Progress made since returning from Belfast says Laszlo as Hearts fall to Dunfermline

Published Date: 17 July 2008
By COLLEEN PATERSON
Dunfermline 1 - 0 Hearts
THE results may not be getting any better but Csaba Laszlo believes he has already seen signs of improvement in the Hearts side which he officially took control of less than a week ago.
A draw against Glentoran after 90 minutes was followed by defeat at East End Park last night but the Tynecastle side's new coach insisted that his players are beginning to take small steps in the right direction.

A deflected goal from Kevin Harper – the former Hibs player sending the ball into the net off Lee Wallace – was enough to give the Pars victory but the result will mean little to Laszlo, whose main concern right now is to analyse each of his players and the cover he has available in each position on the park.

The former Ferencvaros coach, who already knows which players will travel with him to Germany for the first team's pre-season training camp this weekend, admitted that he was disappointed to lose in Fife but insisted that his side are getting better with each day that passes.

He said: "Obviously I like to win all games, even the friendly games but, at the moment, the concentration is just not there. The results are not important right now.

"The most important thing for me is that in the second half the team came back and played quite well. It is my job to push them and I did that last night and I was happy with the way that they responded.

"The players understand what I need from them.

"The quality is there but we don't have maybe players with experience. Last night we gave some of the players from the Academy a chance as well to show their talent."

And he firmly believes that last night's second-half performance, whilst still some way short of the way he wants to see them playing, was a marked improvement on their display against Glentoran on Monday night.

"If you watched the game in Belfast," he added, "then you know that it was not so good. The first half last night was a little bit better than in Belfast. The second half was better again, and it was maybe the next step for us. We are improving after even only 45 minutes."

Dunfermline were always going to provide a stiff test for the Jambos as they are more than a week ahead of the Tynecastle side in their build-up to the new First Division campaign which kicks off a week earlier than the top flight.

Since reporting back for pre-season training at the end of last month the Hearts players have worked solidly for the last 25 days and they certainly looked like it, although their second-half performance was better than the opening 45 minutes.

They are expected to have just one day of rest tomorrow before jetting out to their pre-season training camp in Germany as Laszlo further familiarises himself with the pool of players he will have at his disposal this coming season.

There wasn't much in the way of football and a straw poll of the press box at a blustery East End Park was organised to provide some entertainment, with the majority suggesting that only between five and seven of the players involved against the Pars will be regular starters come the beginning of the season.

The first half offered very little for the estimated 1000 Hearts supporters who had travelled across the Forth Road Bridge and they became increasingly frustrated as the match wore on.

It took 22 minutes for the first real opportunity for Hearts to break through the Pars' defence as Michael Stewart swung a brilliant ball into the box from the left. But the attempted header from young Gary Glen failed to cause the home side any problems.

At the other end Nicky Phinn picked out Graham Bayne almost at the byline but the former Inverness front man could only play the ball off Jambos midfielder Ruben Palazuelos for a corner which came to nothing.

However, the Pars edged in front just 60 seconds later when Stephen Glass produced a ball of real quality for Harper, who was closing in at the near post. The former Hibs man got a touch on the ball and it came off the unfortunate Wallace and into the back of the net from just a couple of yards out.

Hearts brought Jamie Mole on at the break in place of Ryan McGowan and the youngster showed a real appetite and a few flashes of inspiration that must have caught Laszlo's eye.

However it was Deividas Cesnauskis who came closest to levelling the scores when his cross-shot took a deflection off a Dunfermline defender inside the box and forced Pars keeper Paul Gallacher to dive high to his right and push the ball away with one hand before it could dip into the net.

Mole then did well to step and turn away from Glass down the left in what was one of the highlights of an otherwise dour match, before substitute David Templeton collected from Michael Stewart and brought out another decent block from Gallacher, this time when he unleashed a strong effort from the edge of the box.

As the match drew to a close both Mole and Stewart had chances to ensure the game ended on equal terms, the former beating three defenders before being crowded out of the shot and the latter when he pulled his low effort just wide of Gallacher's left-hand post. His opposite number, Hearts goalkeeper Steve Banks, had very little to do throughout the match and, despite the defeat, believes that there are signs of improvement even after just a few days with their new manager at the helm.

The Englishman said: "Our second-half performance was much better than the first.

"The new gaffer has implemented a few changes and I think the second half was more like what he wants.

"There are a few players who are coming back from injuries and this is their first game back, Christophe Berra has missed a few days and Deividas Cesnauskis has been out for a while.

"So there are players who are coming back into the side and they are trying to play the new system that the gaffer has put into place and it will take a bit of time. But there were some signs that we are getting there."

As for the East End Park side, they look as though they can be real contenders for the First Division title this season and manager Jim McIntyre was delighted with the effort his side put in.

He said: "It was a great working exercise for us against a good Hearts side. I thought that we passed the ball really well and created a couple of good chances.

"We still have a bit of work to do. This is just one performance, but the right performance.

"It's one that we can build upon, it is still pre-season and it is not about results. It is about the players' commitment, their work rate and getting our plans across to them about the way that we play.

"Austin McCann did very well and I thought that Calum Woods played really well, there wasn't a fault in the team to be honest.

"Alex Burke was excellent as well, slow for the first 15 minutes but then really came into it and passed the ball well.

"Stephen Glass was exceptional as well."

Dunfermline: Gallacher, Woods, Wilson, Phinn, Thomson, McCann, Harper, Glass, Bayne, Burke, Muirhead. Unused subs: McIntyre, Williamson, McBride, Willis, Reidford.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Banks; Karipidis, Zaliukas, Berra, Wallace; McGowan (Mole 45), Palazuelos; Cesnauskis, Stewart, Ksanavicius (Templeton 69); Glen (Husband 63).

Referee: Dougie MacDonald

Attendance: 1895

Taken from the Scotsman