I’m Owen keeper McCarey for securing a clean sheet
Owen Coyle hailed goalie Aaron McCarey for keeping only the third clean sheet for County all season.
The Irishman was under siege with the Staggies defending on their 18-yard line from 15 minutes on.
But devastating double saves in either half helped earn a precious point. All three
The Portuguese frontman was the fans’ fall guy when he was hooked after missing a second golden chance to seal the points.
But man- of-the-match Walker leapt to his team-mate’s defence after a grim goalless draw that the Jambos had dominated.
Hearts failed to find the net despite 23 attempts at goal to County’s five and Walker said: “There were a few times when Isma was a bit slow to react when the ball came back off their keeper.
“But over the past few weeks he has been the only one who has put the ball in the net for us.
“He’ll have those days, as will everyone else. He just needs to keep his head up and go again.”
Winless since their return to Tynecastle, and with only two points from their past 15, Hearts couldn’t break down a County side.
The Staggies lost both Andrew Davies and Jim O’Brien to injury but mounted a staunch defence.
Jambos boss Craig Levein said: “I’m just fed up after watching that.
“I have contrasting emotions – delighted with the performance but disappointed with the result. That’s how I want the team to play – with some more goals obviously.
“There is no point in looking back on videos of people missing chances. It would just depress us.
“Sometimes football is just hard. Everything is difficult and that’s what we’re having just now.”
It was a game that had seventh place v ninth place written all over it from the off.
The subdued atmosphere was so unlike Tynecastle and the gloom of only three working floodlights was a perfect metaphor for the 90 minutes that followed.
A new stand can only provide so much kindling – at some point Hearts had to provide the spark.
Levein shook up the starting line up with Kyle Lafferty benched and Cole Stockton providing the muscle up top alongside Goncalves.
But it was County’s change up front that made the more immediate impact. Owen Coyle clearly fancied Alex Schalk’s pace and mobility against the veteran pair of Aaron Hughes and Christophe Berra. The clean sheets have now come in Coyle’s eight-game reign.
And he said: “Aaron had a great save from a Christophe Berra header.
“But working with him every day, it’s one I’d expect him to make. It was a big one though and it earned us a Dutch striker came within the width of a post of justifying the change inside three minutes.
Capitalising on a brilliant turn and run from midfielder O’Brien, he clattered the upright from the right edge of the box.
But from there on, it was all Hearts – and all Walker.
The midfielder had five attempts at goal in the next half hour – testing the keeper, grazing the post, nursing a deflection or two.
His hunger was one of the few redeeming features of the game valuable point. He has done really well since coming in and with Scott Fox fit again now, we have some real competition.
“Before we had lost six games out of seven, were losing goals, no clean sheets.
“We are showing we have a structure and are organised.”
Coyle also insists County along with Aaron McCarey’s goalkeeping for County.
He needed a decent double save to deny Arnaud Djoum and Goncalves and an even better one to tip away a first-time shot from teenager Harry Cochrane.
Yet Hearts never seemed to have the confidence in themselves to turn their domination into devastation.
That didn’t change after the break. If anything it got worse.
County camped in, played shape and absorbed everything Hearts could muster across the 18-yard line had a claim for a winning goal chalked off for an offside shout against Alex Schalk si x minutes before the break.
He said: “I’ve not seen it back but my analyst tells me he’s clearly onside.
“Those are huge moments because Hearts would have been forced to be more gung-ho in their play.” You could keeper choose any Aaron of stops –but McCarey’s hisdouble to deny block Goncalves Berra with and 10 minutes left was crucial for Staggies.
and inside the box. Hearts’ penetration and finishing was nonexistent.
Again, though, County needed their Irish keeper to earn his crust with 10 minutes left.
It was a breathtaking double stop, getting down to deny a fierce Berra header from sub Don Cowie’s corner then spreading himself superbly to block a Goncalves effort.
That was Goncalves’ last act and he was jeered all the way back to the dugout as Lafferty came on.
But despite County l iving
dangerously in the closing stages, with both Laf ferty and Cowie coming close, they survived with their clean sheet intact.
Levein added: “Everything is great apart from the result – which is the thing that matters the most.
“Esmael did okay, got himself in positions to score. Maybe the frustrations was that he didn’t score when he might have scored.
“He will be the most disappointed one of all because he has missed good opportunity but he is there to score.”