Defence is solid for Tynecastle crunch

HEARTS' five-goal hammering of Falkirk may have carried them into second place in the SPL scoring charts - but their case for the defence remains as compelling as ever.

The Jambos helped ease the pressure on manager Graham Rix with their biggest league win in nearly five years, the 5-0 Boxing Day victory keeping them hot on the heels of leaders Celtic.

The Gorgie outfit have now rattled in 39 goals in pursuit of a coveted Champions League place but it is the stinginess of the rearguard which has proved the foundation on which their title bid has been based.

This latest clean sheet against the Bairns saw the Tynecastle side complete 20 games of the season with their goal being breached on just 13 occasions, five fewer than the Parkhead outfit.

With Scotland internationalists Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley and Andy Webster, pictured below, having been complemented by the arrival of Euro 2004 winner Takis Fyssas and Robbie Neilson proving something of an unsung hero at right-back, the Hearts defence is looking as solid as it has ever done at Tynecastle.

With the top-scoring Hoops due to arrive in Gorgie for a New Year's Day showdown, it promises to be an intriguing battle and one which skipper Pressley is clearly relishing with Hearts having conceded just two goals in front of their own fans this season.

"We have lost just 13 goals in 20 games this season which is by far the best defensive record in the SPL," said the Scotland stopper.

"It is a record we are proud of and if you don't lose goals, you don't lose games. That's not down to just the back four and the goalkeeper. Far from it. Strong defensive teams are teams who work as a unit as a whole.

"That's what we have done this season and our pressure on the ball has been first class and that allows the defenders to get tight on people.

"We are proud of that and proud of the fact we have lost just two goals at Tynecastle in the league this season. That is a very positive statistic and we should have a lot of belief going into the January 1 game with Celtic."

The Boxing Day visit of the Bairns saw Hearts make a welcome return to form as the players produced the type of performance Rix had been craving since taking charge last month.

A clear-the-air meeting with Rix and his management team in the build-up to the match paid handsome dividends, with the hosts looking much more like a team capable of challenging for the title.

"We got back to what we do best and that is the basics of football," said Pressley. "That is something we do particularly well and if we play with the same intensity I'm confident that results will follow.

"There were a number of issues we all wanted to discuss and the manager wanted to clarify everything. We are a very good team if we do the basics well and I think we proved that against Falkirk."

The recent dip in performances prompted some sceptics to query whether the Hearts bubble, if it had not exactly popped, had at least started to deflate at an alarming rate.

The manner of the victory over the Bairns, however, suggests stories of the Jambos' demise have been greatly exaggerated.

And as Pressley was quick to point out, it's not just Hearts who have stuttered along of late.

"For 14 or 15 games we have played probably the best football I have been involved in at this club and produced some first-class performances," he said.

"But it's not just ourselves who have experienced a difficult few games. Celtic themselves have slipped up a number of times in recent weeks and nobody has managed to put together a sustained positive run of results.

"We are delighted to have got back on track and have set ourselves up nicely for January 1 and the game against Celtic.

"We have been searching for a wee while for that type of performance and we have to remember how we got it. That was by going back to doing the basics properly and if we can continue to do that then we'll be a difficult side to beat."

With two homes games over the festive period, Hearts have the ideal opportunity to do themselves a power of good in the championship race. Having already pushed Celtic all the way at Parkhead earlier this season under George Burley - Rudi Skacel earned a deserved point for his side in October - and defeated Rangers in the Capital, confidence will be high that they can take maximum reward from the two games.

"I said that the Falkirk and Celtic games would have a huge bearing on our season and having taken care of the first one, we can now look forward to the challenge awaiting us on New Year's Day," said Pressley. "Our performances against Celtic have been extremely good in recent seasons and we should be going into the game confident that we can get a result.

"We have beaten Rangers at Tynecastle already this season and were slightly unfortunate not to beat Celtic at Parkhead. I thought we gave a very assured performance that day and there should be no negative thoughts going into this game.

"We have just won 5-0 and have a fantastic opportunity this weekend."

One highlight of what was an impressive overall team performance against Falkirk was the individual contribution of teenager Calum Elliot.

The young striker, who first made his top-team breakthrough under Craig Levein, has waited for what must have seemed like an eternity to break his duck for the club. However, his efforts were finally rewarded with a glory double as the Jambos kept the heat on Celtic at the top of the table.

Pressley has watched the 18-year-old grow in stature this season and was delighted to see him off the mark in his 19th match in maroon.

"Calum's performances since he came into the side have been great," said Pressley. "He's a young kid and has grown in confidence. The thing with strikers is that they are judged by the goals they get but I think we should judge their overall play. For one so young he leads the line really well and his two goals will have capped a fantastic Christmas for him.

"He has a lot of good attributes and shows a lot of intelligence with his runs. In the small time he has been involved with the first team I've noticed him growing in confidence on the training ground and with the other players.

"It is never easy for a youngster to come into a side where the expectation levels are so high. But he has handled it superbly and we were all delighted for him."

Taken from the Scotsman