Hartley slick on the draw

HEARTS star Paul Hartley would settle for a point in Saturday's derby against Hibs at Easter Road.

The 29-year-old Scotland midfielder is in a rich vein of form and gearing up for what he says are the four biggest games of his life.

The Tynecastle side's five-point cushion over Rangers has got them dreaming of grabbing that lucrative second place - and a Champions League slot that could generate a multi-million pound jackpot.

Hartley said: "The next four league games are probably going to be the biggest games of our lives so we've just got to maintain what we're doing - the carrot is there.

"The reason Vladimir Romanov has put the amount of money into the club is to see Champions League football. It's the stage everybody wants to be on.

"The pressure is definitely on us. We've got to try and win our games and pick up points.

"I don't think Saturday's game would be a disaster if we picked up one point, but we're looking to get all three."

Hartley insists the gap between Rangers is comfortable at this stage, but is taking nothing for granted - especially after Celtic's late collapse in the title race last term.

He added: "Saturday is another massive game for us. We've got a good cushion of five points, but Saturday will be difficult because it's a derby game and they will want revenge on the cup semi-final game.

"We have to keep picking up points as we know what happened in the title race last season.

"Celtic were five points clear with four games left and everybody had said Celtic had won the league, so anything can happen.

"You just take each game as it comes but we're playing well and have got a lot of confidence. It might come down to the last game of the season against Rangers."

Hartley has shrugged aside the managerial turmoil that has enveloped Hearts this season - but wants interim coach Valdas Ivanauskas to be handed the job permanently.

He said: "Valdas has done fantastically well. I would really hope that he gets the job. Speaking for the players, they would hope that, too."

"He's not changed a lot, but he gets his point across well and training has been fantastic."


Taken from Evening Times