Defiance and spirit offer hearts hope

By BARRY ANDERSON
Hearts 1 - 1 Kilmarnock
IF HEARTS are to wrench themselves clear of the SPL's relegation zone, then Saturday's second-half solidarity and aspiration must be reproduced on a weekly basis.
Having lost a man through Calum Elliot's dismissal, then a goal to Paul di Giacomo, Stephen Frail's side proceeded to show a defiance that the caretaker manager must wish he could bottle for use every weekend.

Whilst many observers might have expected them to capitulate having been reduced to ten men in the first half, a rousing second-half display produced an equaliser from Andrius Velicka and several opportunities for a winning goal. In short, the unity so glaringly absent from so many of Hearts' performances this season was positively spewing from the home side. Even Kilmarnock's numerical advantage couldn't stem the flow towards Alan Combe's goal.

Frail has sought signs of encouragement for weeks as his club lurched down the league. A placing of 11th and another red card to add to the three accumulated at Tannadice last week are sufficient cause for concern, but as the interim manager arrived for work at Riccarton this morning he would be entitled to be relatively upbeat. Quite simply, if Hearts replicate the desire shown against Kilmarnock, they will be free of their relegation-zone shackles within a few short weeks.

Losing Elliot, to two bookable offences for late tackles on Danny Invincibile and Tim Clancy, was constricting enough, so when Di Giacomo scored on the stroke of half-time it seemed events were once again conspiring against the home side. But this time there was no moping, no further petulance or reaching for the self-destruct button; just a thoroughly whole-hearted second-half display and a poacher's goal from top scorer Velicka. All of which gladdened Frail after a despairing run of festive results.

"The attitude from them, when they went down to ten men and lost a goal, was fantastic," he said. "I purposefully sent them out early for the second half and asked the stadium announcer, Scott Wilson, to try and lift the crowd. I think the players saw that and fed off it. I thought we showed a good attitude in the first half but there wasn't as much tempo as the second. Without getting carried away, the point gives us something to build on.

"I'm disappointed not to win the game and we drop to 11th in the table as well, but I think with ten men in the second half we saw the spirit I've asked for. I was really proud of them in the second half. Even with a man less, we could have won the game."

Hearts appeared to be hindered throughout the afternoon by the performance of referee John Underhill. The challenges which earned Elliot his two cautions were both late and untidy and therefore left the official with little option but to produce cards on both occasions. However, his wanton refusal to penalise Kilmarnock for similarly blatant infringements was actually quite disturbing to watch.

Had they remained at full strength Hearts would probably have unearthed a second goal, so in that respect their own indiscipline has likely cost them dear once more. It must be said, though, that Underhill watched Simon Ford and other visiting players commit foul after foul without even a hint of a yellow card, leaving Frail's side with the notion that it was their ten men against 12.

The referee's lack of impartiality is reflected in the game's statistics, which show six fouls committed by Hearts and 17 by Kilmarnock. Yet only Colin Nish of the Ayrshire side had his name taken whilst Elliot was trudging up the tunnel after only 36 minutes having been cautioned twice.

Clancy, the victim of Elliot's second tackle, said: "If you're going to slide in like that having just been booked then you aren't giving the referee much option." Frail, meanwhile, pictured left, was reluctant to comment on the incident, saying only: "We're going to keep our thoughts in-house and discuss it with Calum at training on Monday. I said a lot after the Dundee United game (about indiscipline] which was well publicised so this time we're going to keep it to ourselves."

The positives just about outweighed the negatives for Hearts come full-time. Kilmarnock, ravaged by injury, had delivered a gutsy performance and a first-half passing display which at times left their hosts chasing shadows. They deserved their interval lead but, with Deividas Cesnauskis in inspirational form, holding out became an impossibility. And it was no surprise that the predatory Velicka was in the right place to convert the equaliser. "I knew I wouldn't get 90 minutes out of Cesnauskis because he's just back from injury. I had to drag him off at the end because he didn't want to come off. I thought he was magnificent," said Frail. "I know what Velicka gives me every week and I had to drag him off as well.

"Miko's performance will do him the world of good.

"He had a sticky start after going on as substitute but he got better and better and caused Kilmarnock all sorts of problems. I'm especially pleased for him." The Lithuanian influence remains strong in the Tynecastle dressing room, as does that of sport director Anatoli Korobochka, despite Frail having carte blanche on team selection and tactics.

"Anatoli is still there. He comes in and if he feels he wants to say something then his experience and knowledge is always welcome. That goes for after the game too," explained Frail. "It would be silly for me to say I'm just doing this myself because Anatoli is there for me to use. He's like a father figure in that way and he knows when he needs to say something."

Korobochka may have felt compelled to leave his seat in the directors' box and head trackside to calm Frail during the second half. With emotions intensifying, the former full-back found himself in a heated exchange with the Kilmarnock assistant Billy Brown.

"It was a lot of rubbish. If anyone knows me, they'll know it'll be handbags, that's for sure," laughed Frail aft
erwards. "Passions are running high in these situations. I'm wanting to make sure we get a results and they are doing the same. These things happen."

Jim Jefferies was encouraged by his side's endeavour following their own barren run. Since defeating Hearts at Rugby Park last October, Kilmarnock have won just once. "With the number of players we have out we had to go three at the back," he explained. "We gave Martyn Corrigan his debut and I thought he was magnificent. After their boy was sent off we were stretching them, playing the ball from one side of the park to the other, and looking comfortable. We defended well and Hearts weren't looking dangerous until they scored. Then suddenly the whole game changed. The crowd got behind them and their players got a lift from it." If that response could be replicated every week, relegation talk would very quickly disperse from Gorgie.

Taken from the Scotsman