Listless Hearts on holiday as Falkirk run riot

By BARRY ANDERSON
Falkirk 2 - Hearts 1
AN end-of-season fixture which Hearts played at an end-of-season tempo.
Defensive lapses were commonplace in a visiting performance which exuded less energy than the nearby Grangemouth oil refinery during its recent shutdown. Consequently, a lively Falkirk side dominated and finished comfortable victors.

Feasting on Hearts' lethargy was Tam Scobbie, who scored one goal and helped create the other for Carl Finnigan during an inspired performance. Stephen Frail's plans were interrupted when both Gary Glen and Saulius Mikoliunas were forced off during the first half, however that could not explain the inept defending on show.

Continually deploying Jose Goncalves at left-back ahead of Lee Wallace may be more Vladimir Romanov's call than Frail's. Hearts are keen to showcase the Portuguese in the hope of attracting a hefty transfer fee in the region of £2million. However, the defence looks fragile and Wallace must be overdue an extended run in his favoured role.

Goncalves conceded a needless free-kick which ultimately led to Falkirk's second goal, but he wasn't alone in exhibiting an end-of-season weariness. In fact, it seemed to course through the visiting team.

Frail was asked afterwards if the performance mimicked Hearts' season in terms of highs and lows. He replied: "Lows and lows, maybe. There haven't been too many highs if I'm being perfectly honest. It's been a disappointing season.

"We're still looking to win the games, it's not a case of just killing time or trying to make sure we get to the end. We need to keep the spirits up and the players have been terrific in training and terrific since the split. I'm disappointed what we gave wasn't what we have been giving.

"From us it was end-of-season stuff but I don't think that was true of Falkirk. They thoroughly deserved the three points because they wanted to win the game more than us. That's not been the case for us in the last few games and from that point of view I'm disappointed.

"Losing the two players to injury upset the rhythm and we defended sloppily at the corner, giving away a cheap first goal.We didn't start the second half as well as I hoped and then we lose a second, which was a really bad goal to lose. It takes for that to go in for us to start trying to play again and try to get something back from the game.

"I don't think it was a lack of desire, we simply didn't play as well as we can. I just think they wanted it that little bit more. I spoke to John Hughes before they game and I don't think Falkirk have played as well recently either. They drew with Gretna and lost to St Mirren, so maybe they haven't had desire in their previous two games but they had more than us.

"They had more willingness to win the game and I thought we had that. We were trying to finish with five wins, now we have to make sure it's four wins."

Frail also made a telling comment on behind-the-scenes events at Hearts. "Things have to change, not so much on the pitch, a lot of things happen off the pitch," he said. "There needs to be more of a focus and go for the same goal, right from the first day of pre-season and have no interference and have everyone pull in the same direction." The race for seventh place is never one to attract a mass of interest but Falkirk are entitled to feel encouraged by last night's display. They now sit two points behind Hearts in eighth position with two games remaining.

The visitors were almost entirely bereft of application compared to previous bottom-six victories over St Mirren and Inverness, but did start with a forceful looking midfield. Larry Kingston found himself reinstated at the expense of the mercurial Deividas Cesnauskis, whilst Falkirk granted their academy product Chris Mitchell his first start at right-back and worked a series of attacking forays down the youngster's flank during the game's early stages.

Hearts were first to threaten seriously, however. After 23 minutes, Glen initiated an incisive break which saw Calum Elliot deliver a first-time through ball for Kingston. The Ghanaian sprung Falkirk's offside trap to drive the ball low at Shane Supple's near post, but the goalkeeper was equal to the task. Moments later Glen fell under Mitchell's challenge, prompting the pocket of travelling fans to howl for a penalty. Referee Stuart Dougal awarded only a free-kick, a decision later justified by television replays. Frail was twice forced to reorganise during the first 45 minutes as both Glen and Mikoliunas sustained knocks. They were replaced by Jamie Mole and Wallace respectively. The reshuffle appeared to have minimal effect on Hearts but in first-half stoppage time they lost the softest of opening goals, stemming from Goncalves' foul on Carl Finnigan. Scobbie's set-piece was headed skywards by Jason Thomson and dropped for Michael Higdon to execute an impromptu overhead attempt. Steve Banks leapt instantly with a stupefying save but was rendered helpless seconds later when Scobbie enjoyed a free strike from the resultant corner kick.

Hearts might have been expected to provide stiffer resistance and even ask their own questions early in the second half, but seven minutes into the restart Falkirk's advantage doubled. After manoeuvring the ball crisply around the opposition half, a high cross was lofted to Scobbie at the back post. He re-directed the ball across goal and Finnigan converted with an accurate header against the balance of Banks.

With Mikoliunas off the field, the customary booking of a Lithuanian for diving had to be incurred by Cesnauskis. The winger went down in a challenge with Mitchell which wasn't a penalty, but wasn't a caution either. He appeared to stumble during the tackle but suffered for daring to fall under pressure from a defender. "I don't think it looked like a penalty. He got booked for diving so it would be interesting to see it," was Frail's assessment. Nonetheless, Dougal produced yellow and succeeded in firing Cesnauskis up for a late flurry.

Only minutes later he charged into the box to accord his team a lifeline by lashing the ball past Supple from an acute angle.

A full and proper rally didn't quite materialise, though, perhaps indicative of the listlessness which was the theme of the night for Hearts.

Taken from the Scotsman