WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Never mind a new contract.. only thing Irving’s sweating over is firing Jambos back up
ANDY IRVING insists he’s focused on fuelling Hearts’ promotion charge rather than fretting about a new contract.
The 20-year-old’s sublime strike broke Alloa’s resistance 10 minutes from the break as Elliott Frear added a second before half-time.
Kevin Cawley’s header after Lucas Williamson was sent off for the Wasps looked like teeing up a nervy finish.
But loan winger Josh Ginnelly punished keeper Neil Parry for joining an Alloa attack at a late freekick by adding a third.
Irving was the stand-out, once again showing his eye for a pass and ability to play through the lines makes this Hearts team better.
His contract is up in the summer but the boyhood Jambo is in no rush to get around the table just yet.
The midfielder said: “I just need to keep concentrating on my football and I’m sure itD’lAl gVeItDsoMrtceCdAoRutTwHYheAnTthe timeXcXomXXesX.APlAl RI Kwant to focus on is playing football to the best of my ability and helping the team win.
“Hopefully at the end of the season we reach our objective of getting out of this league.”
Screamers like Saturday’s will make that happen, with
Robbie Neilson’s side now seven points clear at the top after Dunfermline’s draw and a call-off at Dundee.
Irving, who made his debut three years ago, added: “That’s something in the past I maybe haven’t done enough of – shooting.
“I had the chance and thankfully it went in.
“We were struggling to break them down and find our rhythm so it was a good time to get the goal not long before half-time. Then we got the second one, which put us in a good position.”
Neilson is witnessing an improvement every time the youngster take to the pitch.
But the player admits he’s far from the finished article, especially when it comes to the physical side of things.
Irving, who has started six of Hearts’ last seven games and now netted in back-toback games, said: “I need to work on everything, really.
“I’m only 20 so I’ve got a lot to learn and get better at. Physicality is definitely one of them. The guys we have, Mikey [Williams] and Bob [McCunn], helping us in the gym is great for the younger players because physicality is such a big part of the game now.
“The run of games I’ve had from Morton onwards has helped. Every game I think I’ve improved at things but also maybe made mistakes in other positions where I need to make improvements.
“But the more I play, the more I feel I’ll get better.”
Irving will do well to score a better goal this season, picking up the ball around 20 yards out, shifting it on to his left foot and sending a swerving effort into the top bin that was past Parry before he had time to process what was happening.
Hearts hadn’t looked all that threatening until then, with a front three of Frear, Jordan Roberts and Euan Henderson. In fairness to Frear, he slid in to volley home their second after an excellent move involving Roberts and Jamie Walker ended with the latter dinking a ball into the back post.
Gary Mackay-Steven was given the second half by way of a debut and any risk of an Alloa revival seemed to disappear when Williamson was shown a second yellow after clattering into him.
But with seven minutes left Jon Robertson’s ball to the back post found Cawley and he planted a header across goal into the corner. That cued a stoppage-time charge for a leveller but only after Liam Boyce had a goal ruled out for offside.
The striker insisted he was on and replays seemed to back him up.
A free-kick saw Parry venture up but Ginnelly’s pace on the break saw him roll into an empty net, prompting a shout of “there’s yer f **** n’ medicine” from the Hearts bench.