Driver gives Hearts new direction

PRESTON NE 1
HEARTS 2

AS HE journeyed back from Lancashire on Saturday evening, it would be fair to assume that positive and negative thoughts would have been jousting for supremacy in the mind of Valdas Ivanauskas.

The Hearts head coach had plenty to purr about after witnessing a Hearts team which began with only five starters from the Scottish Cup final victory over Gretna two months ago, stroll to a comfortable victory over English Championship side Preston North End at a sun-kissed Deepdale. In that respect, it would appear that the aim of obtaining peak fitness in time for the club's Champions League baptism at Murrayfield on Wednesday week would appear to be progressing accordingly.

The Tynecastle side were in control for the bulk of the first hour before a clutch of substitutions and energy-sapping heat took the sting out of what was, by and large, a worthwhile exercise.

Of further reason for optimism on Ivanauskas' part, was the outstanding performance of the 18-year-old Englishman, Andrew Driver. The Oldham-born winger's direct running on the left flank made him arguably Hearts' most dangerous player on Saturday, and with Rudi Skacel set for the exit door, and Saulius Mikoliunas the only other current candidate to be deployed on the Hearts left, Ivanauskas admitted it is possible that the youngster may be thrown in at the deep end against either FK Siroki Brijeg or Shakhtyor Soligorsk next week.

"Andrew has done well in France and Austria [on Hearts' pre-season tours] and has a chance to play," Ivanauskas said, before cautioning: "He's a young boy so we have to be careful with him."

There were also negatives for Ivanauskas to dwell on, however, with the defensive lapses which have plagued Hearts' pre-season campaign thus far a particular worry. Granted, the back four were solid enough, but the simple manner in which Preston were allowed to halve a two-goal deficit provided the head coach with food for thought. "We lost concentration at their goal," he said. "It happened a few times in Austria as well so it's becoming a bit of a problem."

The central midfield area is also a concern, as Hearts simply don't currently possess an effective deputy for Paul Hartley, who is almost certainly out of next week's European tie with a groin injury. Bruno Aguiar filled in against Preston and put in a decent shift. However, the Portuguese does not possess the craft, work-rate or ability to deliver a telling pass or deadly set-piece that the Scotland midfielder has in his armoury.

Hearts fans will be hoping, therefore, that of the two World Cup players due to arrive at the club on trial today, one will be a high-quality attacking midfielder.

Hearts, backed by a vocal contingent of around 1800 fans at Deepdale, took the lead after 14 minutes. Michal Pospisil played in strike partner Roman Bednar with a through ball and the skinheaded Czech, who looked back to his best, drove the ball through the legs of Andy Lonergan.

Four minutes later Mikoliunas doubled the visitors' lead when he thumped home from 15 yards as Hearts threatened to run riot.

However, as happened so often last season, they took their foot off the gas and allowed the home side back into the game when Simon Whaley capitalised on a poor clearance from Takis Fyssas to slip the ball beyond Steve Banks just after the half hour.

Bednar had a superb effort ruled out for offside in the second half before the match petered out, in typical friendly fashion, into a flurry of substitutions.

Preston: Lonergan, Wilson, Alexander, Jarrett, Mawene, Chilvers, Whaley, McKenna, Dichio, Nugent, Pugh. Subs: O'Neil, Nash, Sedgwick, Neal, Stock, Agyemang, Hibbert.

Hearts: Banks, Neilson, Fyssas (trialist 59), Berra, Pressley (Tall 45), Brellier (Johnson 66), Aguiar (Neill 80), Driver (Beslija 72), Mikoliunas, Bednar (Mole 75), Pospisil (Makela 75). Sub not used: MacDonald.

Taken from the Scotsman