Rare two in a row notched

Richard Winton

15 Oct 2011

HEARTS are at least consistent in their inconsistency.

Without an away victory in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League this season until yesterday, the Tynecastle side followed their evisceration of Celtic by recording consecutive wins for the first time since February.

That it was against an anaemic Dunfermline Athletic mattered little, given that the three points take the Tynecastle side to within one of the faltering Parkhead outfit. Even the proximity of fourth official Iain Brines to his technical area could not spoil Paolo Sergio’s afternoon.

“They made us work very hard but we showed a desire to win that has not been here,” the Hearts coach said. “I want my players to pass the ball but sometimes you have to be responsible and you have to play ugly. We defended well and waited for the right moment to kill the game.”

Certainly, the Portuguese is exacting a revolution at Tynecastle – that much is clear by the marked difference in Hearts’ approach. Although assembled in a similar 4-5-1 shape to that favoured by Jim Jefferies, and even Csaba Laszlo, they are expected to shuttle short passes instead of launching long punts in search of the solitary striker.

There are times you have to be responsible and play ugly

Much of the play was funnelled through Eggert Jonsson, with the attacking impetus coming from David Templeton wide on the left and Rudi Skacel, roaming menacingly infield from the right.

With Dunfermline deploying three centre-backs, Templeton found plenty of pasture in which to frolic and came close to scoring when he burst beyond John Potter only for the defender to snake out a leg and deflect his effort wide with Paul Gallacher helpless.

Soon afterwards, the goalkeeper threw himself to his left to divert a Skacel scud wide, but Andy Kirk got into a dreadful funk trying to clear Danny Grainger’s subsequent corner at the near post, slicing the ball towards his own goal and Andy Webster nudged over the line.

While the goal put Hearts in control, chances to extend their lead were scarce. Ryan Stevenson’s header from a Templeton centre was clutched by Gallacher and the winger sent an angled effort narrowly beyond an upright before finally forcing an opening with 14 minutes remaining.

Templeton scampered clear into the area, and while Gallacher blocked his shot, Skacel was on hand to thread the rebound beyond two defenders on the line. “Rudi is better now than a month ago,” Sergio said. “We must remember he had no pre-season and came into the club at almost the same time as me.”

Dunfermline’s wait for a first top flight home win is prolonged. Jim McIntyre had described their previous two outings – 4-0 defeats by Rangers and Aberdeen – as unacceptable and, while this performance was a marked improvement, his side went without reward once again.

They had six potential starters absent for assorted of reasons and although switching to a back three made them more resolute, their inability to create anything of note will be a real concern.

Andy Kirk was a frustrated, isolated presence for the first hour but even the introduction of Liam Buchanan failed to address the abject lack of creativity from the midfield behind them.

A first-half free-kick that Kirk slashed into the Hearts support and a dipping Paul Burns effort that had Marian Kello briefly panicking were the hosts’ only opportunities of note.

However, their manager said: “I can’t fault their effort and I don’t think they were much better than us, but if you make mistakes you get punished. It’s hard to sit here after another defeat but at least we got a reaction after two abysmal performances.”

Taken from the Herald