Hearts 4
Dunfermline 0

EXPERIENCE is said to be irrelevant to ability in football. "If you're good enough, you're old enough", is the saying trotted out by many a manager preparing to place his faith in a fresh-faced youth player.

With that in mind, the case for Valdas Ivanauskas being affirmed as the permanent head coach of Hearts is growing stronger by the day. Vladimir Romanov, the club's majority shareholder, last week denounced Ivanauskas' candidacy for the post on the grounds of his lack of coaching nous at the top level.

Well, if the Lithuanian continues to infiltrate the minds of the Tynecastle players the way he has done during his first four matches in charge, the support will be tearing the old main stand down themselves in an effort to voice their backing for him.

Whatever Valdas is doing, it's working. This match was over as a contest long before half-time as the home players executed the pre-match instructions from Ivanauskas to devastating effect. The controversy over Rudi Skacel's omission from the match squad aside, it was difficult to pick a single fault in Hearts' performance.

Now, Ivanauskas, pictured below, is only 39, which is young for anyone to manage even in the upper echelons of Scottish football. That's before we even consider the lofty European levels to which Hearts aspire. But he has proved himself, thus far, as an astute tactician lacking none of the boldness or single mindedness required to reach the very top of the coaching ladder.

In four games no-one could argue against the assumption that Ivanauskas appears up to the job. So, if he is good enough then you may be moved to ask yourself why Romanov does not consider him old enough. However, the answer to that question must go on hold until the summer.

On Saturday, Hearts' interim head coach had his players thoroughly motivated, brimming with intent and almost foaming at the mouth as they waited for kick-off to arrive so they could display their undoubted capabilities. As the first whistle went, it was almost possible to see the fear clouding the eyes of the Dunfermline players.

The pre-match preparations had been illuminated by a card display co-ordinated by the marketing department at Tynecastle. Each supporter in the Wheatfield Stand had been given a coloured card to hold aloft to reveal the numbers "1886" as the teams emerged, which of course is the year Hearts first played at their spiritual home.

Appropriately, the celebrations weren't witnessed by former chairman Chris Robinson, a notable absentee from the directors' box on the 120th anniversary of a stadium he attempted to shut down and demolish.

Seven minutes in, and Michal Pospisil had the hosts in front. As Robbie Neilson launched a long throw into the Dunfermline penalty area, the visiting players attempted a revolutionary method of defending whereby everyone remains rooted to the one spot.

Predictably it proved useless, and as the ball sailed over Greg Shields' head Pospisil charged in to tap it into the net inside the six-yard box. "Oh, Mikey Mikey..." was the chant instantly struck up around the ground for a player as popular as any with home supporters.

Seven minutes after that Roman Bednar made it two with a header that looped beyond Allan McGregor and in at the back post. Again Neilson was the provider, this time with a cross from the right.

The full-back was also a major contributor to his side's third goal, which arrived in the 25th minute. His throw-in to Paul Hartley was returned to him and he fed Saulius Mikoliunas. As the Lithuanian moved into the Dunfermline penalty area, Jamie McCunnie granted him all the space necessary for an accurate if slightly weak right-footed shot that rolled all too easily past McGregor from 16 yards. Game over.

It was difficult not to sympathise with the on-looking Jim Leishman in the visitors' dug-out. His mountainous injury problems had been worsened when Gary Mason pulled up in training on Thursday, and as such virtually no-one, including many of their own supporters, placed any faith in the Fife club's ability to get a result in Gorgie.

Leishman's players looked devoid of motivation for most of the 90 minutes, the sight of a black-and-white shirted visitor standing alone with his hands in the air in exasperation as another pass went astray being an all-too-common feature of the afternoon.

After the interval Hearts showed less fluency and intent than they had during the first 45 minutes as the players relaxed a touch in the knowledge that there was little danger of the three points being surrendered. But, just as a hint of complacency was creeping in, substitute Juho Makela dispersed it with his first goal for the club.

It was a simple enough execution from the £500,000 Finn, Bruno Aguiar's corner being nodded directly into the net and presumably injecting much confidence in a player who has been granted little in the way of first-team exposure since arriving in Edinburgh in January.

Another costly investment was also on the field by that time, Mirsad Beslija having replaced Mikoliunas as he strives to justify his £800,000 transfer fee from the Belgian club Racing Genk.

With this one-sided encounter drawing to a close, Dunfermline's Greg Ross was issued an instant red card for a late and high tackle from behind on Aguiar, which caused the Portuguese midfielder, outstanding all day, to hobble from the field and leave his side to cope for the remaining minutes with only ten men.

Ivanauskas was naturally concerned for the welfare of one of his players, however he preferred rightly to gush over a supreme overall performance. "I was very happy with the first half and our approach was great," said the Lithuanian.

"The players knew their jobs and we got off to a great start, which was always going to be important. This was our third game of a very hard week and the players are intelligent enough to understand what is required in this situation."

They are not the only ones. Ivanauskas may downplay his hopes of forcing Romanov's hand in the managerial search, but perhaps the saying "actions speak louder than words" has never been more appropriate. Neither has the phrase "if you're good enough, you're old enough".

Taken from the Scotsman