Slack-off Hearts pose Valdas a problem

Preston North End 1
Hearts 2

AS any decent climber will tell you, the ascent to the top of the mountain is the completion of a dream but it is far from the end of the story.
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After the elation of reaching the summit, it is worthwhile taking stock as well as a breather, and planning for what comes next. It's easy to relax once the goal has been achieved but switching off on the way down will be punished - sometimes fatally.

That Hearts, who arrived at Deepdale on the back of a ten-day stint in the Austrian mountains, ultimately won this game says a lot for the lack of sharpness of their opponents rather than anything the Capital outfit put together once Saulius Mikoliunas had given them a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes.

For switch off they did, and how they were punished.

For much of the rest of the match it was Hearts who were doing the chasing, making hurried clearances and scrapping for survival.

That Hearts had reached this low point was entirely of their own making, for they started the match much the brighter, with crisp, intricate passing hallmarking their game.

Preston looked unable to cope and appeared way off the pace. At their own sun-bathed Deepdale, they were left chasing shadows.

But just as in their final game in Austria, when they allowed FC Cluj a late equaliser, Hearts again went to sleep and turned what looked like a positive outcome into another problem for head coach Valdas Ivanauskas.

The Lithuanian conceded afterwards that his players did have a problem with their concentration levels and it is something he is anxious to find a solution to before their Champions League qualifier on July 26.

At the highest level, any lapse in concentration will be severely punished with a potentially severe financial penalty.

He said: "The first 35 minutes were good but afterwards it was difficult. We did well but lost concentration for their goal. That happened in Austria and it is a bit of a problem.

"There are just a few days to go before the Champions League tie, so we need to think about this."

In truth, Hearts created little after the 25-minute mark, while Preston gradually found footholds in midfield were there had previously been none, and created opportunities down the flanks.

Scottish internationalist and Preston captain Graham Alexander, playing at left-back, suddenly had space and time to build, whereas previously he had been pushed back and forced to defend a series of attacks as Bruno Aguiar, Mikoliunas and Roman Bednar found plenty of opportunities down the Preston left.

But, with Hearts releasing the pressure, Alexander found more time to feed his midfielders and strikers. Hearts began to sit further back with the midfielders squeezing back on to the defenders, who in turn had less space.

Preston's veteran striker Daniele Dichio was the main target of attack - the wily ex-West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland forward using his 6ft 3ins frame to lay the ball off. Hearts captain Steven Pressley and fellow centre back Christophe Berra had to step it up to deny Dichio, but ultimately Preston's goal came via that route.

After a series of corner and free-kicks around the box, the ball was played up to Dichio on the edge of the area. He did not get a clean lay-off but the ball broke to midfielder Simon Whaley. He still had plenty to do and looked to have missed his chance when his shot struck a defender, ricocheting back on to his palm. Hearts claimed for handball but Whaley played to the whistle, went past three static defenders and coolly dispatched his shot past the advancing Steve Banks in the Hearts goal - virtually the first part Banks had to play in the game.

And it could have been 2-2 minutes later after another corner from the right evaded the Hearts defenders and fell to the unmarked Jason Jarrett. However, the defender appeared as surprised as anyone to have been afforded so much time and space, and his tame header went straight to Banks.

Banks was called in to action again as Preston put a good move together once more involving Dichio. He prodded the ball back to Paul McKenna in midfield and the Preston veteran - in his testimonial season - directed a lovely crossfield pass to striker Danny Pugh on the left edge of the box. He let fly with a volley which was heading directly towards the top left-hand corner of the goal before Banks pulled off a wonderful full-stretch save.

Hearts did have one chance as the half-time break approached when Aguiar and Bednar went on the counter attack. Neat passing between the two saw the ball played left to the fast-running Andrew Driver. The Hearts youngster tore through on goal and beat defender Kelvin Wilson, but he shot wide of the post when he should have forced Andrew Lonergan into a save.

However, Driver was one of the plus points of the game. His good close control, wee tricks and dribbles and his ability to see space and find the pass were a delight. He played a big part as Hearts overran Preston at the start of the half.

And he had the first real chance after just seven minutes. Bednar, who had been paired alongside fellow Czech Michal Pospisil in attack, challenged centre-half Liam Chilvers on the edge of the box, robbed him and put in a fast paced cross to Driver from the right. True, Driver found a good position but from just seven yards his snapshot flew wide.

