Walker makes a point for wasteful Jambos
HEARTS 1 Walker (71) MORTON 1 Mcguffie (53)
Robbie Neilson says Hearts were the architects of their own problems as the profligate Jambos were held to a 1-1 draw by Morton.
The hosts racked up 26 shots against their visitors from Greenock but Mihai Popescu, Michael Smith, Aaron Mceneff, Andy Halliday and Liam Boyce all contrived to waste passable opportunities to ripple the net.
In the end, it was substitute Jamie Walker who entered the fray to score his 50th goal for the club, cancelling out Craig Mcguffie’s shock opener.
The draw allows Dunfermline to cut the gap at the summit to 11 points and, even with the Pars boasting a game in hand, that is an unassailable lead. The lack of credible, consistent challengers in the chasing pack will see to that.
However, the feeling among supporters of the capital club is unlikely to be celebratory after this. The procession to the title has become a slog.
Underwhelming 1-0 victories over Dunfermline and Ayr were followed by a dismal 1-1 draw against Queen of the South. This was little better.
“We had a lot of possession and probed for the majority of the game,” said Neilson. “But we only have ourselves to blame.
“Football is about putting the ball in the net and we didn’t do it. That was the most disappointing thing.
“There needs to be a demand to put the ball in the net and it was a bit like they were thinking, ‘Ach, it will come’.
“It didn’t and then we fell behind. So we need to be better – and we know that.”
Neilson watched the encounter unfold from the Wheatfield Stand as he served the first a two-match ban for misconduct, having confronted referee John Beaton in the aftermath of last month’s 3-2 defeat against Raith Rovers.
And he saw the home side produce a performance of attacking intent but infuriating wastefulness in the first period.
Popescu was the worst culprit, somehow firing over the bar from six yards after being teed up by Gary MackaySteven. The big Romanian then powered a header off target after being left unmarked to meet an Mceneff corner.
Mceneff, on his first start for the Jambos, was the stand-out, bringing pace, energy and an ability to bomb forward to the Hearts midfield. His stinging drive from distance forced a sharp low save from Aidan Mcadams.
Smith, Stephen Kingsley and Halliday all fluffed their lines when presented with passable opportunities to break the deadlock before a neat backheel from Boyce looped on to the top of the cross-bar.
Morton did threaten Craig Gordon’s goal prior to the interval, albeit by accident. An Aidan Nesbitt delivery was caught by the whipping gale, curled wickedly and hit the bar.
However, Hearts did not heed that shot across the bows and, ten minutes into the second half, Morton landed a shuddering sucker-punch.
Luca Colville found Mcguffie with a perfect pass on the break and the waspish winger’s clinical finish into the bottom corner from 18 yards was similarly laudable.
Hearts, in need of inspiration, found it among their embarrassment of riches on the bench. Armand Gnanduillet surged down the left flank and produced a pin-point cross for fellow second-half sub Walker, whose emphatic header put his wasteful team-mates to shame.
A share of the spoils as Hearts continue to trudge towards a return to Premiership football.
“We are delighted for him to come on and get the goal and it’s great for him to reach 50,” added Neilson. “There aren’t many people in Hearts’ history who have achieved that.”