LEVEIN DEFIANT
Accies stunner but Hearts boss still confident he is man for the job
HEARTS manager Craig Levein has told irate supporters that he is still the right man for the job, despite the Gorgie side’s Premiership winless run stretching to 11 games.
The hosts were twice pegged back by Hamilton striker George Oakley’s double after Sean Clare and Christophe Berra had put Hearts in the driving seat.
Even before referee Greg Aitken blew his final whistle the natives demanded that Levein step down, with large sections chanting: ‘Craig Levein, we want you to go’.
Jeers and obscenities rained down from the stands housing the home fans as the two sets of players exchanged handshakes at the end.
Levein has claimed the squad he’s assembled is the best he has worked with in his second spell in the dugout, but that is not evidenced in results, nor the table.
Hearts are currently second bottom with just two points from four games. However, Levein is adamant he is the man to oversee an upturn in the team’s fortunes.
He said: ‘Listen, I understand there’s a sense of frustration with the supporters. I get that.
‘I am not going to criticise them for voicing their opinion. But I believe I can fix this and get us up the table pretty quickly. I think we have players more than capable of climbing the league table.
‘The frustrating thing is we have scored two goals at home and, normally, when we do that we win.
‘And I don’t say this very often but our defending wasn’t good enough. That’s the bit that hurts.
‘The goals we lost were rubbish. If we lose a well-worked goal I am quite comfortable saying it’s a good goal. But it was more errors by us rather than good play by Hamilton, that’s the frustrating thing.’
On paper, a visit of Accies was a favourable fixture for a Hearts side bidding to get back on track, given that their opponents had not won in Gorgie since 1977. However, there was a palpable nervousness inside the stadium from the kick-off, not helped by a laboured start to the game that suited Hamilton.
Hearts had plenty of the ball but did little in the final third. The first warning sign for Brian Rice’s side came in the 12th minute when Berra powered a header just over from Andy Irving’s corner.
The home fans were further galvanised when Jake Mulraney headed in Conor Washington’s knockdown after 15 minutes, even if the effort was ruled out for offside.
The opening goal did arrive in the 20th minute as Hearts made their sustained spell of pressure count.
Craig Halkett drove deep inside the Hamilton half and laid off to Clare in the box. The Englishman kept his composure to slip a low shot under Owain Fon Williams.
Hearts had their tails up but the visitors came close to levelling just three minutes later. Lewis Smith’s left-foot strike from outside the area took a nasty deflection off Berra but struck goalkeeper Colin Doyle’s elbow before going for a corner.
The hosts’ on-loan Manchester City playmaker Ryo Meshino was then handed an earlier than expected debut to a round of applause in the 31st minute after Euan Henderson was forced off with a hip injury. But the Japanese struggled to get involved for the most part.
Hamilton resorted parity just five minutes after the restart with a helping hand from Hearts.
As Oakley and Berra jostled for the ball facing the goal, Aidy White’s attempt to assist backfired. The leftback’s touch fell kindly for Oakley, who could not believe his luck as he stabbed the ball past Doyle.
Hearts regained their composure and only a only a fine save from Fon Williams kept the score level as the Welshman pushed Washington’s fierce half-volley over.
But Berra did find the net in the 58th minute. The skipper was allowed to rise with little resistance in the box to head Irving’s corner past the goalkeeper.
There were further warning signs for Hearts as the away team again came close to scoring. Blair Alston’s low drive was parried by Doyle and Mario Ogkmpoe’s rebound came crashing back off the bar.
Accies kept plugging away and got their just reward in the 73rd minute. Aaron McGowan raced into the box before losing control but Oakley’s snap-shot from 16 yards found the corner of the goal.
Hamilton manager Rice said: ‘I think anyone in the stadium could see that we could have won that game with the chances we had — good chances.
‘I’m delighted to get a point, maybe a bit disappointed not to get three but that’s maybe me with my Hamilton hat on. I thought the performance merited three points.
‘I know we won’t get the credit because we’re Hamilton — I know where we are in the pecking order — but I’m delighted with the way we played.’