Laszlo wants more goals to match effort

BARRY ANDERSON
"I AM happy with the performance, I am unhappy with the scoring. If we used even 50 or 60 per cent of our chances we would have won six or seven-one."

Csaba Laszlo is a hard man to please, for Hearts were scintillating at times on Saturday without ever properly killing off their opponents.

If the players are upset by Vladimir Romanov's treatment of Steve Banks, their emotions are being channel led in precisely the correct way. Passing, moving, communicating, fighting. At times it seems everything that was absent last season has been rediscovered.

St Mirren helped the home cause by playing almost three quarters of the game with ten men following Tonet Guerao's dismissal but, in truth, they offered little threat even with a full quota of staff.

A proverbial stormer from Jamie Mole and a Michael Stewart penalty did the damage. St Mirren briefly equalised through Billy Mehmet but had they returned to Paisley with a point it would have been the mother of all injustices.

Stewart was undeniably the catalyst for this victory with a peerless midfield display brimming with energy and thoughtful passing – he even had a second penalty saved in stoppage-time just to quicken the hearts of Tynecastle regulars – but six points from the first nine available represents an encouraging start to Hearts' SPL campaign.

More taxing engagements will come further into the season, but the squad at present is enjoying gradual progression and looks more unified by the week. Even Laszlo's decision to deploy a third different goalkeeper of the season couldn't destabilise his side, Marian Kello completing a distinctly uneventful debut following his loan from FBK Kaunas. He looked reliable when called upon, but that was rare. Another debutant, the Ugandan midfielder David Obua, looked comfortable, first at left midfield and then later when deputising for Lee Wallace at left-back.

His performance hinted that he may have more to offer with full match sharpness.

Laszlo remains concerned by his team's inability to convert so much territorial superiority into goals. He did, though, settle for three valuable points.

"I don't like to have nothing more than a win," he said, perhaps realising that the previous statement was a touch greedy. "This team lost a lot of points last year, now we must collect points. I think we played good football but we must work on the finishing. If you think about the next step we have (Mike] Tullberg who must come back next week and he will give us more possibilities.

"We played entertaining football and, if you are not a supporter of Hearts, I think you enjoyed this game but, if you are a supporter, I think your heart was up and down."

That much was true only in the closing stages. A questionable free-kick for a supposed trip by Larry Kingston on Hugh Murray saw St Mirren flood Kello's penalty area and force an equaliser through Mehmet on 69 minutes. "I don't like indiscipline on the field. We lost this goal through indiscipline," said Laszlo. "I won't tell you why, I know why, but this must be better." Moments later Stewart was stroking Hearts' second goal from the penalty spot following Franco Miranda's trip on Driver.

However, following his missed spot-kick in stoppage time, the visitors swarmed forward and Mehmet almost headed home a second goal.

"Most important is the team understands what I want and plays football," continued Laszlo. "We don't kick and run, we play, we move without the ball and we create chances. Now we must learn to score and that is the only thing I am worried about.

"I want to keep this spirit. At 1-1 last season this team would lose the passion. Now we stand up and we attack and create two penalties. If I win every game 2-1, I am happy."

Tonet's 25th-minute dismissal came after the Spanish midfielder was cautioned for late tackles on Andy Driver and Stewart within two minutes and saw his second yellow card followed by a red. St Mirren's protests were hard to understand and it was refreshing to see an SFA official granting Hearts justice after events at Ibrox Stadium seven days previously.

Hearts fans can anticipate more new faces in the near future with Laszlo hoping to unleash Tullberg and Janos Balogh, the Hungarian goalkeeper, soon. The manager reserved some words of praise for Saturday's two debutants, Obua and Kello. "If you know anything about football you can see Obua is a good footballer. Left-back is not his natural position but he can play there. He can play left midfield or as a second striker and I think he will be a good addition to our squad.

"If Kello can find harmony with the defence we have definitely a good goalkeeper. He was nervous but with time he will settle. With Balogh here we have three very good, young goalkeepers."

Gradually Laszlo has built himself a foundation at Tynecastle. The structural evidence is clear for all to see in Hearts' play as the maroon bandwagon gathers pace.

Taken from the Scotsman