McGlynn takes care of business

PAUL KIDDIE
AT TYNECASTLE

Hearts 1 - Jankauskas 35
Kilmarnock 0

CARETAKER boss John McGlynn guided Hearts to back-to-back wins with victory over Kilmarnock - but admitted he's got little chance of landing the manager's job permanently.

Edgar Jankauskas grabbed the only goal of the game to make it two wins out of two for the former youth coach since taking charge in the wake of George Burley's shock departure.

The battling 1-0 triumph over Jim Jefferies' side came just four days after dispatching Dunfermline as Hearts retained their three-point lead over nearest rivals Celtic. The unbeaten Jambos started the second quarter of the season in the same manner as they had finished the first, with another victory tucked safely under their belts. McGlynn, however, into his third spell as interim boss within a year, remains philosophical about his chances of promotion to the hot seat.

"I know the script, I know we're looking for a new manager and it's no big deal," he said. "I suppose I have a better chance than had we lost both games but I know I'm still a long shot as Mr Romanov is looking for a manager from the top bracket to take us into the Champions League."

Ambitious owner Vladimir Romanov, pictured, is indeed searching for an experienced man with an impeccable pedigree and successful track record at the highest level, and that will no doubt preclude willing workhorse McGlynn from being considered by the Lithuanian banker. The talented youth coach, though, can be proud of his efforts in sustaining the momentum built up so impressively by Burley.

"Things have been on our minds almost every minute of the day and I wasn't sure how the players would react until they went out there," he said. "You can cajole, talk to them and put an arm round them but you're never quite sure what is going to happen until they cross that line.

"It has been a massive challenge. We felt last night's game was going to be more difficult than the derby on Saturday. In derbies players and fans know what it's all about. For that reason I felt Killie was going to be a very tough match in the circumstances.

"The players have got themselves into this position and want to continue the good run. They don't want all the hard work to go to waste and hopefully last night's result will make their desire even greater.

The narrow win wasn't the most comfortable, with the hosts well below their best in the absence of suspended skipper Steven Pressley and injured midfield dynamo Paul Hartley.

As any football boss will admit, though, to prevail when not at the top of their game is a sign of a good team. And that's exactly what Burley has left at Tynecastle.

Much has been made of the team spirit he instilled into Hearts in such a short period of time and the players have certainly dug deep to emerge from the most trying of circumstances with maximum points.

Having seen off the Pars, the visit of Jim Jefferies' side was always going to prove a much sterner test. Once again, though, McGlynn's men produced the goods to keep their place at the top of the SPL. "The team spirit has been mentioned in the past and it was a big factor," he said.

"We have a good bunch of players and they worked extremely hard last night. They started the better team but their keeper had two good saves before we scored an excellent goal on the counter attack. "It was a scrappy second half and Craig Gordon didn't really have a save to make, which is tribute to the back four whose concentration right to the end was immense."

The jury still appears to be out as to who the fans hold responsible for Burley's exit, the carefully orchestrated "Vla-di-mir Ro-man-ov" classical anthem failing to trigger a response from the sell-out crowd as the match kicked off. "We are the people, we are the people" surfaced in its place but attitudes seemed to have relaxed somewhat by the final whistle with supporters in the enclosure in front of the directors' box giving the Lithuanian millionaire the thumbs-up.

Burley may be gone but his influence, particularly in the shape of the all-action Rudi Skacel who was his first signing, remains for all to see. The Czech Republic internationalist set up the only goal of the game with a superb pass from wide on the left into the path of Jankauskas and his deliveries from set pieces caused problems for the visitors throughout the game.

Gordon had earlier had to look alert to turn away Steven Naismith's near-post shot before Jamie McAllister tested his opposite number with two rasping drives.

Hearts should have had a penalty after Andy Webster was barged over as he attempted to latch onto the rebound from the second effort after nine minutes, referee Stuart Dougal ignoring home pleas.

He then turned down an even stronger shout when Kris Boyd almost ripped the shirt off Michal Pospisil's back as he attempted to get on the end of Skacel's inswinging free-kick. If Hearts felt aggrieved at seeing those appeals rejected, they breathed a sigh of relief when replacement referee Stevie O'Reilly ignored a strong Kilmarnock claim on the hour mark.

With Dougal labouring from the effects of the flu, the fourth official stepped into the breach for the second half and missed Andy Webster's handball from Danny Invincibile's goal-bound shot.

For all Killie's possession after the break, they rarely threatened to pierce a back four well marshalled by stand-in skipper Webster.

Hearts, in fact, had the best chances to stretch their advantage, Graeme Smith denying Pospisil with a brave save after 67 minutes and again in injury time. McAllister had the simplest opportunity of the night when he went to stroke home the loose ball into an empty net after Smith's late stop; somehow though he contrived to drag his shot wide of target, the kind of miss which can so often come back to haunt a team.

Fortunately, it was the last kick of the game and the final whistle brought the curtain down on a traumatic yet rewarding few days for the Gorgie side.

"Jim and Billy had Killie fired up and Kilmarnock made it very difficult for us but it was an important win and sets up nicely for Easter Road on Saturday," said McGlynn.

Chief Executive Phil Anderton has said the new man could be in place for the derby showdown but given the team's displays under McGlynn, the club should not feel they have to rush into making any appointment, the stand-in proving he is up to the task.

Taken from the Scotsman