Hearts targeting Old Firm double
FOR Hearts, relief at this slightly fortunate progression to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals will soon be blown away as the primary task of climbing the Premiership returns to dominate their thoughts.
What a challenge they face. Having emerged unscathed from Storm Ciara, Daniel Stendel’s side must now endure Storm Celtic. Wednesday night’s trip to Parkhead is the toughest possible assignment for a team still stuck at the foot of the table.
The champions are averaging almost three goals per top-flight game, winning 22 out of 25. Against that fearsomely consistent armoury will stand a defence charitably described as porous.
Hearts have recorded one clean sheet in the league since late October. Conceding three each to St Johnstone and Kilmarnock in back-to-back fixtures inevitably heightened talk of a shock when they ventured into the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday evening.
As it was, the League One challengers were blanked out. Yet the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole tale. Falkirk hit the woodwork three times in a six-minute period as they fought valiantly to try to negate Sean Clare’s earlier second-half penalty.
The ludicrous conditions — akin to playing football in a washing machine — were obviously a huge influence on the ragged shape of the game. Even so, Hearts could only establish authority in a final 25 minutes which they managed to see out with relative calm. The job was done. But only just.
All of this could almost create a sense of fatalism about their Parkhead prospects.
To young midfielder Andy Irving, however, a source of belief is offered by the way they rose to the task of dealing with the other half of the Old Firm.
A 2-1 win over Rangers at Tynecastle on January 26 stands as the undisputed high point of Stendel’s two-month reign.
Outstanding in that match, Irving (right) accepts going to Glasgow poses even tougher questions but feels confidence can be drawn from having previously upset the odds against a title challenger.
‘I don’t see why not,’ said the 19-year-old. ‘We were underdogs against Rangers and will be against Celtic.
‘It’ll be a tough game, no doubt. They’re in good form but when you see what happened against Rangers, we’ll go there with belief.
‘It’ll be different at Celtic Park. It’s a bigger pitch and we’re not at home, so it’s maybe a bit more difficult.’
Hearts have actually lost only one of their six games in 2020 — including two Scottish Cup ties against lower-league opposition — but set a standard of performance against Steven Gerrard’s men that hasn’t been repeated since. Why? ‘I don’t know, to be honest,’ admitted Irving. ‘The work rate in training and games is still the same. Obviously, it was a different game and atmosphere but we need to get back to that level as quickly as possible. ‘We’re scoring goals at the moment but we need to stop conceding as many.’ Reaching the last eight of the cup kept alive hope of returning to Hampden for a second time this season. That’s a boon but Irving knows where it lies in their priorities.
‘No one will say no to a cup run,’ he continued. ‘It’s good getting through to the next round and it’ll give us that bit of confidence for the next league games, which are massive.
‘Is it a sign our luck is changing when they hit the woodwork three times? I hope so but we need to make it turn ourselves. The league is paramount.’
After Celtic Park come fixtures against the two teams directly above Hearts — Hamilton and St Mirren. The remainder of their season could well be shaped over a ten-day period.
Pressure is ever-present and will only increase if results go awry. That is testing enough for experienced players, let alone a teenager, but Irving has been a significant positive since being given a consistent run by Stendel.
‘It’s been great,’ he said. ‘I’ve been given a bit of responsibility and that’s key with the manager. He wants everyone to take responsibility, no matter your age.’
Irving admitted surprise at the Falkirk tie going ahead in 50mph winds that reduced the first half to an error-strewn non-event. A blast high and wide from Falkirk’s Josh Todd was about as good as it got.
All involved deserve a slice of credit for making the second period far better. Hearts found the one moment that truly counted when a wind-assisted long ball from Joel Pereira allowed Liam Boyce to dart into the area. Michael Doyle committed to an unwise challenge and referee John Beaton pointed directly to the spot.
Clare stuck away the penalty with real confidence and accuracy, making it four goals from his past five games and emphasising a transformation under Stendel.
Falkirk did just about everything they could to wipe out that advantage. When a corner broke for Declan McManus, he swivelled to fire against a post. Incredibly, the striker was denied in the same manner 60 seconds later.
This time, fine work from Todd released him into the right side of the area. A low, angled shot looked in all the way — until the far upright intervened.
When Gary Miller then thumped a strike from distance against the bar, you got the sense the hosts — second in League One — were never going to be granted the fortune to score.
And so it proved. Hearts stabilised, with substitute Euan Henderson somehow spooning over a close-range chance that would have eased any nerves for the final seven minutes.
‘I think we deserved at least a replay,’ lamented McManus. ‘I think most people would agree with that. Although there were spells when Hearts had a lot of the ball, it didn’t feel as though they were really hurting us.
‘I think we handled every part of their game pretty well. Obviously, I’ve hit the post twice. Gaz has cracked the bar.
‘It’s one of those where a wee bit of luck gets us back in the game and we might even go on and win it.’
FALKIRK (4-4-2): Mutch; Doyle, Buchanan, Durnan, Dixon; Connolly (Telfer 75), G Miller, Gomis (Longridge 72), Todd; McManus, Sammon (McMillan 75). Subs not used: Ferrie, McShane, De Vita, L Miller. Booked: G Miller, Dixon. HEARTS (3-4-1-2): Pereira; Halkett, Smith, Dikamona; Clare (Henderson 72), Langer, Irving, Garuccio; Naismith (Walker 61); Washington (McDonald 81), Boyce. Subs not used: Zlamal, Ikpeazu, Damour, Moore. Booked: Clare, Irving. Man of the match: Gary Miller. Referee: John Beaton. Attendance: 5,976.