Home side impress but Sergio’s toilers earn their spoils

Richard Winton

5 Nov 2011

WHEN David Obua’s late lash rattled against the inside of a post and fizzed across the face of the St Mirren goal, Paulo Sergio threw his arms in the air and smiled ruefully.

The manager might have bought his players’ patience during the week by promising that their wages would eventually be paid, but Hearts were unable to buy a goal in Paisley yesterday. Perhaps the Tynecastle side should just be grateful for small mercies; an eventful few days drawing to a conclusion with an away point and no further disciplinary woes.

Offered lusty backing from the 1000-strong travelling support, the visitors were doughty and diligent without ever hinting at being capable of anything more, but to offer even that was admirable after the events of the past week.

Danny Lennon suggested as much afterwards but those involved with St Mirren will nurse a justifiable grievance that they did not secure consecutive victories given the poverty of Hearts’ attacking performance. Yet, as far as the Paisley side’s manager was concerned, the draw was indicative of his side’s growing belief. “It shows you that we are heading in the right direction and competing at the right end of the division,” he said, his side two points adrift of yesterday’s opponents in sixth place. “The spirit and character of them, and not just the 11 on the pitch, is terrific and that is difficult to create.”

There have been times when Hearts could have been held up as an example of such but not this week. Wages are not the only thing that is inconsistent about the club, with Sergio’s side having lost three of their previous five but beating Celtic in the process. Yet the resolve they demonstrated yesterday was gladdening, even if their performance wasn’t.

You can’t do much more when a keeper is in form like that

The restoration of Medhi Taouil in place of the suspended Ian Black offered the promise of a less destructive approach than of late but the Moroccan, like fellow creatives Rudi Skacel and David Templeton, found his space compressed and his time limited. Even the increasing fluidity of the trio’s positioning failed to breach St Mirren’s resistance.

Instead, the Tynecastle team became increasingly reliant on grunt rather than gumption. Taouil, Eggert Jonsson and Ryan Stevenson each fired efforts – with varying degrees of inaccuracy – in the direction of Craig Samson, while the goalkeeper was called upon to grasp a Jonsson header after Taouil found a rare yard to cross, and contemptuously push a Templeton drive over, before a goalmouth flurry eventually amounted to nothing. Obua’s late effort was the only time he ever looked truly troubled.

Samson’s opposite number certainly earned his belated monies, though. Marian Kello produced several outstanding saves in the first half alone, shovelling David Van Zanten’s angled drive past a post and thrusting out an arm to divert a Graham Carey rasper over the crossbar. Most impressive, though, was his reaction block from Paul McGowan, the attacker stabbing a shot goalwards after a wonderful passing move.

Kenny McLean twice directed efforts over the top and Steven Thompson was denied by the woodwork in the latter stages as the hosts did everything but score, with Kello saving the best for last to deny Nigel Hasselbaink from close range.

“You can’t do much more when a goalkeeper is in form like that,” Lennon said. “We’re creating, but it’s just that final wee rub of the green, which we arguably got when Obua’s strike hit the woodwork, that is missing. But we’re getting there.”

Taken from the Herald