Hearts prove the wisdom of signing policy

WHEN Vladimir Romanov began to make noises about challenging the Old Firm, he was told by some detractors that Hearts simply lacked the playing and financial resources to do so. Now, having made 11 signings in the transfer window thanks to the largesse of their owner, the Edinburgh club are being warned that they have too many players for their own good. Both statements cannot be right, and judging by this Scottish Cup fourth-round tie it is easy to see which one was wide of the mark.

In the build-up to this match, Hearts knew they would be without their playmaker, Paul Hartley, through suspension, and the two men who had been earmarked as their leading strikers, Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar, because of injury. On Saturday morning, they lost two more key players, both because of a flu-type virus - their leading goalscorer, Rudi Skacel, and their experienced left-back, Takis Fyssas.

Just a couple of weeks earlier in the league, Graham Rix had been deprived of key personnel, and saw his side lose at Kilmarnock. It was therefore easy to see why the home support feared a repeat against Aberdeen - until they realised that, while the names on the team sheet had changed, everything else was unaltered. For Hartley read Lee Johnson: the Englishman took over in the critical midfield role and performed admirably. For the two missing strikers, read Michal Pospisil and Calum Elliot, scorers of the first two goals. And for Fyssas read Jose Goncalves, the former FC Thun player whose wholehearted debut earned him instant cult-hero status.

It appears Rix has the knack which his predecessor, George Burley, enjoyed, and which so many coaches lack: getting new players to blend instantly.

Of course there will be some discord with so many fighting for places, but if their competitive instincts are channelled in the right direction this could in fact benefit rather than harm the club. Besides, the run of injuries Hearts have suffered has already cut down on that competition, and that situation became worse here when Mirsad Beslija sustained a knee injury on his debut which could rule him out for several weeks.

That bad news excepted, everything went right for Hearts on Saturday, or, if you prefer, little went right for Aberdeen. The sluggishness in defence of Jimmy Calderwood's side may have been the principal cause of their downfall, but a couple of key penalty decisions, one at either end, also contributed. One came when the home side had taken the lead through Pospisil's smart volley from a cross by Elliot. Seeking to get back into the contest, Aberdeen had a strong claim for a spot-kick turned down when a tug by Andy Webster on Stevie Crawford went unpunished. Having enjoyed that escape, Hearts were soon two ahead when Deividas Cesnauskis's cut-back was turned in by Elliot. The goal was almost a replica of Paul Hartley's opening strike against Hibs a week earlier, and another reminder of the Edinburgh derby came just before half-time when Hearts went three up.

Pospisil took possession after more lax play from the visiting defence, and when he was brought down while closing in on goal by Zander Diamond, Kenny Clark gave Hearts a penalty and Diamond a red card. The dismissal was not in dispute, but it appeared that, although the Czech had fallen in the box, the illegal contact from the Aberdeen player had been just outside.

In the absence of Hartley, who had scored from the spot against Hibs to put his team 3-0 up at the break, Steven Pressley shot into the net high to Jamie Langfield's right. Hearts were again three goals ahead by the interval against ten men, and as a consequence the second half was muted and mundane.

Russell Anderson had raged at the referee as the teams went off at the break, and after the match he was no less irate about his side's denied penalty. "I think there was a huge turning point in the game and we all know what that is," he said. "The referee said he couldn't see it, and I can understand that. But I thought the linesmen changed their names to assistant referees to assist the referee. We're very disappointed. I'll probably get into trouble for what I've said so far and I don't want to say any more."

He did in fact say a little bit more, to wit that Aberdeen were still very much in the hunt for a top-six place. Their conquerors, by contrast, remain in the running for somewhat grander prizes.

Taken from the Scotsman