Kilmarnock 1 - 2 Hearts: Laszlo takes heart as first away win of season boosts confidence

Published Date: 30 November 2009
KILMARNOCK legends such as former team-mates Tommy McLean, Jackie McInally, Eric Murray and Davie Sneddon lined up with the players for an impeccably observed minute's silence in memory of the late, great Killie skipper Frank Beattie prior to the kick-off.
Then, the golden oldies trooped off, sadly without leaving their stardust behind: it's difficult to believe they'd have so dominated a first-half as their successors did and not wrapped up the points in the process.

As Csaba Laszlo admitted post-match – almost giving his club media minder a stroke in the process – from a Gorgie perspective, the first half was: "complete sh*t". But whatever Csaba said during the break worked, as the men in maroon were a team transformed after the interval.

Eggert Jonsson's opener, a stunning low shot driven across the penalty area and just inside Mark Brown's right-hand post in 67 minutes, gave Hearts belief and when, almost unbelievably, Christian Nade, with the help of a deflection off Kevin Kyle's back, made it 2-0 ten minutes later (two goals in two games, jings, crivvens, help ma Boab); the home fans knew there was no way back.

Craig Bryson's last-minute goal, from a cute Kyle flick-on, was a case of too little, too late, but as he celebrated his assist, skipper Kyle was perhaps reflecting on his poorly struck penalty, which Janos Balogh had saved a couple of minutes previously as being a golden chance missed.

Not that it was the best goal opportunity spurned by the home side during their hour or so in the driving seat. Just four minutes before Jonsson's tie-breaker central defender Frazer Wright tamely knocked a Steven Old head-on into the grateful arms of Balogh: "If he'd simply put his foot through the ball he'd have scored," sighed Jim Jefferies, with the air of a man who has become used to seeing his best-laid plans ganging agley through the failings of his players. Had that effort gone in, it might all have been so different.

Killie did have the ball in the net through Bryson in the first-half, but from a clearly offside position. Jefferies also pointed out that Jonsson's goal had been Hearts' first shot-on-target; to be fair, for all Killie's command over the opening hour, they hadn't caused Balogh too many jittery moments.

What did upset a few Killie diehards in the main stand was the woeful standard of their delivery into the box. When your team has such an aerial threat as Kyle poses, augmented by Wright and Old at set-pieces, it's criminal not to provide good-quality service, something Killie singularly failed to provide.

Kyle got in just one header from a dangerous position, in 42 minutes, but headed straight at Balogh.

Killie goalkeeper Mark Brown summed-up the mood of the home dressing room: "Frustrated, very frustrated; we played well, but didn't get the breaks."

The mood in the Hearts camp has been much mulled over this week. Manager Laszlo suggests much of his side's travails have been about confidence, which this win hopefully boosts.

"We have to recognise friends, have belief and stick together; this will boost our confidence and today I recognised good confidence in the dressing-room", he said.

That view was backed-up by goal-scorer Jonsson, who said: "We are all behind Laszlo and our troubles last season means we have to look at ourselves as individuals.

"Sure, we lost a lot of experience in the close season, and we've made a bad start, which has meant low confidence in the camp, but these were three massive points today and we've now got to build on this win.

"It's our first away win of the season, so it has to be a turning point, now we have to keep working, keep improving and climb the table".

That climb, if it is to happen, may start without Lee Wallace, who was taken off at half-time with an ankle knock.

"It's badly swollen, he'll have a scan and hopefully he'll only miss one or two weeks," said his manager, who in spite of Nade's goal and the fact the big front man is clearly doing more, still feels he needs a decision from the club owner and board about bringing in another striker in January.

"I have no problems with the board, but you must have decisions on what is important for the club," Laszlo added.

MAN OF THE MATCH:
Craig Thomson (Hearts)

Even when Hearts were struggling, the youngster kept going forward and setting up chances for his team-mates. His 52nd-minute run and cross, from which Laryea Kingston struck a spectacular overhead kick wide of the target, was a highlight.

Taken from the Scotsman