Nade strikes home for Hearts

BARRY ANDERSON
HEARTS 1 HAMILTON 0
ALONGSIDE another three vital league points, there was extra pleasure for Csaba Laszlo last night following Hearts' victory over Hamilton Academical. "We had a big celebration point, a striker scored," said the manager before bursting into fits of laughter. Yet he was deadly serious.

Christian Nade's goal after six minutes was the first time a Hearts forward had scored since Jamie Mole against St Mirren on August 23. It was also the Frenchman's first since January, the most pertinent detail of a bustling performance from a player who has largely flattered to deceive in Scotland.

Hearts controlled the first half before labouring in the second after Nade went off with a tight muscle. In the end, they were somewhat clinging to victory in the closing stages as industrious Accies mounted an onslaught, but Laszlo recognised the value of the win. "We can talk for two hours about the game. If you win every game 1-0 you can be a champion. If you lose every game 1-0 you will be relegated," he said.

"If you are winning games you don't have to explain anything. I have this luck right now and we had luck last night, definitely.

"We have players who are coming back from long-term injuries. Bruno Aguiar has played five good games, he has been playing at a very high level but you saw last night he fell a little. We did not have anybody in midfield to give confidence. We tried with the counter-attack.

"Christian Nade told me he had a very tired muscle and he must come out. Also, he had not played football for one year on a deep pitch and was robbed of a lot of power. On the bench, we had a lot of young players. I brought Jamie Mole on. He, Juho Makela and Robbie Neilson were the only experienced subs who had played in the SPL.

"Hamilton did not play like a team at the bottom, they were very open. They came out and looked for chances."

That they did, but not until after the interval. In the first 45 minutes, they toiled trying to contain the outstanding Nade and combat their bolshy and inventive hosts.

Hearts required only six minutes to fashion an opener after a minute's applause for their late former goalkeeper Jimmy Brown. Aguiar's manoeuvrability helped him find space to glance Lee Wallace's loping ball in behind the Hamilton rearguard. Nade sprinted on to the opening and, although Martin Canning beat him for pace entering the penalty area, Nade determinedly jabbed a toe at the ball and prodded it into the net as goalkeeper Tomas Cerny emerged. Billy Reid, the Hamilton manager, protested vehemently in his technical area that Nade had begun in an offside position but his pleas were ineffective.

"I've seen it on the monitor and it's not offside," said Reid afterwards with admirable honesty. "I thought it was offside but the boy was right in line. I thought he looked half a yard offside. We're frustrated at the moment because we've lost goals recently that certainly were offside, I'm thinking of Kris Boyd's and Chris Porter's goals.

"Christian Nade was a problem. Before half-time he was creating havoc all over the place and looked really lively. We then turned Hearts in the second half and put two up front and I thought we controlled most of the 45 minutes. I think you saw the spirit of our team, we certainly aren't giving in."

Nade created an opportunity by himself on 26 minutes, dragging down Berra's long free-kick and flicking it towards goal with the outside of his right boot despite tight marking from Mark McLaughlin. The ball landed wide of goal but there was no debating that Hearts' imposing Frenchman was enjoying a storming performance. He tested Cerny twice inside ten seconds on the half-hour mark with stinging drives at goal and Hamilton mostly had no idea of his whereabouts.

Not until the 38th minute did the visitors threaten Janos Balogh's goal, an indication of Hearts' first-half dominance. When Eggert Jonsson cleared weakly on his own byline, David Graham collected possession and attempted to guide the ball inside Balogh's near post. The goalkeeper failed to hold the shot and would have been grateful for the positional sense of Marius Zaliukas, who cleared for a corner. The Lithuanian was returning after a one-match suspension, whilst Christos Karipidis was reinstated to midfield after overcoming a muscle injury.

David Obua attempted an acrobatic effort as the interval approached but Hearts retreated thoroughly pleased with their endeavours. When play resumed, Aguiar forced Cerny down to his right with a left-footed drive from 20 yards. Then came Nade's chance to cement his hero status. Aguiar delivered a cross from the right touchline on to the striker's toe eight yards from goal, but a difficult bounce caused him to volley into the Gorgie Road Stand.

Hamilton substitute Richard Offiong then headed tamely at Balogh from Simon Mensing's cross, however, the mere creation of an opening seemed to imbue the visitors with renewed belief.

On 58 minutes, Zaliukas almost created an equaliser for them by foolishly barging into McCarthy as the pair chased the ball towards the byline. Referee Dougie McDonald had a long look and decided there was no infringement, much to Zaliukas' relief.

Hamilton's impetus forced Hearts back towards their own 18-yard line, a position in which they were never comfortable. A forward break resulted in David Graham's cross being headed over the crossbar by the unmarked James McArthur, and, at this point, the general consensus was that Hearts would require another goal to secure victory.

It did not arrive, and Hamilton's pressure remained relentless through to the final whistle. If the beginning was scintillating for Hearts, the end was nerve-wracking. As jeers rang around the stadium at full-time, Laszlo was right to be simply grateful for three points ahead of Saturday's journey to Inverness.

Taken from the Scotsman