Battling Hearts earn back some respect

Published Date: 26 August 2011
By Stuart Bathgate
at White Hart Lane
Spurs win 5-0 on aggregate
PAULO Sergio's gamble in fielding a relatively untried Hearts line-up was vindicated in resounding fashion last night as his team held their own against their illustrious English opponents.

The achievement of a goalless draw was only academic in terms of this Europa League play-off round tie, but after their traumatic 5-0 defeat last week it was one which could well provide significant reassurance to Hearts as they seek more consistent form in the league.

Selfless hard work was the key to the result, but there was more than a little skill on display too, with Arvydas Novikovas offering glimpses of his ability throughout, and late substitutes Suso and Mehdi Taouil ensuring Hearts retained an attacking presence to the end. From Tottenham's perspective this was a relatively uneventful way in which to progress to the group stages of the competition, but they were fortunate to keep a clean sheet after a Gordon Smith shot rattled the crossbar, and passed up their own best chance to score when Jamie MacDonald saved a Harry Kane penalty.

With the tie won and lost in the first leg, when Spurs went three up by half-time and added another two after the break, it was no surprise that both teams selected radically different line-ups for this match. Hearts fielded four players who started their home leg - Danny Grainger, Andy Webster, Marius Zaliukas and David Templeton - while Spurs retained only two, captain Michael Dawson and Jake Livermore. Manager Harry Redknapp gave debuts to three teenagers, Kane, Ryan Fredericks and Thomas Carroll, from the start; and another, Jake Nicholson, late on.

If the unfamiliarity of the home team's starting line-up offered a hint of encouragement to Hearts, the Spurs bench was an ominous sight, with Rafael van der Vaart, Jermain Defoe, Niko Kranjcar and Benoit Assou-Ekotto all available should there be the slightest need to strengthen the deep.

There was no place for Luka Modric, who has had a hamstring strain, but the Croatian playmaker is still expected to be included against Manchester City at the weekend after Tottenham resolved not to let him move to Chelsea.

The attendance was large for a game which was essentially a dead rubber, with a big home support turning out for Spurs' first game of the season at White Hart Lane. The attendance was boosted by a loud away contingent of around 2,500, who turned up en masse some time before kick-off and were in cheerfully defiant mood.

"Six-nil, we're going to win six-nil," they sang, a prediction which at least remained theoretically achievable for longer than Hearts had been able to keep a clean sheet a week earlier.

Spurs' passing was almost as crisp in the opening stages here as it had been when Van der Vaart scored a fifth-minute opener at Tynecastle, but Hearts' defending was far more alert than it had been then, as the back four pressed up closer to the midfield.

And, while they had to defend in numbers at times, the Edinburgh side were also able to get forward regularly. Rudi Skacel had the first attempt on goal of the contest, a shot which failed to trouble Carlo Cudicini, before Roman Pavlyuchenko brought out the first save of the night with a drive from 25 yards which MacDonald turned round for a corner.

While the Hearts goalkeeper was equal to that challenge, Cudicini knew little or nothing about the 11th-minute effort from Smith which came within inches of opening the scoring. Ryan McGowan crossed cleverly from the right, and with Dawson trying to close him down Smith shot first time, looking on as it slammed back off the crossbar before bouncing on the line on its way back out of the goalmouth. With Skacel playing just behind Smith, and Scott Robinson and Eggert Jonsson also in midfield, Hearts had a much stronger presence in that central area, but they were still vulnerable down the channels, and after half an hour that susceptibility almost cost them a goal.

Kane ran on to a through ball from Carroll, reached the ball just in front of MacDonald, and went down under the keeper's challenge, leading the referee to award a penalty. Kane stepped up to take the award himself and placed the ball strongly, but MacDonald dived to his right and pulled off an excellent block.

From a Hearts point of view, that save rivalled Smith's shot as the moment of the first half. Quarter of an hour of it remained after the penalty, but Spurs threatened only intermittently during that time, and Hearts deservedly went in level at the interval. At half-time the crowd were introduced to Hearts and Tottenham legend Dave Mackay, and to another man who had played for both clubs - Tom White, brother of the late John White.

It was Tom's first visit to the north London ground since 1964, when, months after his brother's death, he played in and scored in a memorial-cum-testimonial match.

As news of the scores at Ibrox and in Sion spread at half-time, it became increasingly plausible that Hearts would turn in the most commendable Scottish performance of the evening.

Hearts again had the first attempt on goal, Jonsson coming close with a raking long-range effort, as Spurs appeared to have lost the collective sharpness they had shown earlier.

With 20 minutes to play, a Smith header from more than ten yards out was some distance wide.

But at least it demonstrated his team's continued ability to get the ball forward - albeit against opponents who had no need to show urgency.

"We're the last team in Europe," the Hearts fans sang as the Old Firm's exits were confirmed.

They may have been correct only thanks to their game's kicking off 15 minutes later, but their pride in the way their side had battled back to respectability was wholly justified.

Tottenham: Corluka, Dawson (Kaboul 46), Bassong, Townsend, Carroll, Livermore (Nicholson 76), Huddlestone, Fredericks (Kranjcar 60), Pavlyuchenko, Kane.
Subs not used: Friedel, Van der Vaart, Defoe, Assou-Ekotto.

Hearts: MacDonald, McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Templeton, Jonsson, Robinson (Taouil 78), Novikovas, Skacel (Mrowiec 71), Smith (Suso 82).
Subs not used: Kello, Driver, Obua, Stevenson.

Taken from the Scotsman