County bounce back to leave Jam Tarts’ top-spot bid unstuck
Spittal (11, 45) HEARTS 2 Boyce (9), Kingsley (66) Robbie Neilson blamed the loss of sloppy goals as impressive Ross County prevented his team taking an overnight lead in the Premiership title race.
The Hearts manager described County’s stunning double response from Blair Spittal to Liam Boyce’s opener as “scrappy” and insisted they should have been shut down.
The joint table-toppers failed to hold the early lead and it took a stunning second-half free-kick from Stephen Kingsley to salvage a point after Spittal’s deadly finishes.
The draw stretched Hearts’ run without defeat to six matches, and Neilson said: “I thought we actually played really well in periods and moved it well.
“We got into some really good areas and probably should have scored more goals. But we lost two scrappy goals in the first half.
“We knew with Jordan White up front they would go direct and we lost two that way, and that was the most frustrating thing.”
It was another encouraging day for County, still winless, but muchimproved after a tough sequence of games under Malky Mackay.
There was a minute’s applause for loyal County fan Gary Bissett who passed away last week, with the Hearts support joining in to chant his name.
Hearts’ big following exploded inside nine minutes with an all-too-easy opener.
The ball was worked down the left and Gary Mackay-Steven’s pass found Liam Boyce free at the left side of the box.
Boyce, a League Cup winner with County, punished his former side in a flash with a crisp, low finish.
The away support’s joy was short-lived, though, as County levelled within 90 seconds.
Home target man Jordan White superbly controlled a high ball and fed it back to Blair Spittal at the edge of the D.
Spittal’s first-time strike rattled past a helpless Gordon and into the bottom left-hand corner.
McKay was a lively threat for Hearts and it took a fine reaction save by County debutant Ashley Maynard-Brewer to beat away an Armand Gnanduilet snapshot.
County’s White had to be bandaged after bleeding from a head knock after a clash with Craig Halkett.
The big striker was possibly still dazed inside 36 minutes as he passed up a glorious chance.
Callachan split Hearts’ defences with a throughball on the left and Spittal swept the ball across. White, in front of goal, completely failed to connect.
County went agonisingly close again two minutes later as Jack Burroughs’ diagonal high ball found the unmarked Callachan stretching to knock a volley just over the bar from six yards.
Close to half-time, County got their reward and took the lead.
Regan Charles-Cook produced some great footwork on the left and then dragged a perfect ball back to the arriving Spittal to smash low through bodies from 12 yards for his second of the day.
The Hearts leveller came after Ben Paton was booked for downing Liam Boyce 25 yards out.
In front of the Gorgie faithful, Stephen Kingsley stepped up and swerved the perfect dead ball finish high past Maynard-Brewer’s right.
Momentum swept behind the away side, with County creaking for a spell.
With 12 minutes remaining, Maynard-Brewer made an important block to safety from Boyce’s driven attempt.
Boyce also struck the side-net with a header, but there was a late let-off for Hearts as substitute Joseph Hungbo’s strike was blocked on the line by John Souttar and then knocked over the bar by White.