Jambos tough it out to stifle Honest Men
ROBBIE NEILSON confessed to a sense of deja vu after Hearts were again forced to overcome a stoic defensive resistance on Championship duty, eventually eking out a 2-0 victory against Ayr.
The Jambos, who limped to three draws prior to last weekend’s win over Dundee, appeared destined to endure another infuriating afternoon at Tynecastle, even as they edge ever closer to a title triumph.
Chances were wasted – Andy Halliday and Armand Gnanduillet the main culprits – and they found teenage goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo in inspired form.
However, the cultured left foot of Andy Irving proved pivotal, with his deep free-kick finding Gnanduillet to finally open the scoring deep into the second half.
Irving, out of contract this summer, cannot sign a new deal quickly enough for those of a Hearts persuasion.
Jamie Walker made the game safe in the closing stages
to keep the Jambos 15 points clear at the summit of the Championship and ensure David Hopkin’s first game as Ayr boss ended in defeat.
“It was a difficult first half and we struggled to break them down,” said Neilson. “They sat in with 11 players, all 30 yards from goal, so it was always going to be tough.
“We’ve seen these games before, where you have loads of possession and they sit deep, nullify the game; kill the game; hit it long.
“If you get an early goal you can win convincingly but otherwise it can be a slog.”
Although only named Ayr boss 48 hours earlier, Hopkin clearly had enough time on the training ground to ensure the Honest Men were a solid unit. Their 4-1-4-1 was organised, tenacious and frustrated the hosts for well over an hour.
With clear-cut opportunities a scarce commodity in the first period, Halliday cut a frustrated figure when he spurned one. The combative midfielder made a perfectly timed run into the box to meet an Aaron Mceneff cut-back but could only fire his shot straight at Sinisalo.
Tom Walsh’s header into the arms of Craig Gordon – otherwise, a bystander on his 200th Hearts appearance – was a rare moment of threat posed by the visitors.
Sinisalo, on loan from Aston Villa, was excelling in Gorgie
and made a wonderful low save to deny Gnanduillet. From the resulting corner-kick, Craig Halkett nodded wide.
A sleepy second period was enlivened when Michael Smith found Gnanduillet with a sensational defence-splitting pass, only for the Frenchman’s low shot to be superbly saved by Sinisalo.
On the turf where Antti Niemi became a Hearts hero, Finland’s latest goalkeeping prospect was making his mark.
Jamie Walker, on as a substitute for the fourth successive game, then lashed a wayward effort wildly over the bar from 10 yards when he met a Smith cross and appeared destined to break the deadlock.
However, Sinisalo was finally beaten when Gnanduillet powered home an unstoppable header from point-blank range, owing much to Andy Irving’s delightful delivery.
“It was a delivery by Andy that was dropped into a good area and was a good height,” added Neilson. “We needed more of it. When you have a guy who is 6ft 5in up there, sometimes you just need to hang it up.”
Walker made up for his earlier glaring miss by slamming home his seventh goal of the season from 10 yards. A super-sub tag is not one he will want – a start next weekend is surely forthcoming – but he is living up to the description.