It was a sharp chance but he perhaps should have go this shot on target.

The Hearts midfield was in fine tune with Driver down the left, Mikoliunas down the right and Julian Brellier playing the holding role just in front of the defenders. This allowed Aguiar a freer role and he prospered setting up numerous attacks, particularly down the right where Hearts found plenty of opportunities.

And after 14 minutes they went ahead through Bednar. Preston had prodded and probed for the first time but Berra and Takis Fyssas easily repelled the danger. Driver received the ball in midfield and he fed Pospisil, who spotted Bednar's run. He beat the offside trap and confidently slotted home from 15 yards with a left-foot shot.

Soon it was 2-0, as Bednar and Pospisil again linked up to set up Mikoliunas. Bednar rose in the box to a long ball from deep and headed the ball to Pospisil, who picked out Mikoliunas on the edge of the box.

The Lithuanian winger still had plenty of work to do but a neat shoulder dip took him past Alexander. A wee dribble split two other defenders, and he almost nonchalantly banged the ball home right-footed inside the near post, leaving former England Under-21 keeper Lonergan just a spectator.

It was an encouraging passage of play for the visiting Hearts fans to see and their heroes did look sharp and certainly a lot fitter than Preston.

Perhaps they can be forgiven for sitting back on their lead - they've just completed a 20-day fitness programme in France and Austria after all, but they did make it difficult for themselves for the remainder of the game.

After the break, as is typical in these friendly affairs, a flurry of substitutions broke up the rhythm of the play.

Ivanauskas, below, took the opportunity to give trialist Tiago Costa a run out, the Portuguese player replacing Fyssas at left-back after 58 minutes. But there was no sign Giorgi Popkhadze, the Georgian, who has been tipped to be Ivanauskas's first signing for the club.

Pressley was replaced by Ibrahim Tall at the break and the defender looked comfortable and steady enough at centre-half. And he had Hearts' best chance of the half, powering a superb header to the goal from a free kick only to see Carlo Nash pull off a wonderful save.

Nash, who went public with his criticism of Preston's ambition last week, was given a chance to redeem himself by new boss Paul Simpson - the former Manchester City player coming on at the break - and this save will surely have given the former Carlisle gaffer plenty to think about.

Costa did not see a great deal of the ball, but he showed flashes of skill and certainly good technique with either foot when he was provided with the pass.

Mirsad Beslija, however, again endured a frustrating afternoon. The record signing replaced Driver for the final 20 minutes but had little chance to get involved as the game by that stage had lost all of its shape as both bosses utilised all seven substitutes.

Beslija had been promised match time to impress the Hearts hierarchy but, given the way he has been used recently, it is hard to see what kind of future he has with the Gorgie outfit.

Preston went close to equalising through substitute Brian Stock who blasted over when he should have scored and then Patrick Agyemang did a good impression of Paulo Wanchope - with his legs everywhere - to set up David Hibbert whose shot was blocked.

And that was it, as one former England boss may have said - first half good, second half not so good.

Deep inside Deepdale is the National Football Museum, where hangs Maradona's famous No.10 shirt which he wore in 1986 for the Hand of God goal, and that sublime second score against England in the same match - possibly the greatest goal ever. But as one member of staff told me: "The shirt's only on loan. Maradona will probably want it back when he runs out of cash."

The famous jersey obviously is valuable to the troubled icon.

A good metaphor for Ivanauskas? The fans' choice as head coach certainly needs all of his assets on the pitch to achieve their full value in the vital days ahead.

Preston North End: Lonergan (Nash 46), Wilson, Alexander, Jarrett, (O'Neil 74), Mawene, Chilvers (Neal 62), Whaley (Sedgwick 62), McKenna (Hibbert 70), Dichio (Agyemang 46), Nugent, Pugh (Brian Stock 74).

Hearts: Banks, Neilson, Fyssas (Costa 58), Pressley (Tall 46), Berra, Brellier (Johnson 65), Driver (Beslija 70), Mikoliunas, Bednar (Makela 74), Aguiar (Neill 78), Pospisil (Mole 74).

Referee: C Foy

Taken from the Scotsman