Life without Berra looks unconvincing

While Berra spent the afternoon watching prospective new club Woverhampton Wanderers entertain Watford in the English Championship - he was due for a medical and contract talks afterwards - his former colleagues suffered with a tame performance in Lanarkshire. Hearts remain joint third in the SPL, however, with Dundee United and Aberdeen both going down at Rangers and Falkirk respectively.

Mensing's early header past Jamie MacDonald was followed up in the second half after Robbie Neilson had impeded James McCarthy inside the 18-yard box. Although Hearts mounted concerted pressure thereafter, Hamilton's two-goal advantage remained in tact.

Marius Zaliukas, returning from suspension, partnered Eggert Jonsson in defence and Neilson donned the captain's armband in Berra's absence. All the pre-match attention centred around the directors' box as Vladimir Romanov made a rare appearance to watch his team having spent the previous night negotiating Berra's transfer fee with Wolves.

Hamilton started purposefully, not to mention physically, and recorded four corners in the opening ten minutes. From the fourth they opened the scoring, Easton's swirling cross being glanced home by the head of Mensing, who easily evaded his marker. If Hearts' defence looked slow to react at that stage they reaped little reward from Zaliukas' forward escapades as the first half progressed. In truth, the Lithuanian only succeeded in leaving his colleagues exposed when he galloped out of position.

A David Obua cross from the right flank on 13 minutes was flicked goalwards by Michael Stewart only for the ball to clip Tomas Cerny's right post. Hearts' next opportunity arrived just after the half hour and would have restored parity but for the instinctive reactions of Hamilton's goalkeeper. Lee Wallace's raking ball down the left was collected by Bruno Aguiar and crossed into the penalty area. Michael Stewart took a touch on the run and pivoted to volley at goal, but Cerny's block from close range left the midfielder, and most inside New Douglas Park, in disbelief.

Obua ventured inside from the right flank on 40 minutes and struck a deflected left-footed attempt which Cerny had to fingertip over his crossbar. Moments later, Christian Nade sent a left footed volley soaring into the away support. There appeared to be an overall lack of impetus and cohesion about Hearts which manager Csaba Laszlo would have sought to rectify during the interval. He would also have recognised that the normally influential Aguiar was being nullified by Alex Neil's effective man-marking skills.

The second half began similarly and on 52 minutes Mensing doubled his tally for the afternoon. Neilson was judged to have tugged the shirt of McCarthy inside the penalty area and, despite vehement protests by the visitors, Mesning drilled the resultant penalty low beyond MacDonald.

Hearts then began to dominate play as Hamilton protected their lead. Michael Stewart resisted pressure from two defenders to unleash a powerful attempt from 18 yards on 71 minutes, forcing Cerny low to his left to hold the ball. Larry Kingston, on for Aguiar, then dispatched a shot into the side netting from an acute angle.

Hamilton substitute Derek Lyle forced MacDonald to backpedal with a looping header as the game entered its final ten minutes. Laszlo then introduced Gary Glen for Nade and Calum Elliot for Neilson, with Christos Karipidis assuming the captain's armband. The alterations occurred too late for Hearts as the game finished to the sound of the home support's celebrations.

Hamilton (4-2-3-1): Cerny; McClenahan, Canning, McLaughlin, Easton; Neil, McArthur; McGowan, Mensing; McCarthy; Offiong. Subs: Murdoch, Deuchar, Thomas 67 (for Offiong), Swailes, Gibson, Lyle 59 (for McGowan), Gow.

Hearts (4-4-1-1): MacDonald; Neilson, Zaliukas, Jonsson, Wallace; Obua, Stewart, Karipidis, Driver; Aguiar; Nade. Subs: Kello, Thomson, Kingston 67 (for Aguiar), Elliot 83 (for Neilson), Glen 81 (for Nade), Mrowiec, Templeton.

Referee: Eddie Smith.

Attendance: 3567.

Taken from the Scotsman