Craig: I should’ve started Cochrane
CRAIG LEVEIN admits he blundered by not starting Hearts wonder-kid Harry Cochrane as he took responsibility for their 1-0 defeat against Hibs.
The 16-year-old climbed from the bench on Saturday to inspire the Jambos to a 1-0 win over St Johnstone, teeing up the winner for Kyle Lafferty at Murrayfield.
Nevertheless, that was not enough to earn him a place in the starting XI at Easter Road, with Levein going for the experience and physicality of Rafal Grzelak.
The ineffective Pole was taken off in favour of Cochrane at the interval and again the talented teenager was a bright spark in an otherwise disappointing night for Hearts.
“It’s easy looking back but I maybe should have started Harry,” Levein said. “Harry’s quite a tough wee boy. He’ll compete.
“It’s just that he hasn’t got anywhere near the kind of strength that the players he’s playing against have got. That’s the problem.
“I’m disappointed with the result. I have no complaints about the effort the players put into the match. They just didn’t pass the ball well enough. I never really felt we had control of the game.
“In the second half, we were better and I thought Harry made a difference to that.”
For the home side, it was Dylan McGeouch who was the star of the show with his boss Neil Lennon declaring he is in the form of his life.
The Hibs boss, who also coached him at Celtic, said: “Dylan has had his injury problems but he seems to have those sorted and now he is playing fantastic football.
“He has always been a real talent and we are starting to see the fruits of what he is really capable of.”