Every second counts for Hearts

SHOULD Graham Rix have needed a crumb of comfort to nibble on after overseeing Hearts' poorest performance of the season at Tynecastle, he need only have glanced at the league table on Saturday night.

The Jambos may have lost this season's 100 per cent record at their Gorgie home against Inverness Caley Thistle yet the hard-fought goalless draw actually saw them strengthen their grip on second place and a cherished spot in the Champions League.

Third-placed Hibs' narrow defeat at Parkhead saw leaders Celtic carve open a three-point gap over Rix's outfit. The Englishman, though, can take solace from the fact Tony Mowbray's side are now a significant seven points adrift of their arch rivals. Always keen to accentuate the positive rather than dwell on the negative side of any game, there was precious little else for the new head coach to feel satisfied with after his team failed to come close to anything like the form which had seen them win their previous eight SPL games at Tynecastle.

If Rix wasn't quite aware how difficult a job he had taken on when accepting the post, he is now. Despite the former Oxford United and Portsmouth gaffer being unbeaten after four games in charge, the natives are distinctly restless.

In the cold light of day, draws at Aberdeen and Motherwell were acceptable in the big scheme of things, while the narrow win over Livingston could have been much more comfortable given the chances created. Hearts could have quite easily bagged half-a-dozen goals against the Lions but it was a different story on Saturday with guile or a cutting edge sadly lacking against Craig Brewster's Highlanders.

Having grown increasingly impatient at the sight of their heroes toiling against a team 18 points behind them at the start of play, the crescendo of boos from the home fans which greeted the final whistle told its own story.

"It was very frustrating and we knew it was going to be like that," said Rix.

"It's difficult to remain calm and do the right things because you become a little bit frantic in your bid to get the ball forward and I could understand the frustration of the crowd and the players."

The law of averages suggested there was every chance Hearts would lose their 100 per cent record at some stage this season but the manner of the performance at the weekend was what disappointed.

Rix had done his homework for the visit of Inverness but failed to come up with the answers to questions posed by a team boasting one of the best away records in the SPL this year - Caley have lost just twice on the road in 2005.

The former Chelsea coach made three changes to the team which brought him his first win as manager against Livingston.

Injury ruled out Roman Bednar, suspension accounted for Julien Brellier while Lithuanian David Cesnauskis was preferred to compatriot Saulius Mikoliunas to patrol the right-hand touchline.

That position was a headache for former boss George Burley and seems to now for Rix, although it was the absence of Frenchman Brellier which appeared to have the most significant effect on the home side on Saturday.

Reportedly unfancied by owner Vladimir Romanov when brought to the club by Burley in the summer, the midfielder's tenacity in front of the back four was badly missed.

Rix brought in Stephen Simmons for his first league start of the campaign and dropped Paul Hartley back into a more defensive role. The Scotland star has been a major factor in his side's thrilling pursuit of the championship but he was too deep against Inverness to prompt and probe to any great effect.

As a result the hosts' threat going forward was significantly diminished, as hard as Calum Elliot and Michal Pospisil tried.

Hearts ultimately ran out of ideas and in fact could have suffered an even more damaging 90 minutes with Brewster somehow missing the best chance of the match after 36 minutes.

Craig Dargo beat Takis Fyssas down the right before cutting the ball back to his manager but the veteran striker was left holding his head in his hands after scooping his shot over from eight yards out.

Robbie Neilson had earlier cleared off the line from David Proctor and as the interval approached Ian Black and Barry Wilson failed to make the most of good shooting opportunities.

The best Hearts came up with was an opening for Cesnauskis but his fresh air shot in front of goal let Inverness off the hook.

Rix had managed to cajole his players into brighter second-half performances at Pittodrie and Fir Park but his half-time pep talk on Saturday didn't produce the necessary upgrade in display hoped for by the fans.

In one of the home side's better moves, Cesnauskis was denied by a save from Mark Brown after an excellent build-up involving Hartley and Pospisil.

It was skipper Steven Pressley, though, who came closest when he sent a header just wide from a Hartley corner with 66 minutes on the clock. But that was it as far as Hearts were concerned as Inverness continued to look the more likely team to score.

Brewster came close with two efforts, the latter an audacious shot from wide on the left which Gordon turned behind and the Scotland star also had to be alert to divert Black's powerful shot for a corner.

Ross Tokely had a goal chalked off for offside 17 minutes from time before the visitors had two reasonable penalty claims within the space of 60 seconds.

Andy Webster appeared to push Dargo in the back in the 83rd minute before Robbie Neilson clearly handled Wilson's shot in the area.

A packed Tynecastle seemed to hold its breath but referee Calum Murray deemed no infringement had taken place.

"I didn't think the referee was going to award it as it was ball to hand rather hand to ball," said the right-back, who skippered the Scotland Future team to victory over Poland last week. "Having said that, I have seen them given and if it had been at the other end we would have been looking for it."

Rix knows there is huge room for improvement but was keen to point out the draw, his third in four games, maintained the Jambos' proud unbeaten home record.

"We knew it was going to be very difficult and that's how it proved," he said.

"They are a tough side to play against as they are well drilled and organised.

"It was one of those games you're frightened of as when you're forcing the issue they are always going to get chances at the other end. You are always going to be susceptible to counter attacks.

"I've told the guys to get their heads up, we didn't concede a goal and are still unbeaten at home."

Taken from the Scotsman