HEARTS FRASER WILSON AT TONY MACARONI ARENA
ROBBIE NEILSON piled the praise on super-stopper Craig Gordon and claimed the veteran goalie just keeps getting better.
Sensational Gordon was the driving force again as Hearts overcame the travel sickness that had stalled their early-season unbeaten run to motor five points clear in third.
A jaw-dropping triple save midway through the first half paved the way for Liam Boyce’s 49th-minute strike to bag all three points.
It was the Jambos’ first win on the road since August – and their first top-flight win here since 2006.
Livi deserved to take something from this full-throttle encounter but with Gordon in top form they stood no chance and are worryingly heading in reverse despite dominating the opening 45 minutes.
The win sees Hearts motor five points ahead of Dundee United in third place to make sure the Old Firm remain in sight. Just.
Neilson said: “Craig pulled off some top-class saves but that’s par for him. It’s down to the coaching!
“He’s just a top keeper. Probably the biggest thing about him is his concentration levels.
“Because he’s been at such a high level, there can be 20 minutes when he’s not been doing anything and then he pulls off a world-class save.
“There are a lot of keepers who don’t have that ability but we’re lucky to have him and hopefully he’s here for a number of years.
“It was a game of four quarters. I thought we started well. We had a couple of half-chances but then the game became scrappy.
“We had no control in the middle and they were picking up all the second balls. It was only when we brought Peter Haring in that we got a bit of stability and that allowed us to grow into the game.”
More than 3500 Jambos were on the bandwagon as Neilson’s side made the short trip along the M8.
It was 100mph stuff to start and Alan Forrest drove just wide after being set up by Jack McMillan before Boyce hit the deck in the Livi box in a coming-together with James Penrice moments later.
Neilson was out the away dugout in a flash but ref Kevin Clancy waved play on and it looked the right call.
Hearts were dealt a blow after quarter of an hour when Michael Smith went off with what looked a back problem and was replaced by
Neilson hails evergreen No.1 as his heroics set the stage for Jambos hitman Boyce to sink Livi
Taylor Moore but there was little fluency and one passage where it seemed like 10 tackles had been made in as many seconds summed up the ferocity of the opening spell.
Livi were on top though and Hearts had Gordon to thank – not for the first time this season – as he produced perhaps his best moments of an already stellar campaign to keep the score blank after 25 minutes.
Jack McMillan brilliantly played in Andrew Shinnie but Gordon stayed big to save one-on-one, only for the ball to break to Craig Sibbald whose follow-up smacked back off the post.
Incredibly that wasn’t the end of it and Jason Holt’s bending attempt looked destined for the top corner before Gordon threw himself full length to brilliantly tip the ball on to the woodwork and get up to block the FOURTH attempt on his goal in less than 30 seconds.
Scotland’s No.1 celebrated like he’d scored a winning goal and how he deserved to.
Neilson wasted no time making a second sub with Haring thrown on for Ben Woodburn as the Jambos looked to get a hold in midfield where McMillan, Stephane Omeonga and Holt were in full control.
Forrest screwed a shot wide before
McMillan had another effort easily held by Gordon in a first half dominated by the home side.
Neilson’s frustrations were boiling over and he eventually talked his way into Clancy’s book a minute before the break.
But his anger should have been directed towards his players who were booed off at half-time and the stats told the story, showing 11 shots to one in favour of Livi.
Just four minutes into the second half Hearts forged ahead with only their second attempt on goal.
John Souttar drove out of defence and found Barrie McKay, whose