SORE POINT AS HEARTS TOIL
Stendel’s side struggle to a draw against 10-man Accies
THAT’S one win from Daniel Stendel’s first 11 Premiership games in charge of Hearts. The same return from the remaining 11 fixtures of the season will surely see the Gorgie club relegated.
Being kind, this two-goal comeback could be described as showcasing the spirit that will be vital to Hearts’ chances of survival.
Closer analysis would expose that prognosis as flawed as the game plan that saw Stendel’s team taken apart by Accies in the opening quarter of an hour.
Had Accies’ young defender Jamie Hamilton not been sent off midway through the first half, this could have turned into the sort of crushing and embarrassing scoreline that comes to define a managerial reign.
Those who defend Stendel will insist he is just getting started at Tynecastle but, on current evidence, he has succeeded in only making a team that had become stale and turgid under predecessor Craig Levein into something even more vulnerable.
Faced with a Hamilton team happy to abandon their early strategy in favour of a rearguard action in the wake of the red card, Hearts toiled to make headway.
Their best player, Jamie Walker, pulled one back just after half-time and the equaliser from Craig Halkett did not arrive until the 87th minute.
The point ensured Hearts lost no more ground on their relegation rivals at the bottom of the table but, with just the solitary win from 11 league games, Friday’s fixture at fellow strugglers St Mirren has taken on even greater significance.
Pre-match, the 11 goals conceded in games against St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Celtic had shone a spotlight on the poor form of Joel Pereira, with Stendel (right) vague on the issue of whether a penalty from parent club Manchester United applied to the non-selection of the goalkeeper yesterday.
His decision to drop the 23-year-old was sound, even if doubts persist over his replacement, Bobby Zlamal.
If Stendel’s team selections have been difficult to predict, Hamilton boss Brian Rice has seemed completely averse to selection consistency.
David Templeton and Lewis Smith have both found themselves dropped after grabbing goals in recent weeks, while Marios Ogkmpoe was benched for the Scottish Cup tie against Rangers, despite scoring against Celtic a week earlier. Of those three, only Ogkmpoe got the nod for this one and he was to wreak havoc in the first half. He registered the game’s first shot on target, with Zlamal making a smothering save.
The identity of the goalkeeper becomes academic, of course, when the team set-up leaves him hopelessly exposed.
Cue the Hamilton opener when right-back Sean Clare, under instruction to push high up the pitch, was caught out by a pass in behind that was chased by Scott Martin.
The midfielder used his head start to look up and spot Ogkmpoe lurking for a simple finish at the back post. It was far, far too easy.
Clare has won over a lot of fans since being refashioned as a full-back but it was his misfortune to concede the penalty for Accies’ second. He was not the only culprit.
Some tentative Hearts play saw the returning Aaron Hickey boxed in on the other full-back position and his poor passback gave Zlamal little scope. The keeper should have lashed his laces through the ball but opted instead to play out to John Souttar, whose unconvincing attempt at a clearance was charged down by Ogkmpoe.
Clare’s clumsy challenge then felled the Greek, who dusted himself down to roll home his second goal from the penalty spot. Not since 1977 had Hamilton tasted victory at Tynecastle but suddenly a piece of history was within touching distance.
If these Hearts players have been through the mill, spare a thought for 17-year-old Hamilton.
The teenager had already been sent off twice this season for ‘last-man’ offences against Motherwell and Celtic.
Kevin Clancy appeared not to see the Accies defender’s latest infringement but the moment assistant referee Frank Connor flagged for a hand-ball that prevented a pass travelling to Liam Boyce, the referee had no option but to issue a red card.
Rice, who had already been forced to nominate substitute Blair Alston to replace Aaron McGowan from his seat in the stand, took a pragmatic stance and opted to protect what his team had.
The onus was on Hearts but right up to half-time, Hamilton’s siege defending — be it Luke Southwood’s one-handed stop from Uche Ikpeazu or any number of interventions from the impressive Shaun Want — was excellent.
Hearts’ best chance dropped onto the head of Steven Naismith courtesy of an
arrowed ball forward from Andy Irving. The Scotland forward’s looping effort beat Southwood but dropped wide.
Having laboured for 45 minutes — and failed with a ridiculous attempt to win a penalty — Ikpeazu was hauled off at the interval to be replaced by January signing Donis Avdijaj.
The new man would scarcely fare better but, within three minutes, the home team had pulled back a goal. Walker’s run off the right flank was cleverly spotted by Naismith and, with Scott McMann struggling to make ground, the midfielder jabbed his finish past Southwood.
The remainder of the match was a soggy mess. Naismith saw a shot desperately blocked by Southwood and Walker snatched at another chance as the home fans moaned. In the conditions, he probably felt there were no guarantees in trying to kill a slippy ball.
Walker was then denied by a late Alex Gogic intervention and Southwood saved a header from the same player before Boyce was flagged offside as he headed the rebound against the crossbar.
Finally, the dam broke when substitute Conor Washington crossed the ball and Halkett’s firm header found the net.
Drenched by the downpour of Storm Dennis, the Hearts fans headed for the warmth of the pubs and their homes wondering when Storm Daniel and his heralded pressing game might affect the same kind of impact.