Boyce: It’s about time that Jambos got back to their winning ways
Liam Boyce appreciates the way Hearts treat their players like Premiership royalty.
But the Northern Ireland international admits it is about time the Gorgie squad start proving they deserve it.
The Tynecastle top scorer struck his 13th goal of the season in Inverness on Friday evening to equalise and make it 1- 1, but left the Highlands frustrated after a thirdsuccessive draw.
After just four wins in their last nine matches, Hearts’ points cushion at the Championship is deceptively precarious given games inhand held by the likes of Dunfermline and Raith Rovers.
Acknowledging how difficult it has been to break down some of the division’s so-called lesser lights of late, Boyce admitted: “I think teams raise their game against us and it is the first time I have actually had to deal with teams sitting in and defending against us in that manner.
“I have previously been on the other side of it, where you try to frustrate the bigger teams.
“You play counter-attacking football and defend from the front.
“We are a big club and we need to be able to handle teams trying to frustrate us.
“We have to step up to the plate and take games by the scruff of the neck. Everyone needs to do that to get us over the line.
“The thing is we can’t even look at this as an audition for playing in the Premiership as the job hasn’ t been completed yet.
“As a collective, we need to start winning games again.”
Meanwhile, Inverness goalscorer Miles Storey is convinced Neil Mccann’s temporary stint in charge can reboot Caley Thistle’s promotion challenge – with every player now on a clean slate.
With John Robertson on compassionate leave for an unknown period, his former Tynecastle team- mate has stepped in to help out and hasn’t been shy in revamping the team’s approach in his first few days.
The Highlanders still have games in hand that could take them into the Premiership play-off positions.
Storey said: “It is bizarre circumstances and we’re all disappointed the gaffer is not with us for now, but it is something he needs to do – and we all wish him well.
“Since the new gaffer has come in, from day one he’s demanded standards off us.
“It’s a fresh voice and while it’s a different style of play, we’ve got good players in all positions to carry it out.
“We’re all going to be fighting now to impress because it is a different opinion.
“You’ve got to try to get yourself in the team and work hard.
“It is going to be quite intense, but it is something we can all benefit from before the gaffer comes back.”
With an eye on the battle for a play-off place, Storey added: “With games called off, it was very easy to say: ‘ Win our four games and we’re right up there’.
“It doesn’t work like that. It takes a lot in this league to put points on the board.
“But we showed last year we are capable of putting together a run of wins. We would win three or four games, draw or lose one and then go and win another three.
“That’s the sort of run we need to put together to start bombing up the league.”