Hearts 0 - 0 Falkirk

This was the football equivalent of a cocksure boxer sticking out his chin only for his feeble opponent to fail to land a single punch.

A truly dreadful match in which neither goalkeeper had a save of note to make delivered two clear-cut verdicts: Falkirk have developed into a resolute defensive unit that most teams will struggle to break down and Hearts will continue to flounder until they find strikers capable of filling the void left by the departure of Andrius Velicka.

The manufactured importance of finishing in the top half of the table - achieving a sixth-place finish was nothing to be proud of before the league split was introduced - meant Falkirk had no real need to arrive at Tynecastle intent on attack.

A 5-4-1 formation, it would not be over-stretching the point to call it a nine-man defence, confirmed John Hughes' aspiration to simply stifle Hearts and goad them into taking the game to Falkirk. To the audible frustration of the home supporters, their side lacked both the nous and ability to do so.

Calum Elliot, deployed as a lone striker with Christian Nade absent through injury, endured a frustrating afternoon although, in fairness, his midfield created so few opportunities even John Robertson in his prime would have struggled at the apex of a curiously defensive system.

Hearts, with a top-six place looking increasingly unlikely, can now begin to address their shortcomings to try to avoid a repeat of what has been a truly dismal campaign.

Appointing a full-time manager must be the main priority, while key on-field positions must also be filled. The defence remains relatively solid though, at 36, Steve Banks cannot be expected to remain in goal beyond the short-term while a commanding central defender must be found to partner the impressive Christophe Berra.

A lively midfield, bolstered by the return after three months of Larry Kingston but currently shorn of the injured Andrew Driver, needs to find consistency while the striking department requires a complete overhaul. Kingston has committed his own talents to spearheading a revival next season and hopes others will follow.

"I have a contract with Hearts after this season for two more years so I am concentrating 100% here to do my best to win something for this club," he said. "I am happy here, my family is happy so I am happy to stay with Hearts. I don't know what the plans are of the management but I hope they will bring a couple of new players to help the team. We lost our top scorer Velicka so we need someone to replace him."

The mood was brighter in the Falkirk camp as they close in on that magical sixth place with two games remaining before the league split.

Hughes remains an intriguing figure. He spent most of Saturday's match developing a split personality; joshing with Hearts fans one minute, slamming the dug-out in frustration at a misplaced pass the next.

He was in jocular mood at full-time, ribbing Patrick Cregg for a perceived lack of personality when he spotted him talking to the press, although the young Dubliner was nothing but respectful in return, heaping praise on a manager who has improved Falkirk's league position year on year for five seasons.

"I don't think the manager gets the credit he deserves from everybody," said Cregg. "He got his tactics spot on today."

Taken from the Herald