Hearts 3 - 2 Falkirk: Black hits back with aplomb

Published Date: 14 February 2010
By Paul Forsyth at Tynecastle
Wallace 5; Suso 61; Black 67

Kucharski og 45; Moutinho 83
IT COULD hardly have worked out better for Jim Jefferies. In the first home match of his second spell as Hearts' manager, the team scored three goals for the first time this season, more than they mustered in their last seven outings put together. That one of them was a stunning strike by Ian Black can only have added to the manager's satisfaction.

On Wednesday night, Black was involved in a bust-up with Christian Nade in the Celtic Park dressing-room, an offence that led, at least, partly to the striker's omission yesterday. He, for one, will not have enjoyed watching Black collect the ball some 25 yards out and send it soaring into the top left-hand corner with a quarter of the game left. It capped an impressive all-round performance by the former Inverness player, who admitted later that he had lost confidence under Csaba Laszlo.

Add to that a freak goal after just five minutes by Lee Wallace, a second by Suso Santana, and a decent showing by David Obua in the position previously occupied by Nade, and you wonder if the latter will ever don maroon again. Jefferies, who said that the matter would be dealt with internally, added that the player's exclusion was only partly for disciplinary reasons. "Maybe a little bit of that, but mostly because he has not been doing well," said the manager. "We have not been scoring goals, but scoring three today justified my decision."

Jefferies, who revealed that there has been "slight" progress in his efforts to keep Jose Goncalves at the club, was a happier man than his counterpart, Steven Pressley, also returning to the home of his former club, albeit in the newly-acquired guise of Falkirk manager. He commended his players for their "spirit and desire", but they trail second-bottom Hamilton by four points now.

Jefferies, whose first three games back at the club have been on the road, was "welcomed home" with a pre-match rendition of the 1970s hit by Peters and Lee. No sooner had he, Billy Brown and Gary Locke acknowledged the supporters with a regal wave from in front of the dugouts than their charges were assisting the settling-in process. The 'new' manager had not celebrated a goal since his comeback, but within five minutes of this Tynecastle reunion, the home side were ahead. Wallace, mind you, had no such plans when he collected the ball down by the touchline and delivered a cross that seemed to drift goalwards on the breeze. Robert Olejnik, the Falkirk goalkeeper, had anticipated an outswinger off the defender's left boot, and could only help it into the net.

Pressley, it's safe to say, wasn't feeling quite so at home. Apart from swapping his clipboard, shorts and socks for the managerial jacket and a pair of shoes out of Laszlo's wardrobe, there was more than a little abuse from the home support. His defence, including right-back Darren Barr, who will move to Tynecastle in the summer, were picked and pulled apart for much of a first half.

Even Pressley, the eternal optimist, would have to admit that they were fortunate to be level at the interval. Just a few seconds of the first half remained when Carl Finnigan's flick set up Marc Twaddle, whose first-time shot – heading roughly for the far corner flag – was deflected into the net by Kucharski. Pressley, already unpopular in these parts for his celebratory returns with Celtic, greeted his jubilant players by stepping on to the pitch and high-fiving a handful of them.

Falkirk were fired up for the second half, and bolstered by the introduction of striker Enoch Showunmi. The substitute's impact was immediate, bursting past the lethargic Kucharksi, and picking out Ryan Flynn on the edge of the six-yard box. Taking the ball at knee height, the midfielder turned it narrowly over the crossbar. By the time Burton O'Brien had shaved the upright with a curling free-kick, Pressley was dancing down the touchline in frustration.

Given how the balance of play had changed, it was as well for Hearts that they scored their second when they did. Again, there was a degree of ineptitude about the goalkeeper's failure to deal with a cross by Arvydas Novikovas, but there was no arguing with Suso's finish, a clean connection with the loose ball that accelerated into the far corner.

Six minutes later, Black produced the game's defining flourish, but there was still time for Falkirk to inflict on their opponents an uncomfortable finale. Substitute Pedro Moutinho collected a lay-off by Flynn before slotting it past Marian Kello.

MAN OF THE MATCH

For his goal alone, Ian Black could claim to deserve the award, but there was much more to his performance than that second-half strike.

QUICK FACT

Lee Wallace's early opener was his team's first goal in 380 minutes of football.

TALKING POINT

With his team 3-1 down, and time running out, new Falkirk manager Steven Pressley refused to give the ball to Lee Wallace, who was waiting to take a throw-in. If Elvis' intention was to wind up the home support, then you would have to say that it worked.

Taken from the Scotsman