HEARTS STILL HURTING
• Fans fume at Neilson and Budge as Hearts lose again • Queens enjoy a rare win in Gorgie over lethargic leaders
THE protest outside Tynecastle may have been modest in scale — owing more to the ongoing pandemic than a lack of appetite among disgruntled supporters — but the mood of fan discontent enveloping Hearts came across loud and clear.
That anger will only become more voluminous following this latest humbling: a first home defeat against Queen of the South since 1963.
‘We understand their frustration as there’s nobody more frustrated than me,’ said head coach Robbie Neilson. ‘There are a lot of conversations to be had before next week.
‘We now have to pull ourselves together. It’s been a big blip but we have to stay strong and get our focus back.’
A blip is putting it mildly. Following an embarrassment of historic proportions against Brora Rangers in midweek, there was disaffection in the air before a ball was kicked yesterday.
Around 50 fans shunned owner Ann Budge’s warning not to congregate outside the stadium prior to kick-off. Stickers reading ‘Neilson & Budge Out’ seemed to decorate every lamppost, bollard and fence in Gorgie, while a sizeable flag was also displayed reading ‘Budge and Levein Stole Our Club’.
To describe Budge’s £2.5million purchase of Hearts in 2014 as an act of theft is spurious in the extreme, given the club was in administration and on the cusp of extinction before her intervention. She will also hand the reins over to fans’ group Foundation of Hearts this year. Larcenous characters rarely return their wares.
But, more broadly, criticisms are fair. This fine old Edinburgh institution is back in the Championship — where she found it — and her reign, latterly, has been peppered with poor managerial decisions, slapdash recruitment and tone-deaf communication with fans during lamentable periods of form.
In terms of infrastructure, Budge’s ownership has left Hearts in a far better place. In terms of football, things have somewhat gone off the rails, even as they sit well atop a poor Championship.
‘I said when I came in that it was like trying to turn around a big ship that’s struggled for the last two or three years,’ added Neilson. ‘We’ll reflect on (the defeats) but we have to try to look forward.’
Amid this backdrop of discord, the pressure was on Hearts to fly out of the blocks.
And Hearts centre-half Mihai Popescu took 90 seconds to wilt under that strain, passing the ball straight to Connor Shields. The Queens striker finished clinically.
If his first effort was fortuitous, Shields’ second was inspired. He sprung a ragged Hearts offside trap to meet a Niyah Joseph through-ball before producing a sumptuous chip over the backpedalling Ross Stewart for 2-0.
Popescu, proving more effective with his head than his feet, halved arrears prior to the interval, nodding home an Andy Halliday corner-kick.
Hearts restored parity thanks to the laudable impact of young substitute Euan Henderson, who raced down the right flank and whipped in a low cross for Armand Gnanduillet to finish.
However, a week to forget for the hosts lurched from humbling to farcical when Andy Irving contrived to turn a looping Shields cross into his own net.
‘We knew they would be under pressure,’ said Queens boss Allan Johnston.
‘I’ve played football to know what it’s like after a bad defeat. When we get the first goal, it sets them back — and I thought we were different class from there.’
HEARTS (4-4-2): Stewart; Halkett, Berra, Popescu, White; McEneff (Henderson 70), Halliday, Irving, Mackay-Steven (Walker 62); Boyce, Gnanduillet.
Subs (not used): Zlamal, Haring, Frear, Kastaneer, McGill. Booked: Halkett, Gnanduillet.
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (3-5-2): Ferguson; Obileye, Buchanan, Breen; Gibson, Joseph, McCabe, Dickson, Maxwell; Dobbie (Mebude 76), Shields (East 90).
Subs (not used): Leighfield, McKee, Fitzpatrick, Goss, McGrory. Booked: None.
Referee: Gavin Duncan.