Crushed by Sutton impact

Richard Winton

13 Aug 2011

JOHN Sutton was cavorting towards the corner flag after his first goal for Hearts as his colleagues gambolled towards him.

With Tynecastle rejoicing the hosts' second goal of the afternoon, club captain Marius Zaliukas made to abandon his defensive post and join the throng, only to be summoned to the touchline by Paulo Sergio and issued instructions. It was an edifying moment.

The Portuguese coach had exhorted his players to improve their passing and movement in his programme notes, but even Sutton's clinical finishing was not enough. "I am never satisfied," said Sergio after this 3-0 success. "It is not possible to have the perfect performance, there is always something we can do better but the most important thing today was the result because in this moment we have had no victory so this gets the players believing in what we are doing together."

The shadow of Thursday evening's Europa League game with Tottenham Hotspur hung over this encounter. It was in the promptings of the tannoy announcer, the presence of Spurs' coach Clive Allen, and the queue snaking out of the Tynecastle ticket office afterwards. But the home fans wandered into the Edinburgh evening with enhanced optimism after this thumping victory.

Aberdeen started well, in a spell soundtracked by the dull thud of 50-50 challenges. But still without a goal after four Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches, Craig Brown's side began to show their lack of guile, their narrow 4-4-2 shape and lack of pace proving easy to combat.

I am never satisfied, we can always do things better

A couple of efforts from Kari Arnason – a header which kissed the crossbar and a drive which skidded wide – were all they had to show for their initial dominance yet it was still a surprise when Hearts established an advantage.

While the diminutive Scott Robinson, deployed in an unfamiliar central midfield role, hurled himself into tackles, Arvydas Novikovas was buffeted and bruised and looked like he would rather be anywhere else. Just once, though, brain triumphed over brawn. Gathering Danny Grainger's deep cross at the apex of the area, the Lithuanian used Richard Foster and Andy Considine as a shield, launching a delightful low shot beyond the grasp of the unsighted David Gonzalez and into the corner of the net.

It would be the 20-year-old's last act of note, failing to reappear after the interval after another hefty dunt, but by then Hearts were comfortable. Gonzalez was exercised by a dipping Grainger free-kick but there was little the Colombian custodian could do to prevent Sutton doubling the advantage 10 minutes from the interval. The striker escorted the ball over the line after David Templeton burrowed to the bye-line and flashed across the face.

Given Aberdeen's lack of penetration, it was game over.But for the avoidance of doubt they gifted Hearts a third just after the interval. Robinson launched himself into another tackle on the perimeter of the area, doing enough to ensure the ball squirted into the box, and while the defenders froze, Sutton ambled in to prod past the exposed Gonzalez.

An exasperated Brown made changes, pushing Fraser Fyvie into a more central attacking role, but the youngster spurned the visitors' only real chance of the second period, flashing wide from 12 yards after getting the break of the ball in the box.

"If you took the goals out of the game it was even," said Brown, who is attempting to add Leigh Griffiths from Wolves on loan to bolster his striking options. "When Hearts had a chance, they scored. That was the difference."

Taken from the Herald