Boss Admits Desperate Jambos Are Train Wreck

Dec 30 2007 Ewan Smith At Falkirk Stadium

STEVIE FRAIL saw Hearts capitulate and throw away another crucial three points - then admitted seeing his side slip down the table has been like watching a slow-motion train wreck.

Hearts crashed to their fifth straight loss after late goals from Carl Finnigan and Michael Higdon cancelled out a Ruben Palazuelos opener to leave them stuck in 10th spot just a point ahead of St Mirren.

And assistant coach Frail admits the Hearts players must begin to turn things around now or face a three-way fight for survival with Saints and Gretna.

He said: "We were going well for a while and up there in the top six but now it feels like a train has come along and hit us in recent weeks.

"We're down there near the bottom and it's going to be a tough month or two to get out of it but the fight has to start now.

"We looked a lot more spirited for long spells and that was encouraging but it's still another defeat.

"It's not enough to wait until February or March to get back on track and we can't keep pushing out the same old cliches week after week by saying we are too good to go down.

"We're not too good to go down and have to battle to change things. When it comes to a fight you can bet St Mirren and Gretna will be up for it so we better be too."

Given recent form Hearts owed their loyal travelling support a passion-filled performance. And for 70 minutes they got it.

The Jambo fans roared their side on from the off and the players duly responded with the influential Andrew Driver powering his side forward to try and kill off Falkirk.

Yet it was Bairns who almost struck first as a floated Tam Scobbie free-kick was poorly cleared by Robbie Neilson straight into the path of Dean Holden.

The right-back reacted quickly to hit a low drive from 10 yards but Steve Banks did superbly to get down and turn the effort wide for a corner.

At the other end Hearts began to find their feet and posted a series of warnings to Tim Krul in the Falkirk goal before their 28th minute opener.

Firstly, Calum Elliot drove the ball low across the face of goal from 20 yards on 17 minutes.

Eight minutes later Driver missed from a similar range before Krul was forced into his first real save to deny Lee Wallace from 20 yards.

Hearts kept up the pressure and took the lead 60 seconds later when Driver's cross broke kindly for Palazuelos who sent a diving header past Krul.

The Spaniard was booked for jumping into the crowd but you can't blame him for celebrating a goal that saw the pressure drain right out of the faces of the Hearts players.

But the game was far from won and you always sensed that if Falkirk could fashion a way back into this one then Hearts would start to wobble.

And as the away side failed to put away their chances to make their half-time lead more emphatic the prospect of a Falkirk equaliser became increasingly likely.

They could have had it just before the break had referee Kenny Clark awarded thema penalty for a handball when Christophe Berra blocked a longrange Steven Thomson effort.

Hearts survived that incident and as the second half wore on it looked like they had the points in the bag.

The only real incident worthy of note in a tame 15 minute spell after the break was a fall-out between Elliot and Jack Ross on the touchline.

Elliot went in late on the Falkirk defender and as play raged on the Hearts striker collapsed in a heap claiming Ross had lashed out in revenge.

Clark rushed to the scene to book both players and attention swung back to Falkirk's attempts to find a way back into the match.

The breakthrough duly came with the arrival of sub Finnigan on 66 minutes.

The striker instantly hit the post, albeit from an offside position, before netting in 78 minutes by firing a Higdon knockdown over Steve Banks.

That strike left Hearts reeling and looking like a team on the ropes.

And just three minutes later they were KO'd by Higdon's sucker punch as the Englishman combined with Finnigan to curl the ball past Banks.

REF WATCH

KENNY CLARK'S biggest moment came when Calum Elliot and Jack Ross clashed on the touchline with the Hearts star claiming the Bairns defender had lashed out at him after the young striker caught him with a late challenge. Wise refereeing saw Clark book both as once again common sense prevailed.

Rating: 7/10.

MATCH STATS

9 SHOTS ON 3

4 SHOTS OFF 8

3 OFFSIDE 0

14 FOULS 18

6 CORNERS 15

2 BOOKINGS 3

Taken from the Sunday Mail