Makela makes his point for five-star Hearts

JUHO MAKELA boosted his hopes of a first-team place this season as he hit a double to make light work of Dutch side Heracles in Coesfeld.

And assistant boss Stephen Frail believes that if Makela can raise competition levels in the side by bagging a few more goals in the SPL, it can only bode well for the club's hopes of silverware.

The Finn has struggled for a start since signing for the Tynecastle side 18 months ago and, as a result, was loaned out to Swiss side FC Thun last season. However, Makela, who still has two years of his current contract to run, insists he's got the hunger to fight for his place and last night's goals will have done the hitman no harm. Makela's double aside, strikes from Kestutis Ivaskevicius, Michael Stewart and a late penalty from Eggert Jonsson gave Hearts a 5-1 victory, with Heracles' only reply coming in the second half from Marnix Smit. Frail said: "Juho could have had a hat-trick because there was a great chance for him just before we took him off. It was great for him to go out last night and get a couple of goals. He's maybe had a hard time since he has been at the club but he has scored two goals - and good strikers' goals at that.
Finnish striker Juho Makela celebrates his double<br />Picture: Julie Howden
Finnish striker Juho Makela celebrates his double
Picture: Julie Howden

"He will be really pleased with that and, if he keeps that up and works hard in training then that will be good for us because it will keep competition strong at the club and that's what we are looking for."

Hearts were almost at full strength as they put five past the Dutch outfit in the penultimate match of their pre-season tour of Germany.

The Tynecastle side gave Jonsson a start and could afford to leave out the likes of Larry Kingston and Lee Wallace but still had enough to dispose of their opponents.

Ivaskevicius looked sharp down the right and was the star of the show for the Jambos as he got them off to the perfect start.

They scored after just seven minutes when a cracking ball from the middle from Ivaskevicius found Makela. Heracles keeper Martin Pieckenhagen came off his line quickly and got a hand to the ball but could only divert it into the path of the Lithuanian, who held off the challenge of two defenders to slot the ball home. Another telling pass, this time from Stewart, gave Hearts another chance just a couple of minutes later, the former Hibs midfielder picking out Andrius Velicka. He flicked the ball onto Makela and the Finn teed up Ivaskevicius, who unleashed a thunderous effort that flew just inches wide.

Hearts only needed another couple of minutes to double their advantage, though, Ivaskevicius continuing his blistering start to the game by sending a diagonal ball over to the far side of the box for Makela to drill the ball low and into the net behind the Heracles keeper.

He tried an identical move shortly after, again picking out Makela, but this time his effort was down and into the turf , taking the pace off of it and allowing Pieckenhagen to collect.

Velicka looked keen to get in on the act and let fly from the right-hand side of the box but, while there was plenty of power behind the effort, he couldn't stop his shot from drifting just wide of the keeper's left-hand post.

Hearts made it three in 22 minutes, Stewart again showing the influence he could have on the side this season, sending a ball over the top of the Heracles defence for Christophe Berra, who headed it down and into the path of Makela who forced it over the line.

The Dutch side made a rare break forward before half-time, only to see Tomas Kancelskis made a good block to send Igor Glusevic's shot behind for a corner that came to nothing.

The Jambos made two changes at the break, bringing on Robbie Neilson and Sean Mackle for Tomas Kancelskis and Ivaskevicius.

There hadn't been much for Craig Gordon to do in the opening 45 minutes but the big keeper showed his quality with a brilliant save just minutes after the restart when Everton Ramos De Silva slipped the ball into the path of Glusevic and his effort looked like it was going in all the way, only for Gordon to soar high to his left and get a hand to the ball, tipping it behind for a corner.

The match was over as a contest but Hearts got their fourth in 52 minutes and again it was an impressive move from Anatoli Korobochka's side, Makela with a backheel in to the feet of Stewart, who slotted home with ease.

The Dutch side pulled one back in 63 minutes after Berra had conceded a free-kick 22 yards out. There was a delay for some jostling in the box between Marius Zaliukas and a Heracles player but it didn't distract Smit from whipping the dead ball home.

Stewart was replaced by Portuguese trialist Rui Baiao, quickly followed by Michal Pospisil's introduction at the expense of Velicka in 67 minutes.

Makela could have bagged his hat-trick when Neil McCann sent in a high ball, only for Pieckenhagen to leave him frustrated with a brilliant reflex stop from his header and the Finn was denied a third when he was replaced by Branimar Kostadinov just seconds after that miss. Hearts rounded off the scoring with just under two minutes to go when Jonsson was sent tumbling in the box after a challenge from Klavan and the young Icelander slotted home cooly from 12 yards.

Frail was delighted to note a sharpness return to the side and to see the fruits of their hard work over the last three weeks finally begin to pay off. He added: "They are a Dutch Premier League team and to win 5-1 was great. To play the way that we did and to get the sharpness back that we wanted was just fantastic.

"It was a big pitch as well and that meant that they had to work really hard, especially the guys in the middle of the park. The two central midfielders, Jonsson and Stewart, did really well and the boys who were out on either side.

"It was 90 minutes of hard graft and looking sharp as well so it was a good game for us.

"We really feel that the sharpness is coming now. Obviously, it's still not quite there and we can't get carried away because we have scored five goals but we asked for directness in the play and we got it."

Hearts: Gordon; Kancelskis, Zaliukas, Berra, Karpidis; Ivaskevicius, Stewart, Jonsson, McCann; Velicka, Makela. Subs: Neilson, Banks, Pospisil, Park, Mackle, Kostadinov, Baio.

Heracles: Martin Pieckenhagen; Jan Wuytens, Mark Looms, Rob Maas, Remon de Vries, Igor Gluscevic, Everton Ramos da Silva, Marnix Smit, Ragnar Klavan, Kwame Quansah, Karim Bridji. Subs: Pasveer, Michalke, Daelemans, Rosinik, Lubbers.

Referee: Detlef Scheppe

Taken from the Scotsman