Determination pays off for unpaid Hearts

Richard Moore
at Tynecastle
NEWS of Hearts' own banking crisis broke yesterday morning, when it was reported that a technical glitch meant that the club's players and staff have not been paid this month.
That remained the official line, with "technical reasons" solely to blame and the money to be wired into the players' bank accounts in the next few days. And it was a line that seemed to be bought – so to speak – by the creditors, or players, who, in the way they approached this game, didn't appear to be wracked with worry about where the next meal will come from.

True, they looked hungry, but this manifested itself in the speed of their movement and general eagerness, urged on by the animated and enthusiastic Csaba Laszlo. Yet Inverness also began brightly, with Ian Black enjoying plenty of space in the middle, and posing a danger as he strode forward, feeding the ball to Adam Rooney, who also looked a threat in the early stages.

After seven minutes Hearts struck. Audrius Ksanavicius collected the ball just inside the Caley Thistle half and spotted Saulius Mikoliunas darting across the pitch from his berth on the left. Ksanavicius hit his pass into the right channel, allowing Mikoliunas to continue his cross-field run and gather the ball just outside the box.

Michael Fraser, in the Caley Thistle goal, was foxed, coming to the edge of his box and finding himself in no-man's land. Mikoliunas took one simple touch to wrong-foot him and then slid it past, beating the keeper at his near post.

Ten minutes later Hearts could have doubled their advantage when a long ball from Lee Wallace fell to Michael Stewart with his back to goal in the Caley Thistle box. Stewart turned, stretched and got his foot to it – but Fraser, also stretching, showed great agility to get a hand to it to tip it over the bar.

Caley Thistle showed in flashes that they might be capable of coming back, but Hearts controlled the first half, and it wasn't until the second when the visitors launched a sustained assault.

Hearts lived dangerously, just 1-0 up and with Caley Thistle having seized the initiative, though as Laszlo later pointed out, they didn't create many chances. "Tactically, I give my team ten," he said. "We closed them down very well, they don't have any chances. We closed the door behind us." Craig Brewster agreed: "Hearts defended well; their back four did really well."

Brewster threw on all three of his allotted substitutes in a bid to find the elusive formula, while for Hearts Adrian Mrowiec came on for his debut, replacing a hard-working Stewart, and promptly contributing a lazy touch that might have led to an equaliser.

It never came, leaving Brewster frustrated. "I thought we deserved something," said the Inverness manager. "We played well, there was just a lack of concentration for the goal, but apart from that there wasn't a lot wrong. Maybe in the final third we weren't getting on the end of things, or creating enough. But I've got to be pleased with the performance."

Laszlo sought to stress the tactical triumph behind his side's victory, and noted that "if we win every game 1-0 then I am happy." He deftly deflected a question about Hearts' missing wages, appearing oblivious to the issue, and to the question of whether his money is also still owed. "I must ask my wife," said Laszlo, "she has my bank account. I don't know."

His captain, Christophe Berra, didn't feign ignorance, but seemed reassured by the club's explanation. "We've been assured we definitely will be paid next week," said Berra. "The way I look at it, we've won today – so that's a win bonus."

On the match winner, Mikoliunas, Laszlo offered praise, but noted: "This is job – for this he takes money!" The cheque is apparently in the post.

Taken from the Scotsman