Jankauskas dazzles Motherwell with a double

Hearts 3-0 Motherwell

EDGARAS JANKAUSKAS is generally a very reclusive character, consistently shying away from the public eye since arriving in Scotland last July. On Saturday, though, he invited the glare upon himself as the catalyst for an impressive Hearts victory.

Jankauskas' resumption of striking duties indisputably injected the home side with the required inspiration to banish their lethargic performance from the previous week, when they had conceded a one-goal advantage to lose to Aberdeen.

Two goals for the giant Lithuanian in a 3-0 win over Motherwell depicted most of the story, but there was significantly more about his exertions on returning from a hamstring injury. Had he been even another week down the road to full fitness, lord knows what destruction he may have inflicted upon a visiting side which never at any point could be accused of playing poorly.

Defending below par, perhaps, but when faced with a fully motivated Jankauskas most back lines will toil to repel for the full 90 minutes. In contrast, Terry Butcher's players could hold out for just three before Jankauskas had their net bulging.

Supporters at Tynecastle have been yearning for an imposing and potent striker since their own quiet assassin limped out of the Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock back on January 7. His return, therefore, was greeted with much celebration. Jankauskas dispatched the opener high beyond Colin Meldrum from six yards with only minutes gone after Rudi Skacel's shot had been stopped, but not held, by the Motherwell goalkeeper.

The second on 14 minutes hinted at the possibility of a rout as Martyn Corrigan stuck out his heel to intercept a Deividas Cesnauskis cross from the right. He succeeded only in teeing the ball up for the on-running Jankauskas to hit a rising drive soaring into the same corner as the first.

The star man's performance also had an encore for the home support, for when an exhausted looking Jankauskas headed for the Hearts dugout on 69 minutes, he was replaced by another icon, Roman Bednar re-appearing from the substitutes' bench after an even longer stint in the treatment room due to knee trouble.

Between them, Jankauskas and Bednar generated more aplomb throughout the afternoon than all of their team-mates combined, but special praise must be reserved for another retiring type, Julien Brellier.

It can surely be no coincidence that Hearts' buckling against Aberdeen the previous Saturday had occurred in the Frenchman's absence as he sat out a one-match suspension. The sight of a group of Wheatfield Stand supporters holding aloft a French tricolour prior to kick-off was a testament to his reinstatement and standing amongst his followers.

That banner was emblazoned with the words "Brellier, le juge", the message from which can easily be translated by implanting the letter "d" in the middle of the last word. Brellier's nickname in his homeland was only emphasised by his efficient performance.

Calmly, unspectacularly, he orchestrated things in midfield for Hearts beside Bruno Aguiar, the Portuguese replacement for the suspended Paul Hartley. Brellier's quietness should not be mistaken for a lack of urgency, though, for when a game becomes nasty, which was rather frequently on Saturday, No.28 can wade in to good effect to assist his colleagues.

"After the way we played last week I thought we showed great character," said head coach Graham Rix. "Every time we went forward in the first half I thought we were going to score, and I was delighted with the way we went about our business.

"Edgaras got two goals, Roman came back after a long time out, and Calum Elliot has now scored four goals in five games for us. These guys are a delight to work with."

Elliot was embroiled in the most nonsensical moment of the afternoon, if not the entire season, when referee Charlie Richmond showed him the yellow card in the 80th minute. Meldrum appeared to have taken a free-kick inside his own penalty area and Elliot sprinted on to the loose ball, only to be pulled up and booked for his troubles with the referee indicating that the infringement had not occurred where Meldrum took the kick.

The Hearts bench were certainly perplexed, and the young striker was left with his arms in the air in exasperation. "I was just giving the ball back once I knew the free-kick hadn't actually been taken yet," bemoaned Elliot. "I don't know why he booked me."

"I thought the referee was a little bit quick to get his yellow card out there," added Rix. "I thought he might have used a little common sense and just told Calum what was happening because the boy didn't know. It was frustrating."

Elliot was never likely to let an incidental get him down, and after the match he left Tynecastle with one of the cutest finishes he has executed in his burgeoning career at the forefront of his mind.

On 78 minutes, Takis Fyssas fed Rudi Skacel in what used to be known as the inside-left channel, and the Czech midfielder instantly flicked the ball over the Motherwell defence in the direction of Elliot.

The 18-year-old was alert and swift in latching on to the ball and lofting it over the advancing Meldrum to complete the victory.

"I don't want a rest," exclaimed Elliot in a blatant message to his head coach, who has been insisting for weeks that the young striker should be withdrawn from the first team for the good of his own development. "I'm scoring goals and I want to keep playing.

"I think I'm doing well to keep getting picked. I went so long at the start of the season without scoring and I thought I was never going to score, but over the last few weeks I've got a few so I want to stay in the team. Competition keeps you on your toes and we now have Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar back. We had a good start and played some nice football and when the second goal went in we settled a bit."

Butcher left Edinburgh in frustration. His team hit the woodwork twice, the first being a Scott McDonald header in the opening seconds which would have seriously altered the complexion of the game thereafter had it gone in. A later header from Stephen Craigan also came back off the junction of post and crossbar.

But for all Motherwell, a seriously talented and industrious side, attempted to take the game to Hearts, their unquestionable ability was often overshadowed by a seriously petulant attitude that does not serve them well, particularly in the case of Richie Foran and Alan McCormack.

Foran, in truth, was fortunate not to be ordered off as he fouled and angrily remonstrated his way through the afternoon. He was eventually yellow carded with 14 minutes to play for scything down Cesnauskis.

"If you give Hearts two goals of a start, then it's a very difficult task after that," lamented Butcher at the end. Even more so when you are presenting those opportunities to one Edgaras Jankauskas.

Taken from the Scotsman