned the fact his team had failed to clear the danger despite having nine players in the box but, like the rest of us, could only admire the manner in which Skacel pounced on the loose ball before turning and driving in a low left-foot shot from around 16 yards which beat Brown to his left.

While Pressley should have doubled Hearts' lead when he headed a Skacel cross wide from close range, the SPL leaders did get a fortunate break three minutes before the interval when Craig Dargo had a goal disallowed when he knocked the ball home from an offside position after Darren Dods poked a shot goalwards after Grant Munro's header struck the crossbar. If Dargo had left the ball alone, it may well have gone in for an equaliser but the striker's natural instinct proved costly for Inverness as the flag was raised.

The second half brought scant threat of either goal being breached, leaving Burley an understandably contented figure as his 100 per cent record as Hearts manager was safely protected.

"It was a test of character today," he said. "You are going to get games like that and when you come through them with three points, it is encouraging. The free-flowing football wasn't there, but the work rate and organisation was. We defended really well and I don't remember Craig Gordon making too many saves. We are capable of scoring lots of goals from different parts of our team, but defending is as much of a team effort and that's the key to our success at the moment."

Burley, who will anxiously await a fitness report on Greek full-back Fyssas who limped out the action with a knee injury, indicated that he is likely to rest as many players as he feels he can afford for the midweek CIS Insurance Cup tie at Livingston. Hearts supporters caught their first glimpse of Samuel Camazzola on Saturday as the Brazilian midfielder replaced Jamie McAllister for the final 35 minutes. The player signed from Juventude last month at the whim of major shareholder Vladimir Romanov looks set to start at Almondvale.

Initial impressions of Camazzola were unconvincing, with Burley diplomatically observing: "Samuel will take time to settle. He did all right and we will look at him for Wednesday. We don't have a big squad to rest players. We want to win the game at Livingston, but the Rangers game is so close now."

Camazzola, who shrugged off the inclement weather for his debut by pointing out that temperatures in his home city of Caxias do Sul had hit zero degrees earlier in the week, gamely faced the media afterwards despite his basic grasp of English and lack of an interpreter.

"I enjoyed my first game," he said. "It was very physical and the ball was in the air a lot more than it is in Brazil. I'm pleased to have played and my performances can get better."

Man of the match

Andy Webster

The Scotland defender appears to grow in stature every week and was dominant in the air and on the deck. May now be thinking that a January move to either of the Old Firm, both said to court him, might see him miss out on a championship medal.

Taken from the Scotsman