Hartley and Skacel prove their worth to Hearts

Ewan Murray at Tynecastle
Monday January 30, 2006
The Guardian

Hearts insisted last night that they will reject any offer from Southampton for Paul Hartley before the transfer window closes tomorrow night. George Burley, the Southampton manager who spent the early part of this season at Tynecastle, made tentative inquiries this month and has convinced his chairman Rupert Lowe to follow up.

However, that offer, which could reach £1m, will be dismissed by the Hearts board, who are adamant that prize assets will be retained. Southampton are also not in a position to offer Hartley much more than the £8,000 a week that he currently earns, and the player is understood to be reluctant to join the Championship side after enduring a troubled spell at Millwall earlier in his career.

Hearts' major shareholder Vladimir Romanov missed Saturday's derby victory as he was attempting to conclude the long-running saga relating to the purchase of Mirsad Beslija from Racing Genk. The Bosnian winger is still expected in Edinburgh before tomorrow's midnight deadline.

It was the double act of Hartley and Rudi Skacel that was decisive against Tony Mowbray's disjointed side. The match was over as a contest after 17 first-half minutes when Hibs conceded three goals and had Gary Smith sent off.

"We were fantastic," said the Hearts head coach Graham Rix. "We showed what we are capable of, and deserved the victory over what is a good Hibs side."

Skacel, who left the field in just his underpants and a Hearts scarf after throwing the remainder of his kit into the crowd, supplied Hartley with a perfect cross for the opening goal before turning predator himself to lash Hearts' second past the stranded Simon Brown.

Celtic-bound Gary Caldwell then felled Skacel in the box, Hartley dispatched the penalty, and Smith was dismissed for aiming a loose hand at Saulius Mikoliunas.

Rix deserves credit for getting his tactics absolutely right. The home side's five-man midfield nullified Hibs' creative threat and Mowbray's team did little to halt the onslaught from their hosts. Calum Elliot knocked home Hearts' fourth in the early stages of the second half, before Garry O'Connor grabbed a consolation for Hibs with a low drive.

Hearts now sit nine points above their city rivals, but 16-goal Skacel has his eyes on a bigger prize - a place in the Czech Republic's World Cup squad.

Man of the match Rudi Skacel (Hearts)

Taken from the Guardian/Observer