LOL into a false sense of security
Jon is hell-bent on stopping Hibs-supporting family sending wind-up texts
HEARTS keeper Jon McLaughlin wants the inbox of his mobile phone crammed with OMGs this week and not LOLs.
The Jambos No.1 is preparing for his first Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle tomorrow knowing most of his family will be right behind him – in the Hibs end.
The 30-year-old may have left Edinburgh as a baby after his dad’s job took the family to the Middle East but capital derby emotions still run deep.
His dad Paul and mum Margaret are Hibs fans, along with countless cousins, aunts and uncles and even McLaughlin admitted he had a soft spot for the Easter Road club before his summer switch to Gorgie.
Now? He bleeds maroon – and he hopes it is reflected in the text messages he receives from family members as he bids to continue his stingy form and impressive run of recent clean sheets.
McLaughlin said: “My family is split but the majority are over with the Hibees, I’m afraid, so there’ll be a good few of them at Tynecastle not supporting me.
“There are a few Hearts fans as well so hopefully we keep the other lot quiet.
“There’s definitely a little more pressure when family ties are involved and it’s just the same as everything the fans go through.
“They have pals on the other side and they don’t want to get stick when they go into work the next morning. They want to walk in with their heads held high.
“It’s the same for me. I don’t want any cheeky texts from relatives when this one’s over.
“I was probably more Hibs growing up but we were abroad when I was young then moved to England so you were always really far away from it all.
“You kept a little eye out but I’d never been to any games so it was such a great experience to be part of one at Easter Road earlier in the season – even though we lost – and now I can’t wait for the chance to play in one at Tynecastle.”
The Jambos made it seven games without defeat in their goalless draw at St Johnstone at the weekend and McLaughlin secured his fourth clean sheet in a row ahead of the derby.
Hibs have not lost any of the last eight meetings between the clubs since August 2014 and it piles the pressure on Hearts who are five points and one place behind Neil Lennon’s side in the table.
McLaughlin added: “We’ve kept five clean sheets in our last six games and through the whole unbeaten run recently we’ve only conceded two goals.
“It’s a run we want to keep going as long as we can and the good thing is we’re also getting goals at the other end and winning games.
“Okay, that wasn’t the case at St Johnstone but that was always going to be tight. It was the same when we played them at Murrayfield, there was nothing in it and we eventually won it with a scruffy goal.
“We’re happy enough, especially going down to 10 men, but it’s the mark of any successful team that you’re strong at the back. Unless you’re Celtic and can pretty much guarantee two or three goals every week you really need clean sheets to get results at this level.
“The gaffer spent all week leading up to St Johnstone trying to keep the buzz going in the wake of beating Celtic because they knew a match at McDiarmid Park wouldn’t have the same billing in everyone’s mind.
“It was good to get some kind of result and go into the derby still on decent form.
“However, all this will pale if we don’t put in a good performance against Hibs in front of our own fans and win. They’re crying out for that victory and want the bragging rights.”
A Simon Murray goal after just three minutes was enough to separate the sides at Easter Road in October but it’s a match Hibs dominated and a scoreline that flattered the Jambos.
It sparked a run of three defeats in a row but since the 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle on November 19 the Jambos have been unbeaten, with that thumping 4-0 defeat of Celtic the highlight.
McLaughlin added: “What we did against Celtic was incredible. It put an extra sparkle around the place and people have seen what we can do when everything comes together.
“We must find a way to replicate it. Last time against Hibs, defeat wasn’t down to tactics or anything else, we just didn’t turn up. They put in a good performance in front of their fans and it’s our turn to do that now.
“We’re coming off the back of a massive win over Celtic, we’re on a good run and everything’s there for us, we just need to repeat our best form.
“If we play the way we did against Celtic we’ll win, I’m sure of that.”
Hearts midfielder Harry Cochrane made his derby debut in October as a half-time sub but has been ruled out of the game at Tynecastle after picking up a red card at McDiarmid Park.
The decision by ref Kevin Clancy left Hearts boss Craig Levein “annoyed” but he reckons he has enough in reserve to cope with the loss of the 16-year-old.
Levein said: “Losing Harry is a blow as he has been in very good form but Jamie Walker came back in against St Johnstone and Aaron Hughes is also available again. We’re better off than last week.
“I am really looking forward to the derby. We played them at Easter Road and didn’t perform well. We can do much better. I am feeling good about the team and our chances of winning this game.
“It bothers me we lost the last one. It bothers me every time we lose and it bothers me when we draw.
“It is something that is a huge irritation for me.”
Most of my family are Hibees so they’ll not be supporting me at Tynecastle JON McLAUGHLIN