NO HEARTS HANGOVER
Neilson’s men hit five after cup agony
HEARTS manager Robbie Neilson commended his players for overcoming the physical and emotional effects of their Scottish Cup final heartache as they beat Ayr United in an entertaining clash.
Six days on from the agonising shoot-out loss to Celtic at Hampden, the Gorgie outfit came from behind to maintain their three-point lead at the Championship summit.
Stephen Kingsley grabbed the only first-half goal after 11 minutes following a blunder from Ayr keeper Viljami Sinisalo, before seven were shared after the break.
Cammy Smith and Luke McCowan put Ayr ahead before substitute Craig Wighton, who grabbed a brace, Olly Lee and Liam Boyce found the net.
Tom Walsh added another r in injury-time for the Honest Men. n.
Neilson said: ‘It was always going to be difficult because we had the physical output of last week, the full 120 minutes and then penalties — and it takes it out of you.
‘We also had the mental and emotional side and it takes you a bit to get over that, it takes you three or four days and then you have to refocus on the league.
‘When you look at the league, gue, Dundee won, Dunfermline won n— — so it was important we got three hree points.’
Neilson decided to freshen up p his starting XI after taking Celtic c to the brink. In came Lee, Elliott Frear rear and Jordan Roberts. Jamie Walker alker and Steven Naismith dropped to o the bench, while Aidy White missed d out completely. There was also no place in the squad for Josh Ginnelly.
Hearts also had to contend with the news that an unnamed firstteam player tested positive for Covid-19 on Christmas Eve, with that person now in self-isolation.
Neilson said: ‘The pleasing thing for us is that it hasn’t spread within the group.’
Tynecastle was battered by driving rain and a fierce wind, and it was Ayr who were unable to weather the early football storm as Hearts piled on the pressure.
The home team made their dominance count when Kingsley fired the hosts ahead with a free-kick from 25-yards that squirmed through the hands of Ayr keeper Sinisalo.
The upright then denied Hearts full-back Michael Smith a stunning goal with a rising right-footed drive from 30 yards.
As the second period started, there was no indication of how the it was going to unfold.
Out of the blue, it was Ayr who suddenly found a path to goal to stun Hearts with two quickfire strikes.
The equaliser arrived in the 57th minute when Smith hooked Andy Murdoch’s cross into the net from eight yards.
On-loan Dundee United forward Smith then turned provider for McCowan three minutes later.
A deep cross was picked up by the playmaker on the bye line but McCowan shifted the ball back on to his left foot and swept a stunning curling effort across Craig Gordon into the net.
Ayr’s l ead l asted only eight minutes after sub Wighton stroked Christophe Berra’s low cut-back into the net from eight yards with a first-time effort.
Lee then fired Hearts in front three minutes later after slamming Steven Naismith’s knock down past Sinisalo from close range.
Wighton added a fourth in the 74th minute with a fizzing low drive that found the bottom left hand corner from 20 yards.
Boyce then coolly beat Sinisalo from inside the area in the 81st minute following nice work by Wighton in the build up.
Ayr subtitute Walsh grabbed a third with the last kick of the game. His manager Mark Kerr said: ‘We knew we were going to face a challenge after we went ahead.
‘They made a couple of changes with Naisy and Wighton coming on and it does drag you about.
‘When you’ve got Christophe Berra coming into your box and cutting it back, it’s hard to deal with because that’s just shuffling into space and shutting off areas.’
HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Gordon; Smith, Halkett, Berra, Kingsley (Haring 78); Halliday, Irving; Lee, Frear (Wighton 63), Roberts (Naismith 58); Boyce. Subs (not used): Stewart, Walker, Popescu, Henderson. Booked: None. AYR UTD (4-1-4-1): Sinisalo; Muirhead, Baird, Roscoe, Reading; Miller; McCowan, Murdoch, Chalmers (Walsh 78), Smith (Zanatta 78); Moffat (Anderson 58). Subs (not used): Hare-Reid, Houston, McKenzie, Kerr. Booked: None. Referee: David Munro.