SPL: St Mirren 0 Hearts 0

Nov 6 2011 Gordon Waddell, Sunday Mail

Hearts keeper Marian Kello pulls off another save against St Mirren

MARIAN KELLO more than earned his wages for Hearts.

Now all he has to worry about is whether he'll see them.

The Slovakian keeper spared his side a complete drubbing with a string of superb saves in both halves.

And while they may have had win bonuses included in their late pay packets at the end of an ignominious week for the club, that's one source of income they won't have to worry about for a while if this is the best they have to offer up the other end.

Ironically they nearly took all three points when a 30-yarder from sub David Obua smashed off the inside of the post in the last minute.

But St Mirren took all the plaudits, playing with a panache which deserved a bigger reward than they got.

Boss Danny Lennon said: "Their keeper was immense - we can't do an awful lot more when someone is in form like that.

"We're delighted we're getting there at this level and we maybe just need a wee rub of the green at times.

"Although you could say we got that with the shot hitting the post and running along the line at the end.

"It's important we're competing in the top half of the table though.

"And I'd like to give Hearts some credit for what they brought to the game - it was a cracking 0-0, and it has been an emotional week for them.

"I feel for them because they all deserve their wages at the end of the week."

It would be great to bring you Hearts' manager and players' thoughts on the subject as well - but they're still banned.

Replacing the 'duty of care to their employees' guff being spun for the past fortnight, this week's official smokescreen is now apparently that they can't speak due to the owner's ongoing dispute with the Scottish media.

Which is convenient.

As it turned out, they had boss Paulo Sergio safe and sound in the dugout after no more than a censure from the SFA.

But it couldn't have been long before he saw he was getting no repeat of his first win for the club over Saints back in September.

Right from the off this time, the Buddies looked like they'd shed the inferiority complex they carried to Tynecastle and they should have been ahead long before the break.

Gary Teale teed up their first chance with a darting run down the left, waiting to weight a great ball into the path of full-back David van Zanten. His low shot was on target and squirmed through the gloves of Kello but the touch was just enough to send it an inch wide of the post.

Their second chance was a classic counterattack, Graham Carey sacking Marius Zaliukas 10 yards from Saints' bye-line before lasering a fantastic left-foot ball to Paul McGowan.

The wide man thought his onetwo with Jeroen Tesselaar and finish were enough - but Kello saved brilliantly low to his left.

And the Slovakian was at his best again before the break to palm away a fierce dipping drive from Carey.

Craig Samson, on the other hand, could have had his deckchair out.

Apart from 25 yarders from Mehdi Taouil and Rudi Skacel, neither of which came close to troubling him, the tireless Ryan Stevenson had Hearts' best effort with a terrific chestand-volley from 18 yards which dipped over.

Sergio had seen enough - or not, to be more precise - within 10 minutes of the break and hooked Taouil, enjoying only his fourth start and probably his last for a while.

And it did light something up in them briefly, although not before an incredible effort from Steven Thompson had smashed the junction of post and bar, the former Scotland striker throwing himself kamikazestyle at a Carey shot to get to the header.

Jambos did came close, courtesy of a gift from Marc McAusland. Samson had to dig him out of a hole, beating David Templeton's effort from his casual pass out for a corner.

And from Jamie Hammill's centre, Eggert Jonsson almost bundled a finish through the six-yard box carnage for what would have been an unjust lead.

But Hearts' efforts were summed up by a break midway through the second half.

Skacel controlled a magnificent ball from Stevenson, turned, and all he had to do was roll a five yard pass to Templeton for a clear sight at the whites of Samson's eyes. Instead he gave it away, shrugged, and Templeton's head just fell to his chest.

It's amazing how a late payment or two can douse the flames of passion.

Saints piled the pressure back on, and Nigel Hasselbaink's strike from a quick free kick produced a phenomenal save from Kello.

However the final effort of the game came at the other end, a 30-yard Obua volley which hit the inside of Samson's post and flew along the line to safety - and certainly justice.

Taken from the Daily Record