Elliot returns to the big stage

ALL SEASON, Hearts fans have been left to wonder what their side could achieve if only they had a goalscorer. It now seems they might have had one all along.

In the space of seven minutes in this, his first start of the season, Calum Elliot succeeded in matching the tally it has taken Christian Nade 28 SPL appearances to accrue. Considered not good enough by Csaba Laszlo at the start of the season, Elliot has set about proving his manager wrong in such diligent and determined fashion that the Hungarian is now more than happy to swallow a large slice of humble pie.

"I was very happy with Calum's performance, and not only with his goals," said the Hearts manager. "He is bringing so much to the team right now."

Elliot's return to favour has been as spectacular as it has been swift. His place in the starting line-up yesterday had been earned by his near-singled-handed transformation of Hearts' fortunes at Ibrox a fortnight ago, yet few would have expected this as an encore.

The striker, who turned 22 on Monday, has rarely been put forward as the answer to his side's goalscoring problems this season, but 11 goals in 13 appearances while on loan with Livingston suggested he could at least offer Nade some competition. As it is, the evidence since his return from Almondvale would suggest he brings not only a greater goal threat, but also more mobility and energy to the solitary striker's role.

Elliot needed to be at his best too, because Hearts, though dominant and deserving of a win that increased the gap over Aberdeen to seven points, were forced to come from behind to claim victory.

Kilmarnock are in genuine danger of relegation, but they have at their disposal a few players of real quality, and it was two of those who carved out a well-worked eighth-minute opener. David Fernandez's toiling on the left flank created space for Mehdi Taouil to measure a deep, inviting cross and Danny Invincible attacked the ball to bullet a header beyond the statuesque Janos Balogh. The visiting Killie fans reacted with a chant of "We are staying up," but by the end of the day their side had been leapfrogged by Inverness Caledonian Thistle and could yet find themselves looking up the table at Falkirk by the end of today. Jefferies' side are still waiting for their first win of 2009. "We have been in a precarious position for the past few weeks now," he admitted.

Kilmarnock's lead lasted just 14 minutes, and by the time parity was restored, Alan Combe had already been called into meaningful action on more than one occasion.

However, when needed again, he was unable to push Marius Zaliukas' flick-on away from danger and spilled the ball to Elliot, who reacted with the kind of gratitude that such generosity deserved. After that, there was no stopping the striker.

Within seven minutes, he had conjured a second goal out of nothing, reacting with razor-sharp instincts to sneak in on the blindside of his marker and send a Lee Wallace cross flashing past Combe with the outside of his right foot. Elliot, who by this time was loving every minute, later teed up Aguiar to put Hearts out of sight just four minutes into the second half.

The youngster had found himself jeered by the Hearts fans in the past, but these same supporters were now willing him to complete his hat-trick, and it seemed that they would get their wish with 62 minutes played. However, despite the fact that Elliot earned a penalty by luring Ryan O'Leary into hauling him down, Laszlo ignored the crowd's chants of "We want Calum" by instructing Aguiar to take the kick.

Even after the Portuguese midfielder struck the post, the Hearts manager remained unrepentant. "My gift to Calum today was not to give him the penalty but to bring him off before the end so he could enjoy the applause from the fans."

Rarely has an ovation at Tynecastle been so richly deserved.

Taken from the Sunday Herald