Hearts 1 - 0 Royal Antwerp: Jim Jefferies declares Hearts ready for Rangers

Published Date: 18 July 2011
By Darren Johnstone
at Tynecastle
HEARTS wrapped up their seven-game pre-season preparations with a late victory over Royal Antwerp in what was a tame and quickly forgettable friendly against the Belgian second tier side.
Jamie Hamill converted a penalty in the 85th minute to leave captain Marius Zaliukas somewhat sheepishly lifting aloft the Tynecastle 125th Anniversary Trophy at full-time.

Afterwards, Hearts manager Jim Jefferies, who had seen a strong Hearts side go down 1-0 to Livingston the previous day, said he felt his side are all but the finished article for the opening SPL fixture at champions Rangers on Saturday.

It has been an intensive build-up to the season proper for Jefferies' men, taking in trips to Italy, Germany and less glamorous locations such as Methil and Cowdenbeath.

Off the field, Jefferies expects the contract impasse involving Rudi Skacel to be resolved "one way or the other" today, while he will monitor injury doubts Andy Webster and Stephen Elliott in the coming days ahead of the televised lunch-time kick-off at Ibrox. Centre-half Webster was withdrawn at half-time yesterday with a groin complaint and striker Elliott missed the match with an ear infection.

"We'll be ready for Saturday," said Jefferies. "I have looked at these two games this weekend (against Livingston and Antwerp) and I'm going to give the players their break on Monday.

"I can sit down and work out what I'm going to do with the players that I feel are best suited and see how they look.

"One or two have a wee bit to find but that will come shortly.

"The team I pick, we'll work on it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; we'll work on when we've got the ball and not got it and maybe an indoor practice game ourselves with the team we want."

Antwerp travelled from a city famous for its diamond trade but in the end they lacked sparkle in what proved an insipid encounter. A vociferous band of their fans took up position in the Roseburn Stand and, on the evidence of the flags that were draped over the seats on the lower part of the enclosure, the away contingent was enhanced by a number of Barnsley supporters.

The English club's fans were left frustrated by their team's postponed friendly at a waterlogged Easter Road on Saturday.

Ryan Stevenson was the sole survivor to the team that started against Livingston, while Hamill, Danny Grainger, David Templeton and John Sutton, who all came off the bench at the Braidwood Motor Company stadium, were included from the start.

With the exception of Lee Wallace, who played an hour against Livingston after recovering from a calf niggle, Jefferies sent out arguably his strongest available XI.

Summer recruit Hamill, who starts a two-game suspension at the weekend, was favoured at right-back ahead of Eggert Jonsson and the remaining members of the back four (Andy Webster, Marius Zaliukas and Grainger) were protected by sitting midfielders Ian Black and Adrian Mrowiec.

That left playmaker Mehdi Taouil occupying a position behind a flexible attacking triumvirate with Sutton supported by Templeton and Stevenson.

The travelling team fashioned the first clear-cut chance in the game in the opening stages.

Webster was caught in possession as he dithered inside his own box but recovered to take the sting out of Kevin Oris' shot from 20 yards before Marian Kello made a tidy save.

Antwerp captain Orsi was then given time on the edge of the area but his dipping curling right-footed strike just cleared the cross bar.

Hearts relied heavily on Templeton to conjure an opening in the first half as he gave the hosts width by hugging the left flank, while the energy of Grainger also caused problems.

Hearts' only real effort of note in a dull first half was a Grainger free-kick from the corner of the box that brushed the side netting.

The hosts rode their luck in the opening minutes of the second half with Antwerp's Tossin Dosumbu twice being denied from close range by goal saving blocks by Hamill and substitute Ryan McGowan.

Hearts appeared to hold a higher defensive line after the interval and played more of their football in the visitors' half.

Stevenson had a powerful right-footed shot brilliantly saved by Theo Defourniy after pouncing on a loose ball in the box in the 55th minute.

And Defourniy's expertise was called up again in the 67th minute when Taouil slipped a short free-kick to Ian Black 20 yards from goal and the midfielder's venomous strike was pushed wide by the goalkeeper.

With the game edging towards a no-score draw, Hearts broke the deadlock with five minutes left. Substitute Arvydas Novikovas flummoxed Marvin Peersman at the far-side touchline and tumbled to the ground inside the box with the defender trying to make amends. Hamill - prolific from 12 yards last season with Kilmarnock - sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

Hearts: Kello, Hamill, Webster (McGowan 46), Zaliukas, Grainger (Wallace 65), Mrowiec (Novikovas 46), Taouil (Obua 83), Black, Templeton, Stevenson (Jonsson 65), Sutton. Subs not used: Barr.

Taken from the Scotsman