Hearts boss celebrates finest hour since return

Published Date: 03 May 2010
By BARRY ANDERSON
Derby victory keeps European aspirations alive and represents most significant result in manager's second tenure at Tynecastle
LET'S just take stock for a moment. Hearts were underdogs arriving at Easter Road. With the game evenly poised, they suffered the demoralising blow of conceding a penalty which wouldn't have been awarded in the school playground far less a Premier League venue. A goal behind, they summoned enough character and resilience to equalise. They then produced a last-minute winner for an away victory which ensures the season will end with the Tynecastle side undefeated in Edinburgh derbies. Three points also maintains their European aspirations.

To say Saturday was a mammoth day for Hearts would be like stating Hibernian went home a bit fed up. The contrasts in the two camps were stark, largely a consequence of the visitors' defiance. Registering a come-from-behind win at the home of their greatest rivals – and challengers for the SPL's last remaining Europa League berth – must go down as the finest achievement thus far of Jim Jefferies' second tenure. Didn't he know it.

The manager deserves credit for his tactical gumption when, with Hearts 1-0 down, he declared his intent by introducing Calum Elliot and Suso. It was win or bust, and the ploy worked perfectly. Hibs were pressed back and, in the 72nd minute, the impressive Elliot outmuscled Paul Hanlon while in pursuit of David Obua's head flick into the area. The striker then cleverly prodded the ball back from the advancing goalkeeper Graeme Smith for Suso to stroke into an empty net, with Smith having gone to ground.

With two minutes remaining, Hearts mounted their final, decisive attack. David Templeton, an outstanding performer throughout, executed a swerving left-sided cross which neither Hanlon nor Smith could connect with. It was down to Obua to slide the ball into another empty net two yards out at the back post, prompting delirious celebrations in Easter Road's South Stand. The area behind Smith's goal hosted both home and visiting fans for the first time due to stadium reconstruction. Police and stewards had an arduous task striving to maintain order, and that was just the Hearts players.

A consequence of the winning goal was that the injustice of Hibs' penalty subsided slightly. When John Rankin drove into the Hearts penalty box on 52 minutes and stumbled when confronted by Marius Zaliukas, it seemed impossible for referee Dougie McDonald to award anything other than a goal kick with the ball having trundled out of play. Yet he pointed to the spot, leaving Hearts in disbelief. Zaliukas clearly withdrew from the challenge, with Rankin dragging his foot over the top of the Lithuanian's to force the most minute contact between the players.

Anthony Stokes converted the penalty but thereafter the hosts seemed to retreat into their shell. Manager John Hughes criticised his side for losing "poor, poor goals" and for being "scared to win the match". That accusation could not be levelled at the man in the opposing technical area. "I've gone virtually 4-2-4 for the last 25 minutes and it's come up trumps for us," said Jefferies. "Suso chipped in with a goal but Calum Elliot had a really good spell when he came on. He created the opportunity for Suso. Temps was quiet on the right but I switched him to the left (after Suso came on] and it paid off for us. The last two Hibs games have been open with chances created. Both goalkeepers had saves to make. It wasn't dour, I thought it was good value for money.

"The penalty was a very soft award. In a game that tight you need to be 100 per cent sure. I was worried about that before the game, getting a penalty that was a bit soft. The referee was quick to give it. Dougie's all right, he refereed the game quite well actually, but I wouldn't say it was a stonewaller by any means. The good thing is our players didn't go and feel sorry for themselves.

"You wonder where a goal will come from because they're not the greatest goalscorers. Big Obua, who's not had many goals, was in the right place at the right time. The forward area has been struggling all year but we only lost one and scored two.

"I said if we win we give ourselves a chance. If you want to look at it another way, win this game and you get a bit of forgiveness from the fans if you don't make Europe. I know a lot of fans would take a win on Hibs' patch. We've given ourselves an outside chance. I wanted to assess the squad and get us into the top six. We've done that now. I said today standards are set by application and they had to do something about that. Give 100 per cent and I'll back them all the way if things don't go their way. The ability side, we have to strengthen. But they gave their all and won the game so I've no complaints."

Jefferies deployed Marius Zaliukas and Lee Wallace together in central defence, with Eggert Jonsson at right-back and Ruben Palazuelos left-back. It was the same defence which helped Hearts win the previous derby at Tynecastle, but there was no place for captain Michael Stewart in the 18-man squad.

"I just looked at the squad for this game and I wanted to try something," explained Jefferies when asked about the midfielder's omission. "I named a squad of players, the rest had the option to train on their own or with the youths. Something happened last week that I wasn't happy about but we'll keep that between us. Nobody has taken the captaincy off him. The reaction I got shouldn't have happened. The players have to see I'm the manager and I expect standards. If those are not there you send a message out to the rest."

It is believed he was referring to Stewart leaving Tynecastle immediately upon being substituted at half-time against Motherwell. It has to be said he was not missed at Easter Road, where Larry Kingston and Ian Black patrolled the central midfield area astutely.

"We had to go in with the right attitude," said Black. "We knew what to expect, we worked hard and got the result. We created chances, putting balls in the box and across the face of goal. We just had to get on the end of one. They got the penalty but we were egged on to go and win. We got the goal and then their heads went down. Going back to the halfway line after the equaliser I was telling the boys to go and finish the job. We got a chance at the end and Obua's put it in for a great three points.

"There is great banter amongst us in the changing room and the boys are really enjoying it. The manager's experience and knowledge can help us and we're capable of making Europe. With the same attitude and application we can pick up maximum points from our last two games. We're going to throw everything at it."

Taken from the Scotsman