Hearts 0 - 1 St Mirren

Steven Pressley has called for more consistency of first-team selection at Hearts to help his side return to winning ways. It was a brave statement by the club captain considering Vladimir Romanov has recently admitted meddling in team affairs.

Pressley clearly has concerns over the constant chopping and changing in the starting line-up at Hearts, a worry shared by most fans.
The back four usually picks itself but from midfield to front it's usually a mystery who will play with only Paul Hartley, if fit, a definite pick.

Pressley picked up on that point after St Mirren came away from Tynecastle with an unexpected victory. Hearts had the better players and chances but St Mirren had a more tactically aware manager in Gus MacPherson who set up his team to nullify their opponents.
Pressley managed to get his point across about team selection without criticising manager Valdas Ivanauskas but clearly feels frustrated.

"We need to get the balance right," said Pressley. "Yes, we need freshness at times but we also need consistency of selection. I don't like to hark back to last season but if you do go back to when we had that run of victories the team picked itself, but for one or two players, and it is important to go back to that and have more consistent team selection."
Pressley definitely has a valid point as some of the foreign midfielders and strikers brought to Hearts over the past year disappear for weeks, then come back into the team without rhyme or reason.

Young Scottish striker Jamie Mole may have been given his chance too early. Other strikers drift in and out of the team and the decision to send Calum Elliot on loan to Motherwell seems strange. It could prove costly after Roman Bednar was sent off against St Mirren following a row with referee Dougie McDonald in the tunnel. He is facing a long ban.
With a UEFA Cup match against Sparta Prague coming up on Thursday it is clear Hearts will have to up their performance levels to have a chance of making the group stages of the tournament.

Hearts had a string of great chances against St Mirren but came up against Tony Bullock in fantastic form. He made superb saves from Christophe Berra and Saulius Mikoliunas, and the former Dundee United and Ross County goalkeeper can look forward to keeping Chris Smith out of the team for a long time to come.

St Mirren didn't create a lot, but took their one clear opportunity with aplomb. A Craig Molloy shot was parried away by Craig Gordon only as far as Stewart Kean who smashed the ball into the net.
It sent the travelling support into raptures and meant that St Mirren continued their good start to the season. The win was down to the tactical acumen of MacPherson more than anything else.

He out-thought Ivanauskas at every turn, nullified the Hearts midfield and played the ball through the middle much more than the home side.
Bullock, easily the man of the match, admitted that it was their organisational skill and team spirit which set St Mirren apart from other teams he had played for.
"We have a great work ethic and team spirit," said Bullock. "As individuals we are good players but not the best players in the world. The spirit in the St Mirren dressing room is probably the best I have been in, and that is no disrespect to Dundee United."

St Mirren never gave up, even when Hearts were dominating, and they had a fire in their bellies, which some of the home side lacked. On this form they can look forward to future seasons in the SPL, as they will be a very difficult side to beat away from home.
That is because MacPherson has them set up so efficiently that it will take a very good side to break them down. The frustration told on Hearts who got more and more desperate as the game dragged on.

At the final whistle the boos rang round Tynecastle from Hearts fans who realised their hopes of being title contenders had taken a serious dent.
Indeed until whoever picks the Hearts team works out what is the best midfield and striking combinations the confusion at Tynecastle will continue and they will struggle to reach last season's level.

Taken from the Herald