Defensive weaknesses again break Hearts as Rovers back with a bang
Defensive issues continue to trouble Hearts and will need addressed quickly.
Raith Rovers were the first team to win at Tynecastle Park in 11 months with Saturday’s deserved 3-2 victory, even if a late rally might have bizarrely swung the end result in the hosts’ favour.
At 3-0 down, you needed to double check Hearts actually had seven internationalists on the pitch. They conceded soft goals and Craig Gordon’s firsthalf penalty save from Regan Hendry only delayed the inevitable.
Gozie Ugwu scored his first Raith goal with a cute backheel on five minutes. A secondpenaltywasawardedright after half-time despite Hearts full-back Michael Smith appearing to play the ball and not Raith’s talented on-loan Rangers winger Kai Kennedy.
Substitute Manny Duku scored from the spot and moments later it was 3-0. The excellent Kennedy evaded Craig Halkett and his low cross squeezed past Gordon for Reghan Tumilty to knock home from close range.
Heartsappealedforhandball which referee John Beaton didn’t spot. The introduction of Josh Ginnelly finally injected some energy into a listless home performance, and two Liam Boyce headers restored hope.
Jamie Macdonald, the former Tynecastle goalkeeper, denied Stephen Kingsley, Smith and Steven Naismith with outstanding late saves. By full-time, Hearts had conceded 17 times in 12 league games and suffered their first home defeat in almost a year. “The form Jamie Macdonald was on summed up our day,” admitted Naismith. “We gave away silly goals, the penalty absolutely kills us when it’s not a penalty. They got to hang on to a result and we created a lot of chances. We could have come away with a point but if we didn’t give away slack goals we could have come away with a win.”
The result did not catastrophically damage Hearts’ Championship title challenge. With Dunfermline and Dundee both drawing over the weekend, the Edinburgh club’s lead at the top was reduced from seven points to six. However, there is a pressing need to tighten up. Christophe Berra’s pulled hamstring saw him replaced by Mihai Popescu in the second period and Ginnelly’s introduction certainly brought Hearts to life.
Manager Robbie Neilson conceded at full-time that his team hadn’t been good enough. He was red-carded after receiving a second caution for complaining.
Raith had trained only once in the buildup to this match due to a Covid outbreak. They hadn’t played in almost four weeks but produced an energy and a ruthlessness which belied their lack of action. And they had Macdonald in inspired form despite being one of the players forced into ten-day isolation. “What a team performance after the last few weeks of adversity,” he said. “I’ve got happy memories here at Tynecastle and this is up there with them.”