Goal-hungry Hearts pummel poor Paksi

Published Date: 05 August 2011
By Stuart Bathgate
at Tynecastle
HEARTS brought Scottish teams' wretched run of European results to a resounding end last night with a convincing victory in their first match under new manager Paulo Sergio.
Two goals in the first half put the Edinburgh side in the driving seat against their Hungarian opponents, and a third not long into the second ensured a comfortable progress into the play-off round of the Europa League, where they will be joined in today's draw by Rangers and Celtic.

Although this third-round tie hung in the balance after last week's first leg ended 1-1, Hearts did enough during that game to suggest they were the better side by some margin. So it transpired, albeit only after an opening half-hour in which Paksi proved obdurate in defence and occasionally menacing in attack.

Ryan Stevenson's first goal came early enough to prevent anxiety creeping into Hearts' play, and his second, in stoppage time in the first half, further boosted the team's self-belief. Andrew Driver scored a fine third, then substitute Rudi Skacel celebrated his new contract with the club by tapping in the fourth. Sergio had promised not to change too much in his first match in charge - a sensible decision given his lack of time with the squad - and he was true to his word, making only two alterations to the team which began Jim Jefferies' last game as manager, against Dundee United five days ago. Still, one of those changes was an adventurous one, with Andrew Driver making his first start since breaking down after just 20 minutes of a league match at Tannadice in May.

Driver replaced David Obua, omitted after damaging a hamstring in training on Tuesday, while the other change saw Stevenson come in for John Sutton, who was dropped to the bench after looking very flat in Sunday's 1-0 defeat. Jamie Hamill, who has been serving a domestic suspension but scored from the penalty spot in last week's first leg, was also among the substitutes.

Hearts lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Adrian Mrowiec the holding midfielder and Stephen Elliott the lone man up front. It was a shape designed to adapt to attack very quickly, with Stevenson offering support to Elliott when required, and Driver and David Templeton providing width. The home team wasted no time in taking the game to their Hungarian opponents, who within minutes had their captain, Laszlo Eger, booked for a heavy challenge on Elliott.

The resultant free-kick, taken by Ian Black, produced the first scoring chance of the match for Stevenson, whose left-foot volley flashed just past the post with goalkeeper Norbert Csernyanszky stranded. Elliott had come back on to the field after brief treatment following the clash with Eger, but was forced to hobble off moments later and was replaced by Sutton.

The Englishman is a different kind of front man than Elliott, being less zippy but more of a physical threat, but there was no switch in Hearts' style of play as they looked for the goal which would give them an aggregate lead. They did not have things all their own way, however, and Paksi proved they had not come to Edinbirgh merely to defending when a sudden break produced a chance deep on the left fior Jozsef Magasfoldi. With the home defence closing in, the winger snatched at his shot and sent it too high and too wide to trouble Marian Kello. Nonetheless, it was a reminder to Hearts that they could not afford to be too gung-ho, and that patience would be required to get the better of a team who, although limited, were well organised.

Hearts were playing with easily more composure and cohesion than they had shown in their last league outing, and they got the goal which their territorial dominance deserved about a dozen minutes before the break. Paksi's most glaring weakness was their lack of height in the air, with Eger being their only defender of real stature, and that flaw was exposed when Danny Grainger whipped in a corner from the right. The cross went all the way to the far post, where Stevenson headed home from three or four yards out. Csernyanszky got a hand to the header, but appeared to be caught unawares and could only help the ball into the corner of his net.

Grainger came very close to adding a second two minutes later with a free-kick from the right which, instead of curling in, he drove straight at goal. His effort went a couple of feet wide of the near post, and Paksi breathed again - but only for a few minutes. On the verge of half-time, immediately after a snap shot from Istvan Sipeki had again reminded Hearts of the need for vigilance, Stevenson struck again. A long clearance by Kello was miscued by a Paksi defender into the path of Sutton, who slipped the ball to Stevenson on the left corner of the six-yard box. The midfielder hit it first-time, sending a low shot into the far corner of the net

The Hungarians needed a quick goal if they were to get back into the tie, but by pressing up they only left more gaps at the back, and within five minutes of the restart they were further behind. Stevenson turned provider this time, passing to Driver, who drove a first-time shot high into Csernyanszky's net. Sergio's team had their tails up, and with half an hour to play the Hungarians appeared to have conceded defeat. But, after a lifeless spell, they realised they had nothing left to lose and put in a late rally.

Daniel Bode was unlucky to see a header tipped on to the bar by Kello.

Stung back into life by those near misses, Hearts added a fourth from nowhere. Csernyanszky could only block a long-range shot from Templeton, and Skacel was first to the rebound to tap it into the unguarded net. That looked like being the last meaningful action of the match, but in the last minute of regulation time Bode claimed a consolation goal with a well-directed header from a curling free-kick.

Hearts: Kello, McGowan, Jonsson, Zaliukas (Hamill 46), Grainger, Mrowiec, Driver (Skacel 62), Black, Stevenson, Templeton, Elliott (Sutton 12). Subs not used: MacDonald, Barr, Novikovas, Robinson.

Paksi: Csernyanszky, Sifter, Balo, Kiss (Montvai 80), Bode, T Heffler, Magasfoldi (Csehi 54), Fiola, Sipeki, Bartha, Eger. Subs not used: Pokorny, Gevay, Meszaros, Hrepka, Heffler.

Daniel Bode was unlucky to see a header tipped on to the bar by Kello.

Stung back into life by those near misses, Hearts added a fourth from nowhere. Csernyanszky could only block a long-range shot from Templeton, and Skacel was first to the rebound to tap it into the unguarded net. That looked like being the last meaningful action of the match, but in the last minute of regulation time Bode claimed a consolation goal with a well-directed header from a curling free-kick.

Hearts: Kello, McGowan, Jonsson, Zaliukas (Hamill 46), Grainger, Mrowiec, Driver (Skacel 62), Black, Stevenson, Templeton, Elliott (Sutton 12). Subs not used: MacDonald, Barr, Novikovas, Robinson.

Paksi: Csernyanszky, Sifter, Balo, Kiss (Montvai 80), Bode, T Heffler, Magasfoldi (Csehi 54), Fiola, Sipeki, Bartha, Eger. Subs not used: Pokorny, Gevay, Meszaros, Hrepka, Heffler.

Taken from the Scotsman